Do YOU vape?
Have you considered how it’s affecting your sleep?
Vape use has arguably helped some people quit smoking. It can be more effective than nicotine replacement therapy (patches or gum). Vaping does, however, pose several health risks.
Many people never quit their vaping habit, and its use has evolved to no longer be exclusively – or even predominantly – to aid in quitting smoking cigarettes. This has major health implications, including when it comes to sleep and snoring.
What is Vaping?
Vaping simulates smoking and is the practice of inhaling an aerosol or mist that’s delivered by an electronic cigarette (e-cig or vape).
E-cigarettes or vape pens are small, pocket-sized, battery-operated devices (resembling a USB device or pod) that heat a liquid to a mist which is then inhaled. These mists or aerosols comprise water vapour, flavourings, and more than 30 other chemicals, usually including nicotine. The mist is inhaled deeply into the lungs where the chemicals are transmitted into the bloodstream and travel throughout the entire body.
Electronic cigarettes were originally designed as a cigarette alternative that ostensibly enabled users to gradually quit smoking by tapering their nicotine ingestion. (An average vape device contains the nicotine equivalent of 20 cigarettes.) Unlike cigarettes, vaping is not as socially unpleasant for bystanders as there is no pervasive tobacco smoke that permeates the surrounding environment.
Many people believe vaping is safer than smoking – but it’s not.
Unfortunately, the devices have a wide appeal of their own, particularly amongst teens and young adults, and many people who have never smoked cigarettes take up the vaping habit.
As of October 1, 2024, therapeutic vapes (which are unflavoured and nicotine-content-limited) are no longer highly regulated in Australia and are available from pharmacies by anyone aged over 18 years. Flavoured vapes are not legal in Australia – yet their use remains quite prevalent.
Why is Vaping So Bad for Your Health?
Vape liquids usually incorporate:
- Nicotine (the main psychoactive drug in tobacco)
- Potentially, other drugs (e.g. THC/cannabis)
- Solvents, sweeteners, and flavourings: other chemicals include formaldehyde, acetone, heavy metals like cadmium and nickel, diethylene, and many others.
Inhaling too much nicotine at once can cause seizures/convulsions.
There are several other distinct health risks associated with vaping.
- Addiction & Dependence – as well as the habit-forming physical practice of vaping (especially socially), most vapes contain nicotine, which is a highly addictive drug. Even if you only vape socially, it’s easy to become addicted to nicotine.
- Sleep Issues – including insomnia and snoring.
- Mood Disorders – nicotine ingestion worsens depression and anxiety and also impacts self-control, memory, attention, and concentration, especially in developing adolescent brains.
- Exposure to Chemicals That Cause Diseases – including but not limited to nicotine-associated cancers of the lungs, throat, nasal passages, mouth, oesophagus, stomach, urinary bladder, pancreas, colon, cervix, and breast.
- Transitioning to Cigarette Smoking – teens and young adults who vape are much more likely to begin smoking cigarettes. Vaping can be an even more difficult habit to quit.
- Lung Damage & Disease – “EVALI” or e-cigarette/vaping product use-associated lung injury. To date, almost all cases of this have been linked to THC vapes containing vitamin-E acetate; this can become life-limiting.
- Chronic Bronchitis – inflammation of the airways.
- Impotence – vaping has been shown to potentially contribute to male sexual dysfunction.
- Vaping can also increase the risks of injuries including burns from faulty devices. Devices can explode if the battery overheats.
- Nicotine liquid used in vapes is poisonous if absorbed via the skin or eyes or is swallowed.
The Impact of Vaping on Sleep
Vapes often contain a more potent strength of nicotine than cigarettes do.
Nicotine is a very powerful stimulant – and it prevents a good night’s sleep by:
- Increasing the heart rate
- Causing a rise in blood pressure
- Triggering adrenaline production
- Disrupting the circadian rhythm
- Impacting REM (dreaming) sleep and causing wakefulness due to nicotine withdrawal
Vaping also negatively affects sleep due to its influence on snoring and sleep apnoea.
Is There a Link Between Vaping & Snoring?
YES.
Vaping may, in some cases, be gentler on the nose and throat than smoking cigarettes, but it is nevertheless an irritant. Like smoking, vaping causes damage to the upper airways.
Most e-liquids in vapes contain propylene glycol. This chemical causes irritation, dehydration, and inflammation in the tissues of the nasal passages, throat, and lower airways.
Vaping can stimulate the upper airway muscles, making breathing more challenging during sleep. It also causes inflammation and excess mucous production which contribute to and worsen snoring – not to mention compromising sleep quality and overall health.
A 2012 medical study concluded that those who have sleep apnoea are more susceptible to nicotine addiction; this may be influenced by chronic daytime tiredness associated with the disease. People with sleep apnoea who vape or smoke also have higher risks of chronic issues including cardiovascular disease and stroke, diabetes, airway inflammation, and more. Management strategies for snoring and sleep apnoea will be far more effective if you quit vaping.
Your 2025 New Year’s Resolution: Quit Now – & Sleep Better
Quitting vaping/smoking is a major key to sleeping better, improving lung health, and mitigating your risks of snoring and developing/worsening sleep apnoea.
Prevention is better than a cure – so it’s best to never start vaping (or smoking) in the first place.
Information and resources to help quit vaping can be found on The Australian Alcohol and Drug Foundation website.
Stop Snoring for Healthier Sleep with SnoreMD
Whether or not you vape (or smoke), snoring is a major disruptor to a healthy good night’s sleep. SnoreMD is the ideal snoring treatment in Australia that genuinely works.
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It is a convenient, comfortable, reusable, and budget-friendly stop-snoring solution! Why not give it a try for a healthier, happier 2025?
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