Tobacco Withdrawal and Fatigue: How to Explain This Phenomenon?
Among the known and frequent symptoms related to tobacco withdrawal, there is fatigue. More or less intense depending on the person, it complicates the process when one wishes to quit smoking. Is it a reason to give up, resume this bad habit, and compromise one’s health?
Of course not. It is better to understand the phenomenon and implement certain strategies to overcome the side effects such as drowsiness, lack of energy, and/or concentration problems.
In the following lines, we offer you some valuable information on this issue. What are the physiological and psychological mechanisms at play during tobacco withdrawal? How can one manage this fatigue without succumbing to the temptation of buying a new pack of cigarettes?
Here are our tips with, at the end, a cutting-edge method to quit smoking: auriculotherapy. It has already proven effective many times, so why not give it a try?
Why Does Tobacco Withdrawal Cause Fatigue?
As you know, at the heart of tobacco addiction, we find nicotine. The deeply addictive nature of this component has already been recognized and confirmed by a large number of scientific studies (this one, for example). We won’t go into details, but we need to highlight some essential principles related to nicotine addiction to understand what causes fatigue when quitting tobacco.
Nicotine and Nicotinic Receptors
Nicotine acts on the nicotinic receptors in the brain.
It may seem very strange that our brain organ is specifically “equipped” to react to this substance. In reality, this term (“nicotinic receptor”) exists since researchers identified the sensitivity of the receptors in question to nicotine.
Fundamentally, they serve to detect acetylcholine, a neurotransmitter essential to many functions of the nervous system. When nicotine meets the receptor, it opens the passage to the reward system. Nicotine then induces a feeling of well-being through the release of dopamine in the body. However, nicotine is not essential. That’s where the problem lies.
A Disruption Due to Nicotine Cessation
When a smoker decides to quit tobacco, it is generally experienced as a form of abstinence, deprivation. The dopamine normally released by the neurotransmitters is missing. The (deceptive) feeling of well-being disappears.
The difference in terms of stimulation notably involves a disruption of the endocrine system. Until now, the glands secreting the pleasure hormones (including dopamine, precisely) could rely on an external “aid,” nicotine.
A Rebalancing of the Body That Causes Symptoms
Quitting tobacco also marks the end of this crutch. In a way, the body must reorganize. It is forced, if you will, to “reinvent” itself without the component. Serotonin and norepinephrine are also emitted in smaller quantities.
Sleep disturbances may follow. We specify “may” because there is no immutable pattern. The degree of tobacco addiction, for example, changes the situation. A “heavy smoker” will statistically have a more demanding path to free themselves from cigarette addiction.
In any case, forced to recalibrate, the brain functions less optimally. The lack of nicotine generates side effects such as stress, even anxiety.
Your challenge? Find (and apply) ways to reconnect your body to a healthier reality and identify sources conducive to the return of serenity.
Some Tips for Sleeping Well During Your Tobacco Withdrawal
Sleep is a precious commodity. Quitting smoking can compromise its quality – causing you to lose energy and feel fatigued during the day. Here are some tips to recover as best as possible.
Establish a Clear and Precise Bedtime Routine
We talked about hormones to be released in the body: if your biological clock is correctly set, the endocrine system will know how and when to intervene so that you can fall asleep.
Engage in Regular Physical Activity
Avoid going for a run just before slipping under the covers, of course. But if you incorporate exercise into your daily life, dopamine and its cousins will do you good!
Use Relaxation Techniques
Among relaxation techniques, there is meditation, yoga, depending on your preferences. It’s an opportunity to address the subconscious, help it calm down…
Avoid Stimulant Products
Tobacco withdrawal sometimes leads to replacing one addiction with another. Avoid giving coffee cups the same place as the ashtray. Caffeine is not the best friend of Morpheus…
All of this requires motivation and consistency. But we are sure you can do it!
Good to Know: The Extraordinary Importance of Sleep
Behind this expression resembling an advertising slogan (“the extraordinary importance of sleep”), we find an intriguing American study. It reveals the precious dimension of sleep, at all levels: concentration, mood, cognitive abilities… knowing that physical health consequences can manifest in case of deficiency or irregularity.
Overall, therefore, the nocturnal cycle (with possibly a nap during the day) must be taken care of, refined. And if quitting tobacco became an opportunity to give your lifestyle a comprehensive refresh?
The frantic pace at which our society operates gives you the impression of “wasting time” when the eyelids are closed? In truth, it’s the opposite: sleeping well allows us to fully appreciate everything life has to offer.
Stay Laser and Its Advantageous Method to Quit Smoking
The importance and persistence of symptoms (we’re talking about sleep disorders here, but it can also be about weight gain) also depend on the method to quit smoking you choose. Going it alone can compromise, or at least complicate, the transition and your tobacco withdrawal. At Reset Laser, we have largely taken this into consideration.
Our technique based on auriculotherapy, also acting on other types of addictions (cannabis, alcohol, sugar), comes with personalized support. Not only do we contribute from the first session to the deactivation of physical needs, but we also ensure to guide you in your new chapter of life.
Make an Appointment at One of Our Anti-Smoking Centers
Do you have questions about our method? Do you want to quit smoking in a serious and reasoned context? Do not hesitate to contact us. We remain at your full disposal, for a withdrawal that is not synonymous with pain, anxiety, or exhaustion but with freedom and vitality!
Make an appointment at a Reset Laser center
Do you want to stop smoking? Reset Laser welcomes you to one of its centres. Our therapists use the soft laser method to get rid of your addiction to tobacco for good. In just one session, you can say goodbye to cigarettes!
Why Choose RESET Laser Institute
The best method to quit smoking
Specialist
Our therapists are all addiction experts and specialists in laser auriculotherapy cessation.
Effectiveness
Our success rate after one session is over 86%.
Painless
Non-invasive and painless, our therapy is accessible to everyone.
No Stress
You free yourself from addictions and quit smoking without weight gain, stress, or compensation.
Personalized Support
Since each patient is different, we offer personalized support after the session.
1-Year Guarantee
We guarantee our therapy for 1 year in case of relapse.
