Smoking can be a very difficult habit to quit. Part of this is due to the physical addictiveness of smoking--primarily through the chemical nicotinewhich stimulates your brain. However, there is also a psychological aspect to smoking, in which you become accustomed to smoking at specific times. This can be the case if you tend to smoke shortly before going to sleep as smoking becomes part of your "getting ready for bed" routine.
Step 1
Identify the activities/thoughts in your mind when you are smoking. During what period of the evening or night that you feel the strongest urge to smoke? Once you have identified these "triggers", try to vary your routine them or find something else to do (like drink a cup of tea) to keep yourself occupied.
Step 2
Join a support group. Your local health department, American Cancer Society office, or your workplace may offer smoking cessation support groups. You can also call 1-800-QUIT-NOW, which is a hot line that can connect you with a counselor who can offer you tips and strategies to help you smoke, as well as connect you with your state's smoking cessation hotline.
Step 3
Try nicotine replacement therapy. Nicotine replacement therapy provides you with nicotine to replace that which you would get from smoking. Nicotine lozenges, nasal spray, and gum are ideal for helping you stop smoking before sleeping, because you can take them right before you sleep.
Step 4
Take prescription stop smoking drugs. Bupropion and varenicline (marketed as Zyban and Chantix, respectively) both work on your brain to reduce your urge to smoke. These medications are available by prescription only and will help reduce your physical cravings to smoke before sleeping.
Things You'll Need
- Nicotine lozenges, gum, or spray
