Smoking wrecks a good nights' sleep

Having trouble sleeping? If you're a smoker, it might be due in part to your cigarette habit. Recent research that studied apparently healthy smokers and non-smokers found that smokers were more likely to report restless sleep during the night. EEG patterns were also different between the two groups.

Researchers theorize that smoking before bed may make it hard to fall asleep, because nicotine is a stimulant. Later in the evening, nicotine withdrawal kicks in, causing smokers to wake more frequently. Now I understand why every smoker I've ever known needed a cigarette in the morning. If you're thinking of quitting, get head to your doctor for help in setting up your own smoking cessation program.