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Give and get support around quitting

Danisty
Member

How do you stay awake or do you even try?

I'm about to quit smoking.  This is my 4th try and I know exactly how the first week is going to go because I've been there and done that.  How do you stay awake?  I was so wiped out when I've tried before.  I took naps every single day and still felt tired.  I drank more coffee and it did nothing.  I'm not working right now, so technically taking naps is something I can afford to do, but I'm one of maybe 3 people on the planet that hates taking naps.  I feel like it's such a waste of my time and I wake up angry about it.  Is it better to just sleep than fight it though?  I figure if I'm asleep, at least I'm not smoking!

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7 Replies
YoungAtHeart
Member

Welcome to our community!

Your body is adjusting to life without its drug.  Since you can, DO take naps.  Don't beat yourself up over it - 'cause you ARE doing something.....you are quitting smoking!!!!!

The most important thing you can do right now is to educate yourself on what nicotine does to your body and mind. To that end, I highly recommend Allen Carr's “The Easy Way to Stop Smoking.” This is an easy and entertaining read. You can search for it online or at your local library. Here's a link to a video here on the site which describes nicotine addiction: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IpWMgPHn0Lo&feature=youtu.be.
 
 You should also read the posts here and perhaps go to the pages of folks who you think might be helpful. You might visit whyquit.com, quitsmokingonline.com and livewell.com for the good information contained there. @https://excommunity.becomeanex.org/groups/best-of-ex has lots of blogs written by members of this site with their experiences and guidance. You should also do the tracking and separation exercises suggested in My Quit Plan http://www.becomeanex.org/my-quit-plan.php
 
 
After you have completed the recommended reading, it will be time to make an informed choice of the quit aid, if any, you will use. If you go that route, I personally recommend the aids that don't let the addict control the dose such as the available prescription drugs or the patch. If used properly, gum, lozenges and inhalers are fine, but they need to be used only as a last resort.  I have seen folks become addicted to them if they substitute them for every cigarette they used to smoke - just trading one addiction for another.  I do not recommend the e-cigarette for three reasons: 1) the vapor has been compared to the polluted air in Bejing on a bad day, 2) they just provide another nicotine delivery system while continuing the hand to mouth smoking motion, and 3) the batteries can spontaneously catch on fire. . But – any method that you think will work well for you will be best for you.
 
The idea is to change up your routines so the smoking associations are reduced.  Drink your coffee with your OTHER hand in a place different from when you smoked. Maybe switch to tea for a bit.  If you always had that first smoke with your coffee, try putting your tennies on right out of bed, going for a quick walk, then taking your shower and THEN your coffee! Rearrange the furniture in the areas you used to smoke so the view is different. Buy your gas at a different station. Take a different route to work. Take a quick walk at break time where the smokers AREN'T.
 
You need to distract yourself through any craves.  You can take a bite out of a lemon (yup - rind and all), put your head in the freezer and take a deep breath of cold air, do a few jumping jacks, go for a brisk walk or march in place, play a computer game.  Keep a cold bottle of water with you from which to sip. Don't let that smoking thought rattle around in your brain unchallenged. Sometimes you need to quit a minute or an hour at a time.  You will need to be disciplined in the early days to distract yourself when a crave hits.    Get busy!  Here is a link to a list of things to do instead of smoke if you need some fresh ideas:
 
https://excommunity.becomeanex.org/blogs/Youngatheart.7.4.12-blog/2013/02/25/100-things-to-do-instea...
 
The conversation in your head in response to the "I want a cigarette" thought needs to be, "Well, since I have decided not to do that anymore, what shall I do instead for the three minutes this crave will last?"  Then DO it.  You will need to put some effort into this in the early days, but it gets easier and easier to do.
 
Stay close to us here and ask questions when you have them and for support when you need it. We will be with you every step of the way!
 
Nancy

elvan
Member

If I need to nap and I CAN, I DO.  Unlike you, I LOVE napping.  I take short naps and feel like a different person when I wake up.  Cigarettes are a stimulant (contrary to all of those beliefs that it relieves stress).  If you don't want to nap...WALK, exercise in some way, clean out a drawer or a closet...stay close to the site.

Ellen

Danisty
Member

If such a thing as a short nap existed for me, I might feel differently about them.  I tend to lay down for what I expect will be 30 minutes, but even with setting an alarm, I wake up 90 minutes later.

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elvan
Member

Danisty‌ I lay down and have the TV on and when I wake up, I realize that I have only been asleep for about 20 minutes...it's not something I do on purpose.  Maybe you need to teach yourself to POWER NAP!

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SimplySheri
Member

I am guessing everyone is different but I was exhausted the first couple weeks.  Maybe check with your doctor to make sure you don't have a vitamin deficiency or something?  Sometimes being bored or depressed also comes across as tired.  Pay attention to what your body is trying to tell you and then allow yourself to take good care of you, whether it be sleeping, taking a walk, etc.....

You are quitting and that is never wrong   Way to go!!!!

Barbscloud
Member

I really is interesting how differently our bodies react.  I haven't slept anymore than I did before since I quit. In fact, those first few weeks, I didn't stop.  I just kept moving to keep myself occupied physically and mentally.

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freeneasy
Member

Nicotine is a stimulant. Removing it can cause sleepiness. I remember when I stopped using an NRT having to pull over while driving and sometimes dozing off while at work. I guess we are all different-I can't remember how long it lasted but you'll adjust. I enjoy coffee more now and stopping nicotine use is supposed to increase the effect of caffeine.

Coping With Nicotine Withdrawal 

https://www.sayonarasmoking.com/feeling-drowsy-quitting-smoking-heres/