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Help!! I got a sleep app- I wake up every 1-2 hours to take 2 puffs of my juul. This is scaring the pants off me. I’m desperate to stop and I truly don’t know how. Please answer, if anyone has gone through this or has any tips.. I’ll try anything
Welcome to the Ex and congrats on your desire to quit. Educate yourself about nicotine addiction and create your quit plan. These two steps lead to success. Part of your plan is learning new behaviors and associations instead of smoking. I understand this is going to be difficult for you when you're not taking much of a break from nicotine--not even during the night. What else can you do instead when you wake up? Keep something beside the bed--I liked chewing on straws. Do some deep breathing or even get up and walk around. Whatever works for you.
We're here for you and want you to be successful. Just reach out if you need support.
Barb
I've never vaped but think it would be the same as quitting smoking . Set your quit date , get rid of all vape products and ap for starters . Really ? An ap to wake one up to vape .
Ya educate yourself on addiction and read up on tobacco company tactics that got us smoking . Vaping has the same trend and kids are attracted the same way we were . Interesting stuff .
You can quit , write your reasons why .
Hi!!
sorry, I downloaded a sleep app that indicated when I woke up and how long I was asleep for... I THOUGHT my smoking in my sleep was bad but thought I only did it like once a night... app has proved me that was a lie LOL
i wonder if I should just continue wearing the patch at night?
You might try wearing the patch at night....see how it goes. Some folks have problems with vivid dreams, some don't. It won't hurt to try it.
Hello and Welcome to Ex’s sarahmortimer ... You have received some great advice above me...do the work and educate yourself on being an addict...we are here to support you...above all, come here and let us help you...You can Quit...Gotcha so in my thoughts Colleen 543 DOF
Thank you so much!! My brain is working extra hard to tell me I’ll stop losing weight if I stop smoking... after 5 years I have FINALLY made huge progress with my weight and now I’m terrified to re gain it.
Gaining a little of the weight back won't kill you. Smoking WILL. Just keep up the healthy eating habits you have established, and the few pounds you might gain will be easy to get back off when you have the extra time (and money for a gym or personal trainer) after you quit.
Are you awake when you vape through the night or are you doing it in your sleep and you're not fully aware and the app is informing you that you've woken up in the middle of the night to vape?
Mark
EX Community Manager
Hi!!!
i should’ve really been more clear that’s on me
i wake up on my own and when I wake up I puff the juul- I cannot tell if I am waking up because I’m just waking up or bc I need the juul
the app only indicated to me that I’m getting up every 1-2 hours the whole night
im for the most part awake and I believe it is a decision to hit the juul but a decision I feel little to no control over
I used Juul for awhile and I can verify it's a tough one to quit, but not impossible. One of the tough things is how it's so easy. One or two puffs in the night? Yeah, I can see that. It's not like lighting up a cigarette and staying up to smoke the whole thing. So you really do have to get rid of all the "stuff" like batteries and chargers and pods.
There's actually a lot of posts about that very thing on the site, so I'd also recommend searching for those.
Thanks for giving a bit more clarity sarahmortimer. It helped to understand the situation a bit better for me anyway . We are glad you are here and as I mentioned I know nothing about vaping but we are all here to help each other . You can do this .
So, very disappointed with myself
i bumped down to the 3mg juul from 5 mg yesterday and I used my juul less than half of what I usually would during the day. Decent control for day one
at night? Another story. I put my juul in the other room but I’m realizing my bf is actually waking me up at 12,2,4 and at those times my brain pops up and says yes have a puff or two of juul
i folded last night and used it 3 times
i hate myself and I’m scared I’ll never do it
i switch to the patch tomorrow for good... I am thinking the first few nights I may try it on? Not sure... all I know is I need to stop smoking altogether but especially this night thing has totally freaked me out
Did you try doing anything else when you wake up? How about a meditation video on YouTube. There are one's by Jason Stephenson just to help you sleep.
I would try the patch at night. It does give some people intense dreams, but it may not effect you that way.
Don't give up--you can do this.
Barb
Thank you,
I am wildly disappointed in myself.
(Today SAT) My new plan... I may use the 3mg Juul (down from 5 mg) 5 times only throughout the day for 3 puffs...
This will make me more aware because I used to just puff all day all long
(SAT) At night I will wear the patch.. put water next to bed.. my nightmares are always whacked so I doubt this will be any worse lol
(SUN) In the morning I will make myself wait an hour and half before I even reach for the Juul... this will be my last day of using 3mg Juul..
SUN NIGHT: I wash the juuls and batteries, put on my patch for the night
MONDAY! Patches from here out...
