Hi Debra,

Nightmares is a broad term but I can say that I had smoking dreams that I considered 'nightmares'.  I would wake up so sad that I had smoked but I had not.  As I look back I attribute  the dreams to that constant craving and brain healing esp in the first several months.  I had less and less dreams like that as time when on.

I did some research and found the following which is quite interesting:

For those of you who are newly quit, 

Vivid dreams are found to not be a side effect from stop smoking products. It has been discovered through research that it is part of the recovery process. The brain begins to repair itself and reverse damage caused from smoking. Neurobiologists have discovered that brain cells sprout new axons and nerve fibres during dream sleep. A chemical named serotonin in the brain triggers the brain to dream.

Smoking depletes serotonin production in the brain. When serotonin levels in the brain are balanced it creates a happy and contented state of mind. When serotonin levels are low a depressed and anxious state of mind is created. It is believed that smoking cigarettes can deplete serotonin levels by up to 50%. What compounds this problem is that the brain accepts the chemicals in a cigarette as a serotonin substitute on the basis that any chemical response is better than no chemical response at all. So therefore, when an individual stops smoking, serotonin production improves and the brain begins to compensate itself for lost serotonin production. The brain then produces more serotonin than needed, resulting in vivid dreams and nightmares.

Research has shown that it takes the brain 3 weeks to regulate serotonin levels.

Further research suggests that with an increase in serotonin levels there must be an increase in oxygen levels too. When a person stops smoking, carbon monoxide no longer takes priority over oxygen on the red blood cells. As a result of this change, oxygen levels of the individual increase. More oxygen is carried around the body and to the brain. When the stop smoker sleeps there is a higher percentage of oxygen reaching the brain than when they were a smoker. This process helps promote a process called rapid eye movement (REM) while sleeping. REM is an important process in dream production along with serotonin production.

It is essential to reassure a client that the first three weeks of a quit attempt are crucial. Vivid dreams are all part and parcel of the recovery process and the pathway to a healthier life style.

It is a positive symptom as it is the brains way of repairing itself and returning to a better deeper sleep.

I did some research and found the following which is quite interesting:

For those of you who are newly quit, 

Vivid dreams are found to not be a side effect from stop smoking products. It has been discovered through research that it is part of the recovery process. The brain begins to repair itself and reverse damage caused from smoking. Neurobiologists have discovered that brain cells sprout new axons and nerve fibres during dream sleep. A chemical named serotonin in the brain triggers the brain to dream.

Smoking depletes serotonin production in the brain. When serotonin levels in the brain are balanced it creates a happy and contented state of mind. When serotonin levels are low a depressed and anxious state of mind is created. It is believed that smoking cigarettes can deplete serotonin levels by up to 50%. What compounds this problem is that the brain accepts the chemicals in a cigarette as a serotonin substitute on the basis that any chemical response is better than no chemical response at all. So therefore, when an individual stops smoking, serotonin production improves and the brain begins to compensate itself for lost serotonin production. The brain then produces more serotonin than needed, resulting in vivid dreams and nightmares.

Research has shown that it takes the brain 3 weeks to regulate serotonin levels.

Further research suggests that with an increase in serotonin levels there must be an increase in oxygen levels too. When a person stops smoking, carbon monoxide no longer takes priority over oxygen on the red blood cells. As a result of this change, oxygen levels of the individual increase. More oxygen is carried around the body and to the brain. When the stop smoker sleeps there is a higher percentage of oxygen reaching the brain than when they were a smoker. This process helps promote a process called rapid eye movement (REM) while sleeping. REM is an important process in dream production along with serotonin production.

It is essential to reassure a client that the first three weeks of a quit attempt are crucial. Vivid dreams are all part and parcel of the recovery process and the pathway to a healthier life style.

It is a positive symptom as it is the brains way of repairing itself and returning to a better deeper sleep.

If only they didn't have to be such vivid nightmares!!

Oh good, you found this article!  I posted a reply and this article in January 2020 ex smokers.  

I did thank you.  Explains alot.  CHeers!

I'm starting my quit now, how do I join the Feb 2020 group?

Quitting again.  I can't count how many times I have tried.  I am 48 hrs smoke free right now.  Using the patch, lozenges, and the spray as needed. I quit once for 1 year, then again for 2, then back on for 2, and now I have been struggling to quit again.  I can make it to the two month mark but then I smoke.  I started smoking when I was 13 and I am 50 now.  My dad just passed away from lung cancer so you'd think that was enough incentive but the addiction is so strong.  

Yeah i know what you mean. I quit for 5 days then struggle. I forget all the reasons that i wanted to quit, like not enjoying it anymore when i go back to it, like it feels like a lot of work to smoke, the headaches, the major risks to my health. How did you relapse in the past? meaning smoking again

I have anxiety and depression and it comes in waves.  So whenever I am in a bad headspace I relapse.  For me, the desire to smoke never really goes away.  If I am around smokers I want to smoke.  I feel the same as you.  It grosses me out so I quit then I forget about how gross it is and I want it.