Sleep expert issues warning over little-known impacts of vaping
A sleep expert has explained how vaping might be preventing you from having a good night's sleep - and potentially disrupting your partner at the same time.
Daylight Savings has arrived once again, and chances are it's left your sleep schedule a little out-of-sync. Hopefully it won't be long before our bodies adjust to the extra hour of light in the day, but there could be additional factors of your day-to-day life that are having more of an impact on your sleep than you realize.
As well as some of the well-known culprits like alcohol, caffeine and cell phone usage, Martin Seeley, sleep expert at MattressNextDay, has explained how vaping could be impacting you when you settle in to bed for the evening.
Dry Throat
There's nothing worse than waking up with a mouth that feels like the desert, and Seeley has detailed how vaping could be contributing to this feeling.
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The expert first pointed to the impacts that smoking can have on sleep, saying: "If you're a smoker, not only does it affect your long-term health, but it could be making you snore, too. Cigarette and tobacco smoke irritates the airways and the throat which can cause swelling. A build-up of catarrh also blocks not just the throat but the nasal passages which interrupts the flow of air and causes the soft tissue to vibrate."
Explaining how vaping can cause 'just as much irritation' as smoking, Seeley continued: "In fact, the first controlled study into vaping's long-term effects was published last week, showing that vaping may be more harmful than smoking and cause even more irritation.
"Vaping can cause dryness in the throat due to ingredients like propylene glycol, which draws moisture out."
Airway obstruction
As well as drying out your throat, Seeley explained that an intake of nicotine can relax the muscles in the throat.
As a result, it could cause 'airway collapse or partial obstruction'.
Increased snoring
Both a dry throat and potential airway obstruction can lead to snoring, with Seeley describing how a lack of moisture can make the tissues in the throat 'more prone to vibration'.
When it comes to partial airway obstruction, he added: "If you do smoke or vape, try to quit or avoid doing so before you go to bed. This should give your throat a chance to relax."
Explaining why we snore, Seeley said: "Snoring is the sound of your soft palate and other tissue in the mouth, nose and throat vibrating. If there's a blockage - whether that's because of blocked sinuses, the throat being slightly closed due to the angle of the head and neck, or a range of other reasons - it can cause this soft tissue to vibrate.
"The type of snoring will indicate which area of soft tissue is vibrating. A soft, gentle snore indicates that your nasal passages are blocked, while a deep, loud snoring sound is a sign that the back of the throat is blocked."
To help reduce snoring, and probably stop disturbing anyone who shares your bed, Seeley recommended sleeping on your side, avoiding alcohol before bed and maintaining a good diet. Additionally, looking into some new pillows may help alleviate snoring.
Emily Brown