Quit21Day 25 after quitting vapingMost of it is over
By Yevhenii, who smoked for 26 years · Updated 30 Oct 2026 · 2 min readWhat's happening in your body
In the research that followed nicotine withdrawal day by day, irritability, anxiety, restlessness, poor concentration and broken sleep had returned to their starting level within two to four weeks for most people. Appetite stays raised for longer. Cravings continue, less often and more briefly, set off by situations and no longer by the clock. That time course was charted in smokers. The vaping studies stopped at six days, and what they saw in those days matched its opening.
What to expect
A fairly ordinary day, which may be the most noticeable thing about it. If most days do not feel like this yet, it does not mean you are doing it wrong. Two to four weeks is the range for most people, not a deadline for everyone. One thing is worth an honest look. If your mood has been getting heavier over these weeks rather than lighter, if low mood is deepening where it should be lifting, speak to a doctor.
It happens to a minority of people who stop nicotine, more often to those who have had depression before, and it is treatable. It is not a reason to vape, and not something to sit out alone.
Try this
Scroll back through the moods you have logged in the Diary over these weeks and see which way they are heading.
What else you could do
If they have been getting lighter, however unevenly, notice what helped and keep doing it. If there are gaps, answer the mood question at tonight's close, because a record you keep is worth more than a memory. If they have been getting heavier, book the appointment this week instead of waiting to see whether it passes.
Sources. Time course measured in smokers: Hughes, 2007. First six days measured in vapers: Hughes et al., 2020.