If you’ve noticed more fatigue since you started vaping, you’re not alone. Many vapers report feeling drowsy or rundown, especially later in the day. But does vaping make you tired? Or could other factors be to blame?
In this comprehensive guide, we’ll explore the potential causes of vaping-related fatigue, including:
- Nicotine’s effects on sleep quality
- Adjusting to lower nicotine intake
- Vaping technique issues
- Dehydration
- Confusing relaxation with tiredness
We’ll also provide science-backed tips to avoid exhaustion so you can feel energized all day.
Contents
Does Vaping Make You Tired Directly?
Vaping doesn’t inherently make you tired. The ingredients in vape juice—Vegetable Glycerin (VG), Propylene Glycol (PG), Flavorings and sometimes Nicotine—won’t directly induce drowsiness or exhaustion.
In fact, nicotine is a stimulant. When inhaled, it triggers an adrenaline rush, raising your heart rate, blood pressure and glucose levels. So vaping a nicotine-containing e-liquid could make you feel more awake, at least temporarily.
Still, many regular vapers report low energy levels. What gives? As it turns out, indirect factors play a bigger role.
Nicotine Disrupts Sleep Cycles
Here’s what’s likely happening…
While nicotine energizes you initially, it reduces Rapid Eye Movement (REM) sleep when it’s still active in your system at bedtime. During REM, your body restores itself. Skimping on this restorative stage can leave you drained despite getting a full night’s sleep.
Nicotine stays in your bloodstream for about 2 hours. So vaping shortly before bed makes it tougher to reach the deeper REM phase your body and brain need to recharge.
Over time, this interrupted sleep takes a toll in the form of next-day grogginess, difficulty concentrating and low motivation.
Transitioning From Smoking Can Temporarily Increase Fatigue
Recently switched from smoking? Congrats on the great decision for your health!
When trading cigarettes for vaping, most people sharply reduce their nicotine intake. Burning tobacco delivers nicotine quicker and in higher concentrations than vape devices.
Cutting back so drastically can bring on nicotine withdrawal. For the first few days, it’s normal to feel a little “off” as your body adjusts. Withdrawal symptoms like brain fog, anxiety and fatigue should subside within a week or so.
You’re also eliminating the thousands of other chemicals cigarettes contain. Your body expects its usual dose, so removing these extras can temporarily amplify tiredness too.
Stick with it! Once you push through the initial transition period, you’ll likely feel much better vaping at nicotine levels comfortable for you.
Inhaling Improperly Can Limit Oxygen
Research shows oxygen deprivation often leaves people feeling drained. While rare, it is possible to vape in a way that restricts oxygen flow.
Try monitoring your inhale technique. Taking hits that are too long or frequent may prevent you from breathing fully between puffs, starving brain cells of vital oxygen.
Moderate your puff length and allow enough time between hits to inhale normally. Pay attention to any lightheadedness right after a vape session too. This can indicate you need more oxygen-rich air intake.
Dehydration Plays a Role
The vegetable glycerin and propylene glycol in vape juice attract and hold onto moisture. As water molecules cling to these humectants, your body can become dehydrated.
And much like nicotine, dehydration reduces sleep quality. One study found even mild dehydration increases awakenings at night. When you don’t get continuous deep rest, fatigue ensues.
Be sure to drink plenty of extra fluids daily while vaping to counteract this drying effect. Bring a water bottle with you for easy hydration on-the-go too.
Relaxation & Fatigue Sometimes Overlap
After frequent vaping, it’s common for your body to associate feelings of relaxation with using your device. For some people, these sensations verge on sleepiness.
Pay attention to context clues after a vaping session. Do you feel notably calm and still alert? Or are you struggling to keep your eyes open?
True tiredness goes beyond tranquility. You may become clumsy, irritable or have trouble concentrating. Differentiating between relaxation and fatigue takes mindful self-observation.
Tips to Avoid Vaping-Related Exhaustion
If you feel excessively drained from vaping, try these proven tricks to boost energy levels:
Cut back on nicotine 4+ hours before bed: Giving your body extra time to clear nicotine before sleep has an enormously positive impact. Shoot for only trace amounts remaining at bedtime.
Mix in nicotine-free e-liquid: Slowly transition by combining your regular liquid with zero-nicotine juice. Each week, increase the ratio of nic-free to taper off smoothly.
Stay hydrated: Carry water with you and sip consistently throughout the day. Set reminders if needed. Dehydration causes sleep disruptions that compound fatigue.
Check inhale technique: Don’t take hits that are too deep or close together. Make sure to breathe fully between puffs. Proper oxygen intake is vital for avoiding grogginess.
Consider nic strength: Experiment with lower nicotine levels if adjusting timing/ratios doesn’t help. Find the sweet spot that satisfies cravings without dragging down energy.
Talk to your doctor: Unrelenting fatigue can stem from much more serious conditions. Rule these out by discussing symptoms with your physician. Vaping may not be the root cause.
Prioritize sleep hygiene: Keep a regular sleep/wake schedule, limit nighttime distractions, avoid screens before bed and create an optimal sleep environment. Healthy rest habits relieve fatigue.
The Bottom Line
While vaping itself doesn’t directly cause fatigue, several resulting factors can drain your get-up-and-go. Pay attention to timing of nicotine intake, vaping technique, hydration and sleep quality to sidestep exhaustion.
Implement the tips above to troubleshoot tiredness issues. And don’t hesitate to ask us any other vaping questions! Our team is always here to help you feel your best.
FAQS
Why does vaping make me so tired?
The most likely culprit for vaping-related fatigue is nicotine’s interference with quality sleep. Nicotine stays in your system for about 2 hours. When you vape too close to bedtime, nicotine suppresses REM sleep where your body restores itself. Over time, this effect causes daytime drowsiness even if you slept a full 8 hours.
Other potential factors include abruptly reducing nicotine intake, poor vaping technique that restricts oxygen, dehydration from vaping, or simply mistaking relaxation for tiredness.
Does vaping mess with your energy?
Vaping can indirectly mess with energy levels by disrupting sleep cycles. Nicotine remains active for around 2 hours. If you vape within 2-4 hours of bedtime, leftover nicotine can reduce crucial REM sleep your body needs to recharge. Without enough REM sleep night after night, you may struggle with low energy all day.
Transitioning from smoking can also temporarily increase fatigue. When sharply cutting back on nicotine intake, withdrawal symptoms like brain fog arise. Stay hydrated, vape mindfully and consider adjusting nicotine levels to avoid energy drains.
What is Vapers fatigue?
“Vaper’s fatigue” refers to feelings of tiredness, mental fogginess or lack of motivation frequently reported by people who vape, particularly heavy users. The exact causes are still being studied but likely involve the interplay of multiple factors.
Potential contributors scientists are exploring include nicotine withdrawal, desensitized dopamine receptors, silent inflammation markers, acute oxygen deprivation while vaping, dehydration, underlying medical issues and interrupted sleep cycles.
Does nicotine make you sleepy?
No, nicotine doesn’t directly cause sleepiness. As a stimulant, nicotine actually has alertness-boosting effects at first. What nicotine does do is lower sleep quality when it remains active close to bedtime.
Suppressed REM sleep over time is what leads many regular nicotine users to feel fatigued and rundown despite using a stimulant. The key is allowing nicotine enough time to fully metabolize before attempting sleep. Most experts recommend avoiding nicotine for 4+ hours pre-bed for ideal rest.
