Why smokers might sleep worse but not feel it
The Relationship Between Tobacco Smoking, Cortisol Secretion, and Sleep Continuity
Not medical advice. For informational purposes only. Always consult a healthcare professional. Terms
Smokers have more stress hormone (cortisol) and wake up more during the night, but they don’t think their sleep is worse than non-smokers.
No biological mechanisms were identified in this study. This may be an epidemiological, observational, or survey-based study that reports associations rather than proposing causal biological pathways.
Systematic Reviews & Meta-Analyses
Max 100Randomized Controlled Trials
Max 90Cohort Studies
Max 72Case-Control Studies
Max 58Cross-Sectional Studies
Max 44Case Reports & Case Series
Max 30Expert Opinion & Narrative Reviews
Max 531 / 44
Evidence Score
A snapshot of a population at a single point in time. Can identify correlations and prevalence, but cannot determine the direction of cause and effect.
Not medical advice. For informational purposes only. Always consult a healthcare professional. Terms
Smokers have more stress hormone (cortisol) and wake up more during the night, but they don’t think their sleep is worse than non-smokers.
No biological mechanisms were identified in this study. This may be an epidemiological, observational, or survey-based study that reports associations rather than proposing causal biological pathways.
Systematic Reviews & Meta-Analyses
Max 100Randomized Controlled Trials
Max 90Cohort Studies
Max 72Case-Control Studies
Max 58Cross-Sectional Studies
Max 44Case Reports & Case Series
Max 30Expert Opinion & Narrative Reviews
Max 531 / 44
Evidence Score
A snapshot of a population at a single point in time. Can identify correlations and prevalence, but cannot determine the direction of cause and effect.
Publication
Authors
Cohen A, Colodner R, Masalha R, Haimov I
Related Content
Claims (3)
Adults who smoke tobacco tend to have higher levels of the stress hormone cortisol and spend more time awake during the night after initially falling asleep, compared to adults who do not smoke.
In people who smoke, higher levels of the stress hormone cortisol are linked to spending less time awake after falling asleep, suggesting cortisol may reduce sleep disruptions caused by smoking, though how this happens is not understood.
People who smoke report sleeping just as well as non-smokers, even though objective measurements show their sleep is more disrupted with more time spent awake during the night.