International Journal of Research in Medical Sciences | September 2024 | Vol 12 | Issue 9 Page 3538
International Journal of Research in Medical Sciences
Muddanna PKC et al. Int J Res Med Sci. 2024 Sep;12(9):3538-3542
www.msjonline.org pISSN 2320-6071 | eISSN 2320-6012
Review Article
The impact of smoking on sleep and quality of life:
a comprehensive review
Pavan Kumar C. Muddanna, M. Kumaraswamy*
INTRODUCTION
Research consistently indicates that, compared to non-
smokers, smokers often have lower-quality sleep. Smokers
frequently complain about having trouble going to sleep,
waking up a lot during the night, and getting less sleep
overall. The stimulant-like properties of nicotine, the
addictive ingredient in cigarettes, are known to disrupt the
body's normal circadian rhythm. Nicotine's energizing
effects might make it difficult for smokers to get deep,
restorative sleep.
1
Smokers' sleep difficulties are further
exacerbated by their increased risk of developing sleep
disorders such as insomnia, restless legs syndrome, and
sleep apnea. Research comparing the quality of sleep
experienced by smokers and non-smokers consistently
reveals variations in a number of areas related to sleep
patterns and general sleep health. Below is a summary of
the research in this area: compared to non-smokers,
smokers frequently report higher sleep onset latency,
which indicates that they take longer to fall asleep.
Smokers are more likely to wake up during the night and
have interrupted sleep continuity after they are asleep. It is
important to get enough sleep since insufficient sleep can
alter the production of many hormones, such as prolactin,
growth hormone, and thyroid-stimulating hormone
(TSH).
2
Among the conditions for which obtaining too little sleep
increases the risk are acute myocardial infarction, type 2
diabetes, hypertension, obesity, cancer, and depression.
4
It
also affects knowledge states worldwide by lowering
psychomotor vigilance, which encompasses perception,
memory, emotion, and attention.
3
For assessing sleep quality and disruptions across a month,
the Pittsburgh sleep quality index (PSQI) is a popular tool.
Department of Pharmacy Practice, Sri Adichunchanagiri College of Pharmacy, B. G. Nagara, Karnataka, India
Received: 22 June 2024
Accepted: 03 August 2024
*Correspondence:
Dr. M. Kumaraswamy,
E-mail: mkumaraswamy@accp.co.in
Copyright: © the author(s), publisher and licensee Medip Academy. This is an open-access article distributed under
the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution Non-Commercial License, which permits unrestricted non-commercial
use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.
ABSTRACT
Smoking is so widespread and can have such detrimental effects on health that research on the effects of smoking on
sleep quality and general quality of life in smokers and non-smokers has already attracted a lot of attention. Numerous
research articles have examined the relationship between smoking and sleep, contrasting smokers and non-smokers in
various demographic settings and examining the possible impacts of smoking on sleep habits and general quality of
life. Data from the corpus of research on the topic is gathered for this review, including differences in the quality of
sleep between smokers and non-smokers. Studies comparing smokers' and non-smokers' sleep quality frequently find
differences in a variety of areas pertaining to sleep patterns and overall sleep health. An overview of this field's research
may be seen below: Smokers often experience poorer sleep compared to non-smokers, with difficulties falling and
staying asleep, shorter sleep durations, altered sleep architecture, an increased risk of sleep disorders, and impaired day-
to-day functioning. These findings demonstrate how important it is to support smokers in quitting in order to improve
their overall health and sleep quality. The summary of the review concluded that smoking can affect the overall quality
of life and sleep of both smokers and non-smokers.
Keywords: Smoking, Non-smokers and smokers, Sleep quality
DOI: https://dx.doi.org/10.18203/2320-6012.ijrms20242643