Idk... I am trying to find something that will realistically work for me.
I have been chewing on A LOT of straws
I used some aids, but also cut down from smoking for a week before my quit. It worked for me because I adhered to a strict schedule. I think the key is to definitely discard all juul paraphernalia so you're not tempted.
Have a plan for Sunday morning. What will you do instead? Go for a walk if you can--it really helps to keep moving.
I also chewed the heck out of some straws.
This is not easy. Just get through the first day and you'll be on your way. Think positive!
Barb
Usually quitters don't just stop. Learning about why nicotine is so addictive and why we get dependent on it is important. Making a plan comes next...that means that you choose a bunch of things that you are willing to do other than vape. For you, you might start by making a list of things that come to mind. Reread the list, think about it, add a few more things. Give it a test run by not vaping on one of those occasions that you wake up and do something else. Or delay.
I know what dependency feels like. I started smoking when I was 17 (nicotine creates dependency in a short amount of time) and I drank a lot and daily until I was 27. Letting go of both these dependencies was scary--I hardly knew myself and didn't really understand dependency.
Give yourself a little breathing room to make a solid decision to quit vaping, rather than force yourself to stop. The patch or NRT works best when you give yourself the go ahead to change. And yes you can. Definitely, do not give up!
Welcome to our community!
Smoking all night is a tough one. When you quit, though, you need to destroy ALL vaping pens/cartridges, etc., so when you reach for it, you will need to have something else there. I might suggest a bottle of water from which to sip. I would recommend a mint, but I am afraid it might present a choking hazard if you are still half asleep. You might consider a Rx like Welbutrin or Chantix to help you reduce the nicotine cravings. The first couple of nights will probably be difficult, but if you make up your mind to get through the process and do whatever is necessary to quit, you CAN get past it. When you stop feeding the beast, it will slowly start to recede. You might start out by slowly reducing the amount of nicotine in each cartridge, eventually going to zero before you quit.
Although primarily a smoking cessation site, I have seen a huge increase in the number of people coming for help to break free from vaping. You will need to substitute “vape” or “device” as you do the reading I will recommend. Research suggests nicotine may be as addictive as heroin and cocaine. Because it is available to you most anywhere, anytime, I believe vaping might be more difficult from which to break free than regular tobacco products - but it CAN be done! Read on to understand what happens when you take that hit that addicts you to nicotine.
Considering vaping to be “safe” is far from a given - there is much research to be done. What we know is that vaping raises your blood pressure and spikes your adrenaline, which increases your heart rate and the likelihood of having a heart attack. There are many unknowns about vaping, including what chemicals make up the vapor and how they affect physical health over the long term. Recently vaping has been in the headlines because of the possibility of it causing severe lung damage in young people. An August, 2019 study at the University of Pennsylvania showed that a single instance of vaping immediately lead to reduced vascular function: https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2019/08/190820101601.htm . I am glad you have decided to seek our help to break free! It isn't easy – but it IS doable!
Nicotine addiction is nicotine addiction - no matter the delivery device - and how to beat any of them is about the same. Every time you read :"cigarette" in the information I will give you, just sub "Juul" or “vape,” or “device.” You might find useful information, as well, here: https://truthinitiative.org/research-resources/quitting-smoking-vaping/quitting-e-cigarettes.
I recommend that you educate yourself on what nicotine does to your body and mind To that end, I suggest Allen Carr's “The Easy Way to Stop Smoking.” . Vaping was not a concern when this was written, so you will need to sub “vape”as necessary. This is an easy and entertaining read which can be found online or at your local library. If you do nothing else to get ready for your quit, please do give this a read.
You did not mention if you plan to use a quit aid, so I will give you my opinion on the options. 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 after you have tried to delay and distract. 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. You need to start out with a plan to reduce use of them over time - which the patch does by decreasing the dose contained in them.. For the gum, you can start by cutting each piece in half, then in quarters, then sub regular gum of the same flavor in between, adding more and more regular gum. For the lozenge, you need to start subbing a mint in between to begin, increasing the number of them over time.
The idea is to change up your routines so the vaping associations are reduced. Drink your coffee with your OTHER hand in a place different from where you vaped. Maybe switch to tea for a bit. If you always had that first puff 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 vape so the view is different. Take a different route when you are out and about so you aren't driving by your vaping supply shop. Take a quick walk at break time instead of vaping.
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 vaping 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 vape if you need some fresh ideas:
https://excommunity.becomeanex.org/blogs/Youngatheart.7.4.12-blog/2013/02/25/100-things-to-do-instead-of-smoke
The conversation in your head in response to the "I want to vape" 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