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NRT

Nicotine replacement therapy (NRT), which reduces the urge to smoke, is recognized as an effective aid to stop smoking, and increases cessation rates. Unfortunately, nicotine patches can sometimes be over-stimulating, leading to insomnia. The 24-hour patches are less problematic than the 16-hour ones, however.

The combined impact of the brain’s response to the lack of nicotine and the breathing problems that all smokers invariably suffer from mean that nicotine is most definitely not good for sleep.

Sadly, smoking is a vicious cycle that creates numerous problems. Many people start the habit because they find it useful for maintaining or increasing their alertness. (When inhaled, nicotine quickly stimulates the heart, brain and adrenal glands.) This is particularly true among young people and sufferers of sleep-related disorders. The need to boost alertness with nicotine reinforces the use of tobacco. Tobacco disturbs sleep, reducing daytime alertness, which in turn reinforces the use of tobacco. Apart from keeping you awake, there is evidence to suggest that nicotine may affect sleep in other, more indirect ways too. Smoking is believed to affect blood sugar levels, which can make you irritable, and smokers are also statistically more likely to be coffee-drinkers, the combined effect of nicotine and caffeine having a disastrous long-term impact on sleep duration and quality.