Is it Dangerous to Fall Asleep with a Nicotine Pouch?

The use of nicotine pouches is widespread and can be consumed anywhere, anytime. This may indirectly assume that the person is actually awake during use and the question of whether it is dangerous to fall asleep with a nicotine pouch under your lip may cross your mind. In this article, we will go into detail on this matter.

What Happens if You Fall Asleep with a Nicotine Pouch?

The short answer is that it is not dangerous from a content perspective, but it can be dangerous if the nicotine pouch ends up in your throat.

What happens when you fall asleep with a nicotine pouch under your lip is that you often start producing more saliva in your mouth, and the phenomenon of “spit-out” may occur. This means in short that due to increased saliva production in the mouth, saliva may flow out as a large majority of people sleep with their mouths open. In the case of nicotine pouches, this is thankfully very convenient as the saliva from a nicotine pouch does not become discolored, as it does when using a tobacco snuff. The saliva that arises from a tobacco snuff can therefore leave snuff stains on the pillow, sheets, mattress, or any other surface where the person sleeps, which can later be difficult to remove, or just generally perceived as unpleasant.

In fact, in the Snusbolaget report of 2020, 17 percent of men and 12 percent of women stated that the reason they use tobacco-free pouches is that it does not discolor the sheets.

The increased saliva production in the mouth also means that the nicotine pouch can become wet and fall from the upper lip where it was initially placed. Although this is uncommon, it can mean that the nicotine pouch slips into the throat, creating a risk of choking. The body would have responded to this by starting to cough, but this is one of the reasons why it is advisable to try to avoid falling asleep with a nicotine pouch under your lip and instead develop a habit of removing the nicotine pouch before brushing your teeth.

Another thought that may arise is of course whether using a nicotine pouch for an extended period can be harmful to the body. Although it is recommended to use a nicotine pouch for 10 to 50 minutes, it is a matter of preference and if the nicotine pouch were to be used for a longer time, such as during the night when you sleep, it would not have a negative impact on the body.

Is it Dangerous to swallow saliva or the Nicotine Pouch?

Another natural question that may arise is whether it would be dangerous to unconsciously swallow the saliva produced in the mouth while sleeping, which is diluted by the nicotine pouch under the lip. The short answer to that question is that it is not dangerous.

The same question can also be posed about the nicotine pouch and whether it is harmful to accidentally ingest it. The short answer to the question is that nicotine pouches are mostly made of plant fibers, which we already consume through regular diet and are therefore completely safe. The only drawback is that the body has difficulty breaking down plant fibers in the stomach, which can cause discomfort. However, it often takes more than just one pouch to experience discomfort. When it comes to nicotine, it cannot be absorbed as effectively in the stomach as it can through the mucous membranes.