We receive a lot of questions from the general public. One is “Does vaping keep you awake?” – We look at the relationship between vaping, nicotine and sleep while we share some of our own tips for getting a decent night of zzz’s.
Can Your E Liquid Keep You Up at Night
If you are choosing e liquids with nicotine in, especially high levels of nicotine, there is a chance that this could be affecting your sleep. Nicotine is a stimulant, much like caffeine so it makes sense if too much late-night, nicotine-filled vaping could reduce your ability to nod off. Nicotine can energise you which isn’t really what you want when it comes to getting ready for a good night of quality sleep.
Studies have backed up the theory that nicotine can have an effect on REM sleep (Rapid Eye Movement). This is the stage of sleep which is the deepest and your get the most rest. Good sleep is vital for our health and wellbeing so what is the answer? Do vapers need to ditch their e cigarette after 5pm? Thankfully not.
In context, this is not a major vaping flaw and is something that can be easily dealt with. If you believe that your e liquids might be keeping you from nodding off at night drop down to an e liquid with less nicotine during the evening or even try zero nicotine e liquid. This is no different from switching to decaffeinated coffee after your evening meal or choosing chamomile or a Horlicks before bed. There’s no need to abstain from pre-bed vaping, just crank it down a little on the nicotine front.
If you’ve very recently switched over from smoking to vaping bear in mind that your body and mind will still be adjusting and there may be an element of withdrawal from the chemicals in tobacco cigarettes going on. This will ease with time. Any change in our daily lives, however minor, can affect our sleep.
Does Vaping Keep You Awake? What if I Don’t Want To Reduce My Nicotine Levels at Night
We are all individuals and what might affect some people may be a non-issue for others. If you don’t want to drop your nicotine level consider some of these other tips for encouraging great sleep. It may be that if you incorporate some of these changes into your routine you might not need to choose a different e liquid.
Reduce The Amount of Evening Screen Time
If you are anything like much of the team here you will no doubt spend a good chunk of your day in front of some screen type or another. The blue light from mobile phone screens, laptops, PC monitors and TVs all have the potential to disrupt sleep. Blue light can hold back the development of melatonin, the sleep-inducing hormone we all possess.
Guidance suggests that if you cut back on your blue light exposure an hour or two before bed you will likely enjoy a longer a high quality sleep. Some devices such as mobile phones and tablets have a blue screen setting which turns this down so that you can read on your Kindle or similar before bed. Give it a go.
Make Sure That You Drink Enough
We are not suggesting that an alcoholic nightcap before retiring is good for you. We know that our customers enjoy their drinks though, given how many fruit-flavoured and drink-related e liquids we’ve sold over the years. We’re suggesting that you take your love of your favourite soft drink and swap it with water. Only joking, sort of. Staying hydrated can have a lot of benefits and better sleep is one of them. Switch out some of your hot drinks and sodas for something that will boost your hydration. You’ll be grateful for it in the end.
Does Vaping Keep You Awake?
The short answer is that it can contribute to sleep issues. That said, so can caffeine, using your digital devices before bed and stress. Switch off earlier, drink more water, avoid caffeine in the evenings and if you are still struggling, cut back on the nicotine levels.
If none of these tips works it may be an idea to put together a sleep diary and try and pinpoint what is causing the issue. If you decide to see a GP about sleep problems, having gone through all of these steps already will save you a lot of time and help you get to the core problem sooner.
In the meantime, enjoy the relaxation that comes from sitting back and enjoying a delicious flavour-filled vape.