Week 8 Prework
Sleep Assessment/Teaching
• Reduce blue light exposure. Avoid using your phone close to the time that you plan of
going to sleep. Also, avoid watching tv and turn off any bright lights.
• Avoid caffeine consumption around the end of shift. It’ll be harder to fall asleep once you
get home.
• Avoid long naps.
• Take a supplement that can help you sleep.
• Avoid alcohol before sleeping.
• Take a hot shower before sleeping to help you relax or use other ways to relax before
sleeping, like clearing your head.
• Try not to drink large amounts of liquid before bed because it’ll increase your chances of
waking up to urinate.
• Pay attention to what you eat. Do not go to sleep hungry or stuffed because the
discomfort may keep you up.
• Create a good sleep environment. Make the room cooler, if you like to have a little bit of
noise, a noise machine may help, if it is brighter around the time that you go to sleep,
black out curtains can help mimic that darker environment to help you sleep.
Smoking Cessation Techniques
• Try a nicotine replacement therapy, like nicotine patches or gum.
• Try to avoid triggers.
• Delay. When you feel like you’re going to give in, tell yourself to, maybe, wait 10
minutes, then do something to distract yourself.
• Don’t have ‘just one’ as that can lead to more than one.
• Physical activity can also help with distracting you from the craving.
• Practice relaxation techniques, as resisting the urge can be stressful, practicing relaxing
can help deal with the stress.
• Get Support
• ● Lean on positive people→ Tell your family and friends about your quit day. Ask them
for support, especially on your first few days and weeks of being smokefree. They can
help you get through the rough spots.
• Stay Busy. Keeping busy is a great way to stay smoke-free on your quit day. Being busy
will help you keep your mind off smoking and distract you from cravings. Think about
trying some of these activities:
o Exercise.
o Get out of the house for a walk.
o Chew gum or hard candy.
o Drink lots of water.
o Relax with deep breathing.
o Go to a movie.
o Spend time with non-smoking friends and family.
o Go to dinner at your favorite smoke-free restaurant
• Increase physical activity (physical activity shows that it decreases tobacco use)
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Call a support group (800-QUIT-NOW), go online for support, and remind yourself daily
of the benefits quitting smoking offers yourself
Group therapy
Abstinence
Meditation
Exercise
Yoga
Online support groups
Allergy Teaching
• Avoid your triggers
• Keep a healthy diet.
• Drink more liquids. More liquids that you drink can think mucus if you experience it.
• Steam or a hot shower can help if you have a stuffy nose.
• Avoid smoking. I know you said you’re trying to quit, so smoking may also help your
allergies.
• Vitamin C can help reduce histamine levels.
• Nasal irrigation.
• Keep your house clean and change your sheets regularly as dust can irritate allergies.
• You can take over-the-counter allergy medications.
o Zyrtec, Claritin, Allegra, and Benadryl, but Benadryl can cause drowsiness, so
you may not want to take when working.
• If your allergies are still bad after trying other methods, you may want to talk to your
doctor to get an allergy test done
Medications
Zyban (Bupropion)
• Decreases nicotine craving and manifestations of withdrawal
• Side Effects: dry mouth, constipation, headache, nausea, insomnia, appetite suppression =
weight loss, seizures (high doses)
• Chew sugarless gum
• Suck on ice chips or hard candy
• Sip on small amounts of water
• Avoid caffeine
• Interactions: You should not take Zyban if you have seizures, an eating disorder, or if you
have suddenly stopped using alcohol, seizure medication, or sedatives. If you take
Wellbutrin for depression, do not also take Zyban to quit smoking.
Bupropion (Wellbutrin)
• Route: PO; 3x a day
• Indications: Aids in smoking cessation
• Side Effects: drowsiness, anxiety, excitement, dry mouth, headache, loss of appetite
• Side effects will often improve over the first week or two as you continue to take the
medication.
• Monitor for suicidal ideation
Interactions: Avoid alcohol, take with or without food.
Chantix (Varenicline)
• Reduces craving for nicotine and withdrawal manifestations
• Side Effects: constipation, dry mouth, fatigue
• Take medication after a meal
• Notify provider if nausea, vomiting, insomnia, new-onset depression, or suicidal thoughts
occur
• Start this medication one week prior to smoking cessation
• Nicotine replacements
• Interactions: Avoid alcohol and marijuana
Nicotine gum
• Chew gum slowly over 30 mins
• Avoid eating or drinking 15 min prior to and while chewing
• Not recommended for use of longer than 6 months
• Side effects: increased blood pressure, dizziness, insomnia, irritability, and loss of
appetite.
• Interactions: Do not chew more than 24 pieces a day. Can cause seizures or trouble
breathing.
Nicotine patch
• Apply patch to an area of clean, dry skin
• Usually applied in the morning and removed 16 hrs later at bedtime
• Remove if a local skin reaction occurs.
• Side effects: mild itching, redness, burning, and stinging may happen at the site.
• Interactions: Start this medication on your quit (smoking) day. The patch should be
applied to a clean, dry, non-hairy area on the trunk or upper arm. Do not apply the patch
to red/cut/irritated skin or over other skin products. Apply the patch to a different area on
your body each time to avoid irritation.
• Do not cut the patch because it causes rapid evaporation and renders the patch useless
Valerian root
• Promotes sleep
• Adverse effects: Sedation, drowsiness, depression, dependence, anxiety, hepatotoxicity
(long-term)
• Not meant for long term
• Discontinue 1 week before surgery
• Avoid taking this medication if you plan on driving or using machinery objects as it
causes drowsiness and is a hazard.
• Advise the patient to take the medication 30 min- 2 hours prior to bedtime.
• Interactions: Do not take if you are pregnant, do not take with alcohol, Xanax, CNS
depressants, benzos
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