Short answer:Yes — many people who use e-cigarettes (especially nicotine-containing vapes) report tiredness or fatigue, and research suggests multiple biological and behavioral mechanisms that may be responsible.

However, scientific evidence directly linking vaping to tiredness/fatigue as a primary effect is still emerging, and several contributing factors (like sleep disruption and withdrawal) play a major role.

How Vaping Could Lead to Feeling Tired

1. Nicotine’s Complex Effects on the Body

• Nicotine, a central ingredient in most vapes, acts as a stimulant in the short term — increasing alertness and heart rate. But this stimulant effect can mask underlying disruption of normal physiology. Over time, or as nicotine levels drop between vaping sessions, users may experience rebound fatigue.
• Some research indicates fatigue and mood symptoms are linked to nicotine use and cessation cycles, suggesting nicotine may temporarily reduce feelings of tiredness, but the brain’s response to repeated exposure contributes to later fatigue.
• Nicotine blocks adenosine — a brain chemical involved in sleep regulation — which can make it harder to fall asleep and recover, leading to daytime tiredness.

2. Sleep Disruption and Daytime Fatigue

One of the strongest links between vaping and tiredness relates tosleep quality:

• Nicotine use — including vaping — has been associated withpoorer sleep outcomes such as shorter sleep duration, restless sleep, and daytime sleepiness. 

• Emerging studies find that people who vape reportsignificantly lower sleep quality than non-users, and that vaping is linked with sleep disturbances among adolescents and adults.
  

• Because restful sleep is essential for maintaining energy, chronic disruptions can causeongoing tiredness even without another obvious medical cause. 

3. Withdrawal and Mood Fluctuations

If someone vapes regularly, nicotine levels in the blood can fluctuate widely throughout the day. When nicotine drops, withdrawal symptoms — including fatigue and low energy — can emerge. Although most studied in cigarette smokers, similar processes likely occur in habitual vapers.

• Nicotine withdrawal symptoms include difficulty concentrating, restlessness, irritability, and fatigue — which can all contribute to a sense of tiredness.

4. Indirect Physiological Effects

Vaping may also indirectly contribute to tiredness through other pathways:

• Some chemicals in e-cigarette aerosols — including flavorings and metals — have been linked toheadache, dizziness, and fatigue, suggesting biological stress from inhaled compounds could affect energy levels.
  

• Studies suggest vaping mightreduce oxygen levels in the blood after use, similar to smoking, which could theoretically increase feelings of fatigue during physical activity or rest.

Mechanisms That Might Lead to Tiredness

What the Research Shows

Sleep and Vaping

• Studies consistently link e-cigarette use withpoor sleep quality and greater daytime fatigue, particularly in young adults. 
  

• Nicotine’s stimulant effects candelay sleep onset and reduce deep sleep, leading to non-restorative sleep and tiredness the next day. 
  

Fatigue and Nicotine Use

• Surveys show people with higher perceived fatigue also report greater dependence on vaping, suggesting that tiredness may both contribute to vaping and result from it. 
  

• Fatigue symptoms appear in studies of nicotine and tobacco use broadly, indicating that nicotine cycles influence energy regulation.

So —Does Vaping Make You Tired?

Yes, vaping — especially nicotine vaping — is linked with tiredness and fatigue for several plausible biological and behavioral reasons:

• Poor sleep quality and shorter sleep duration are well-documented among e-cigarette users.
  

• Nicotine’s effects on sleep and withdrawal cycles can lead to daytime fatigue.
  

• Physiological stress from vape aerosol chemicals may add to tiredness.
  

However,direct cause-and-effect studies specifically on vaping and fatigue are limited, and more research is needed to isolate vaping’s independent impact on daily energy levels.

Practical Implications

• If youfeel tired regularly and vape, consider whether vaping might be impacting yoursleep or energy levels, particularly if you vape late in the day.
  

• Reducing nicotine intake or avoiding vaping near bedtime can help improve sleep quality.
  

• Persistent or severe fatigue should be evaluated by a healthcare professional to rule out other causes.