Is your vaping habit disrupting your sleep? Is there a link between sleep and vaping, and is it making your snoring worse?
Vaping is a common strategy used to quit smoking cigarettes, and it is quite effective for some people. Unfortunately, it has also become a harmful habit in and of itself, even among people who have never smoked.
There are significant health risks associated with vaping – and these extend to sleep quality and snoring.
About Vaping
Vaping is a quit-smoking strategy that simulates smoking. It aims to deliver nicotine with fewer toxins than are involved when tobacco is burned (as it is in cigarettes). The dose of nicotine can be gradually reduced by tapering the content within the vapes chosen. The theory is that vaping will be quit thereafter.
Resembling a USB device or pod, vapes are electronic cigarettes that heat a liquid into mist or aerosol. Vaping involves inhaling this aerosol; these devices are pocket-sized and battery-operated.
Vape mists consist of water vapour, flavourings, and more than 30 chemicals, and most include nicotine. The mist is deeply inhaled into the lungs; the chemicals pass from the lung tissues into the bloodstream and travel throughout the entire body.
Vaping is widely considered to be safer than smoking – but this is not entirely true.
While there is no pervasive burning tobacco smoke and smell, and the surrounding environment is more pleasant for non-participating bystanders, an average vape device contains the nicotine equivalent of 20 cigarettes. Inhaling too much at once can be extremely dangerous. Many of the other chemicals present are also potentially extremely harmful.
Unfortunately, vaping appeals to a wider demographic than smoking does, especially for teens and young adults (it is also easier for youth to hide from their parents and teachers, as it does not have the associated smell that cigarettes do). A lot of people who have never smoked cigarettes are taking up the vaping habit – and quitting proves to be very difficult.
New regulations on vaping in NZ came into effect on October 1, 2024. Aiming to crack down on youth vaping in NZ, all vape devices sold in the nation must have a compliant child-safety mechanism and a removable battery. Flavours must be given generic descriptions only and packaging must not feature images of toys or cartoons.
The Health Consequences of Vaping
Vape liquids (and their resultant mists) contain a chemical cocktail which includes:
- Nicotine (which is the primary psychoactive drug in tobacco)
- Solvents, sweeteners, and flavourings in chemical form; these include formaldehyde, heavy metals like cadmium and nickel, acetone, diethylene, and many others.
- Some vapes deliver THC (cannabis) or other illicit drugs.
There are numerous health risks linked directly with vaping.
- Overdose: Inhaling too much nicotine at once can cause seizures and/or convulsions, especially in children and teens. Furthermore, the nicotine liquid used in vapes is poisonous if it is inadvertently absorbed into the skin/eyes or it is swallowed.
- Addiction/ Dependence: Vaping is a habit-forming, often social practice. Most vape liquids contain nicotine. This highly addictive drug is very easy to become hooked on, even if you don’t use it daily.
- Sleep Disturbances: Insomnia and snoring are more common in people who vape.
- Anxiety/Depression: The ingestion of nicotine is known to worsen both the likelihood and symptoms of depression and anxiety. It also has detrimental effects on memory, attention, concentration, and self-control, especially in developing child and adolescent brains.
- Chronic Diseases: Exposure to the chemicals in vapes is known to play a role in developing issues such as heart disease and various cancers, making the risks of these much higher for vapers. These include cancers directly associated with nicotine use, such as cancers of the lungs, throat, mouth, nasal passages, oesophagus, stomach, breast, pancreas, colon, urinary bladder, and cervix.
- Transition to Smoking: The likelihood of becoming a smoker is much higher for teens and young adults who vape.
- Lung Disease: E-cigarette/Vaping product use-Associated Lung Injury or EVALI is a condition medical researchers are closely evaluating. It can be life-threatening; so far, almost all cases of this have been linked to THC vapes containing vitamin-E acetate.
- Chronic Bronchitis: Inflammation of the airways is common in vapers.
- Impotence: Erectile dysfunction is a potential side effect of a vaping habit.
- Burn Injuries: Due to faulty devices, which can explode if the battery overheats.
How Does Vaping Affect Sleep?
Nicotine is a very powerful stimulant – and it may surprise you to learn that vapes often contain more potent strengths of nicotine than cigarettes.
Nicotine prevents users from getting a good night’s sleep by:
Raising the Heart Rate -> Elevating the Blood Pressure -> Triggering an Adrenaline Surge -> Disrupting the Circadian Rhythm -> Wakefulness Due to Nicotine Withdrawal
Vaping also worsens snoring and sleep apnea.
How Does Vaping Worsen Snoring?
While vaping is often gentler on the nose and throat than cigarette smoking, vape mists are still irritants that damage the upper airways.
Most e-liquids in vapes contain the chemical propylene glycol, which causes dehydration, irritation, and inflammation of the tissues of the nasal passages, mouth, throat, and lower airways.
Vaping can also stimulate the muscles of the upper airway. This makes breathing more difficult during sleep, causing inflammation and excess mucous production. These all worsen snoring and disrupt sleep. The impact on one’s overall health and well-being can be enormous.
Scientists have found that people who have sleep apnea are more susceptible to becoming addicted to nicotine. This may be due to their chronic daytime tiredness and the stimulant effects of nicotine.
People who have sleep apnea and also vape or smoke have higher risks of developing chronic health issues (cardiovascular disease, high blood pressure, stroke, diabetes, lung diseases, and more.)
Treatments for snoring and sleep apnea (like using a snoring mouthpiece, a sleep apnea mouthguard, or CPAP) will be far more effective if you quit vaping.
Make Quitting Vaping Your 2025 New Year’s Resolution & Sleep Better
Quitting vaping, like quitting smoking, is a very effective way to help yourself sleep better and feel better by improving your lung health. It also reduces your risks of snoring and sleep apnea.
Prevention is better than a cure! Don’t start vaping in the first place.
If you do vape and need help to quit, helpful information and resources to help can be found at Quitline and Protect Your Breath.
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Snoring and sleep apnea ruin a good night’s sleep – whether you vape or not. Using ApneaRx, arguably the best snoring treatment in NZ, can be an effective solution.
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