The Interactions between Smoking and Sleep

Abstract

Smoking a cigarette before bed or first thing in the morning is a common habit. In this review, the relationship between smoking and sleep is investigated based on the existing literature. Out of 6504 unique items that were identified via a PubMed search related to smoking and sleep, 151 were included in this review. Tobacco smoking disrupts sleep architecture by reducing slow wave and rapid eye movement (REM) sleep and undermining sleep quality. Furthermore, smoking affects sleep-related co-morbidities, such as obstructive sleep apnea–hypopnea syndrome (OSAHS), insomnia, parasomnias, arousals, bruxism, and restless legs, as well as non-sleep-related conditions such as cardiovascular, metabolic, respiratory, neurologic, psychiatric, inflammatory, gynecologic and pediatric issues, while poor sleep quality also seems to worsen the chances of successful smoking cessation. In conclusion, the existing literature suggests that there is a wicked relation between smoking and sleep.