4+ things you should know about smoking and your sleep
1. You have probably been hearing from everyone, for years, about how you should stop smoking, and you probably know about all of the chemicals in cigarettes. These chemicals not only damage the lungs, they also enlarge the soft tissues in the nose and throat and decrease the amount of oxygen in the body. All of this can mean trouble breathing properly, especially when sleeping. This can cause you to snore, and it can also increase your risk for sleep apnea – a serious problem where you stop breathing repeatedly throughout the night.
2. You may smoke because you find cigarettes relaxing, but actually nicotine is a stimulant. This means that if you smoke you may have trouble falling into a deep, satisfying sleep. You may keep waking up throughout the night. Or, you may have trouble sleeping because the craving for a cigarette wakes you up in the middle of the night.
3. Even people you live with may have problems sleeping if you smoke around them. Children are especially vulnerable to respiratory problems if they are often around someone who smokes.
4. If you decide to stop smoking so that you and your family can get better sleep and have better health, good for you! However, you should know that you won’t see improvements in your sleep right away, and for a while you may have even more trouble sleeping. Your sleep will slowly start to improve, though – hang in there!
If you just haven’t been sleeping well lately or if you have suddenly started snoring (or if you have been snoring more than usual), it may be your smoking habit – or it may be something else. Nevada Sinus Relief in Las Vegas, NV, can help determine what the problem is and help you to find a solution. Call 702-213-6468 for an appointment today!
