Does Vaping Make You Tired?

In recent years, vaping has surged in popularity, especially among younger demographics.

Widely seen as a safer alternative to traditional smoking, vaping involves inhaling vapour produced by an electronic cigarette. Vaping is sometimes used as a treatment to help people give up smoking, but it is not without risks. In the UK, it is illegal to sell nicotine products to anyone under 18, or for adults to buy them on behalf of under 18s.

While the long-term health effects of vaping are still being studied, one question that arises frequently is: does vaping make you tired?

Let’s find out.

What’s in e-liquids?

To understand how vaping might influence your energy levels, you first need to understand what’s inside an e-liquid. Most e-liquids contain:

 

1. Nicotine. What makes vaping addictive is nicotine. In small doses, nicotine is a stimulant. However, nicotine can leave you feeling tires following the initial rush (1).
2. Propylene Glycol (PG) and Vegetable Glycerine (VG). These are the main ingredients that produce the vapour. While generally considered safe, they can cause dehydration, which could be contributing to any tiredness you feel post-vaping (2).
3. Flavourings. These are what give e-liquids and disposable vapes their unique flavours. While there’s nothing in the flavourings used, some vapers may have sensitivity to certain ingredients. And, where this is the case, there is the potential that it could result in feelings of lethargy (3).

Nicotine’s dual role

Nicotine plays two juxtaposing roles. At first, nicotine behaves as you’d expect a stimulant to. It stimulates the release of adrenaline and boosts your mood.

However, once the effects subside, vapers may experience a "crash."  And it’s this that can result in feeling fatigued.

This cycle of stimulation followed by a “crash” can make regular vapers feel tired, especially if they vape often during the day.

Nicotine is a highly addictive substance, and even small amounts can lead to a difficulty stopping, or cutting down. Symptoms of withdrawal include cravings, irritability, headaches, restlessness, feeling anxious or depressed, trouble sleeping and difficulty concentrating. Nicotine withdrawal could therefore add to fatigue.

Dehydration and fatigue

As we’ve already mentioned, while PG and VG are safe for ingestion, they can result in dehydration when inhaled. And dehydration happens to be a well-known cause of fatigue. This is because it affects the body's ability to function efficiently.

Symptoms of dehydration include a dry mouth, feeling dizzy, and feeling tired. So, if you happen to be a regular vaper and are not compensating by upping your water intake, this might be quite a significant contributing factor for tiredness.

Sleep disruption

It’s also well documented that nicotine can interfere with sleep patterns. As it’s a stimulant, nicotine can make it harder to fall asleep and stay asleep. Ultimately, this could lead to a reduction in the overall quality of your sleep. And as we are all well aware by now, poor sleep leads to tiredness which could have knock on effects including decreased cognitive function during the day.

Vaping close to bedtime (in particular) can exacerbate sleep issues too. Unless addressed, ultimately this is likely to lead to a vicious cycle of poor rest and daytime fatigue.

Psychological factors of vaping and tiredness

It’s also important to point out that the psychological aspect of nicotine dependency can take its toll. The anxiety and stress associated with craving nicotine can be mentally exhausting (4).

Over time, this cycle of dependency and relief can wear down a person's overall energy levels.

User reports and studies

Anecdotal evidence from vapers often highlights tiredness as a common side effect. While scientific studies specifically linking vaping to fatigue are limited, research into nicotine use and sleep patterns provides a clearer picture.

One study that investigated the relationship between vaping, sleep quality and mental health of young adults aged 18-25 years found that the sleep quality of vape users was significantly lower than that of non-vapers. In fact, more than 75% of vapers taking part in the study were displaying symptoms of insomnia (5).

Mitigating tiredness from vaping

If you’re a vaper who’d experiencing fatigue and suspect that vaping might be the culprit, you’re probably wondering what you can do to manage it better. These are the strategies we’d suggest considering:

 

1. Stay hydrated. Make sure that you’re drinking plenty of water during the day to counteract the dehydrating effects of vaping.
2. Monitor your nicotine intake. Be a bit more mindful of how much nicotine you’re consuming. You could also consider reducing the nicotine strength gradually to reduce its impact on your energy levels.
3. Adjust your vaping habits. If you’ve noticed a decline in your sleep quality, try to avoid vaping close to bedtime. If you find this hard, gradually move your last vape earlier in the day, over a week or two. Doing so could help to improve your sleep quality moving forwards.
4. Live a healthy lifestyle. With regular exercise, a balanced diet, and good sleep hygiene, you should be able to help give your energy levels a bit of a boost.

Is vaping making me tired: our conclusion

While vaping is generally seen as a safer alternative to smoking, it is not without its side effects. Nicotine is highly addictive. Doctors warn that nicotine addiction can lead to long-lasting changes in cognition, attention and memory. It can also increase the risks of mood disorders like depression and anxiety (5). Tiredness can be a significant issue for some vapers. As feeling tired can be influenced by nicotine's stimulant properties and dehydration from inhaling PG and VG, vaping has the potential to cause sleep disruptions.

In understanding these key factors, vapers can make more informed choices. Plus, there are steps you can take to mitigate the impact vaping has on your energy levels too.

If fatigue persists, speak to your GP or primary healthcare provider as they should be able to provide tailored advice that is specific to your experiences and needs.

 

Sources:

1. https://www.nhsinform.scot/campaigns/vaping/
2. https://www.thevapecig.co.uk/news/the-ultimate-guide-to-pg-vg-ratios
3. https://tablites.com/blogs/news/sensitivity-to-the-ingredients-in-your-vape-juice
4. https://www.mentalhealth.org.uk/explore-mental-health/a-z-topics/smoking-and-mental-health
5. https://www.nhsinform.scot/campaigns/vaping/