Cigarette smokers are four times more likely than nonsmokers to feel unrested after a night's sleep, according to research at Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine in 2008 published in "Science News." The researchers believe this is due to smokers spending less time in deep sleep and more time in light sleep, but there are a number of other factors that contribute to smoking and sleep problems.
Nicotine
Part of the reason for lack of deep sleep is nicotine, one of the main ingredients in cigarettes. It is a central nervous system stimulant, stimulating both mind and body and interfering with the body's ability to fall and stay asleep in order to feel rested. Nicotine releases adrenaline, affecting your body's natural sleep cycle so that you do not have a normal deep sleep. The restorative benefits of deep sleep are reduced, making you feel exhausted and leading to sleep disorders.
Withdrawals
While you might feel that you need a cigarette to relax, what you are actually experiencing is a withdraw response. What happens is your dependency on nicotine grows as you become more addicted. As more time elapses from the last time you had a cigarette, your body begins to go into withdrawal and crave the nicotine. When you do finally get the nicotine, you feel as if you are able to calm down and relax. Researchers at Johns Hopkins University School of theorize that this nicotine withdrawal might contribute to disturbances in sleep.
Sleep Pattern
Smoking affects your sleeping pattern, reducing the amount of sleep and the level of restful sleep you get each night. Because the lungs of a smoker are weaker than that of a nonsmoker, you will wake more frequently throughout the night to cough or gasp for breath. This causes you to wake yourself, at which time you have to restart your sleep pattern. Because of increased snoring, coughing and gasping, you spend less time in a deep, restorative sleep and more time in a light, restless sleep. This can be resolved by stopping smoking.
Obstructive Sleep Apnea
Smokers are three times as likely to have obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) as nonsmokers, according to the Mayo Clinic. OSA is a potentially serious sleep disorder in which breathing stops and starts frequently throughout the night. Smoking increases inflammation and mucous in the upper airways, making OSA more prevalent for smokers. This risk drops after you quit smoking and the inflammation dissipates.
Statistics
About 21 percent of U.S. adults are current cigarette smokers (2006), according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and the rate of smokers increases among adults who sleep less than six hours a night. Adults between the ages of 18 and 44 who sleep less than six hours are more likely to be smokers than adults in the same age group who slept seven to eight hours.
