Tobacco.org

Study: Secondhand Smoke Disrupts Asthmatic Kids' Sleep 

Children with asthma may have a harder time getting a good night's sleep if they live with a smoker.

Researchers found that of more than 200 6- to 12-year-olds with asthma, those exposed to secondhand smoke tended to have poorer sleep at night and more drowsiness during the day.

While the reasons for the connection are uncertain, the researchers say it's likely that asthmatic children exposed to tobacco smoke have more nighttime breathing problems, which in turn disrupts their sleep.

The link between secondhand smoke and sleep problems was still apparent when the researchers accounted for the severity of the children's asthma overall -- suggesting that exposure to smoking, itself, was affecting the children's quality of sleep.

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