The Overnight Nicotine Withdrawal Problem
As any smoker will know, the first cigarette of the morning is quite a unique one. It's usually the cigarette that smokers 'need' the most, as their nicotine fix wears off as they sleep, leaving them particularly desperate for a cigarette upon waking.
Knowing this, however, is no great assistance to a smoker who is trying to quit. Just knowing why they are so desperate for a cigarette when they first wake up isn’t of any use - and many smokers confirmed that the "early morning craving" is a fundamental reason why they're attempts to quit fail. So here's a quick guide on how you can avoid this trap, and make mornings that little bit more bearable again - without cigarettes :
- Use through-the-night nicotine patches
Nicotine patches, unlike gum or nasal sprays, can be worn overnight. You can purchase patches, which are especially designed to work through the night, slowly releasing nicotine while you sleep. They tend to be designed to stick to the skin more effectively than normal ones, so even if you roll in your sleep they won't come off. By wearing one of these patches, you shouldn't suffer that same burst of nicotine craving when you wake up, as you won't have gone without it for so long.
- Brush your teeth
If you cannot - or do not want to - use these special patches, then brushing your teeth as soon as you wake up has been reported to help quiet the craving. The same can be said of eating, or chewing gum. Anything to distract your mouth, essentially.