Recovery Wellness 101 – Get More Sleep

Recovery Wellness 101 Basics
Get More Sleep Tips

In This Article:

Recovery Wellness 101 – We have all heard that a sound mind lives in a healthy body.

Overall health and wellness includes good sleep. There are some basic things that can be done to improve sleep in recovery.

Good sleep improves the quality of life at any point. Some good sleep habits are so simple that we may forget or discount just how important they are to addiction recovery and wellness.

Our Recovery Wellness 101 series has been created as a reminder and a checklist. If you are struggling in recovery – or if you are not sure if you will ever “feel normal” again – make sure to follow basic self-care activities. Be persistent in applying good health habits.

Recovery Wellness 101 – Tip #1: Good Sleep

Sleep Better, Feel Better

“It gives us a ton of interesting new biology to explore and understand, since it seems like things the brain is doing during sleep are related to each other in surprising ways,” Lewis says. “Maybe the most important take-home message is that sleep is a serious thing,” Nedergaard says. “You really need to sleep to keep a healthy brain because it links electrical activity to a practical housekeeping function.”

Deep Sleep Gives Your Brain a Deep Clean

Recovery Wellness 101 – We all know that our bodies need food, water and sleep in order to live.

But just how important is sleep?

Good sleep habits are crucial for good mental and physical health. Sleep deprivation can have serious negative health impacts. An estimated 50-70 million US adults suffer from chronic or ongoing sleep disorders.

Deep Sleep is when your brain replenishes and balances your brain chemistry. It is also when muscles are repaired and anabolic growth hormones are released.

It is not possible to “catch up” on lost sleep – so consistency is the key. Going to bed and waking up at the same me each day is ideal. Your mind and body will thank you for it!

Substance Abuse Sleep Disturbances

Drugs of abuse and alcohol have disruptive effects on sleep, in particular, interfering with the ease of falling asleep, increasing the difficulty in maintaining sleep, and altering the cycling of sleep stages from non-rapid eye movement (NREM) sleep to rapid eye movement (REM) sleep. 

Sleep Disturbance in Substance Use Disorders

Recovery Wellness 101 – Sleep is, of course, one of the first basic building blocks of a healthy and happy life. And sleep is one of the first things that gets disturbed in alcohol and substance abuse disorders.

Stimulant use leads to irregular and inadequate rest at night. And surprisingly – opioids and other depressants also contruibute to disturbed sleep.

Many reach for alcohol or a prescription drug to cover up a sleep problem and make it manageable. And while drug or alcohol use may seem to work for enabling sleep in the beginning – in the long run alcohol and/or substance abuse creates much larger difficulties.

Mixing opioids (which are depressants) with other depressants or stimulants (either intentionally or unknowingly) has contributed to the rising number of opioid overdose deaths. Opioid deaths have more than doubled since 2010.

Depressants can create unconsciousness and appear to let users ‘sleep’ until morning. However, this prevents the body from entering and/or maintaining REM sleep and Deep Sleep states. During these sleep states many crucial physical and emotional regenerative processes occur.

During Deep Sleep, the growth hormones that help with organ, muscle, and tissue repair are released from your pituitary gland. If you are recovering from an injury or substance abuse, this is when your body does the most work in healing itself.

Deep sleep is the third stage of non-rapid eye movement (non-REM) sleep. Deep sleep is also known as slow-wave sleep. This is the stage of sleep where your brain waves are at their slowest. Your heartbeat and breathing also slow down.

What Is Deep Sleep?

Sleep Disturbances Common in Recovery

Recovery Wellness 101 – Substance-induced sleep disorder is recognized in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, 5th Edition.

Substance use increases sleep difficulties. The increase of sleep problems also presents a risk factor for continued substance use or relapse.

The types of sleep problems vary by substance used and can include:

∙ Insomnia
∙ Sleep latency (the time it takes to fall asleep)
∙ Disturbances in sleep cycles and sleep continuity
∙ Hypersomnia (excessive daytime sleepiness)

Disturbance in sleep and circadian rhythms may be at their worst during detox and withdrawal. This highlights the need for possible medical intervention during this time.

Patients in our residential Medical Detox program receive medication, as needed, to ease withdrawal process symptoms.

Better Sleep in Recovery Tips

Recovery Wellness 101 – Most individuals struggle with sleep in the early days of recovery.

Therapy can be helpful in working on better sleep. Often the road to addiction begins with an unresolved trauma, anxiety or an ongoing stress that interferes with sleep.

All New Start Recovery Solutions treatment programs include dual diagnosis treatment and cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT). Research shows that cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) can help recovering addicts with insomnia.

Tips for Better Sleep in Recovery

∙ Begin to ‘stage’ sleep a couple of hours in advance
∙ Sleeping spaces should be quiet, dark, and calming
∙ Cooler temperatures are ideal for best sleep
∙ Small fans are useful for circulating air
∙ Light incense, scented candles or essential oil aromas can be helpful
∙ Meditation, including Mindfulness
∙ Yoga, Tai Chi, etc
∙ Regular Exercise
∙ But No Strenuous Exercise Before Sleep
∙ Herbal teas; including valerian, chamomile, lavender, lemon balm and more
∙ White Noise or Nature Tracks
∙ Avoid Blue Light (computer, tablet, smart phones)
∙ Begin dimming lights 2-3 hours before sleep
∙ Clear bedroom clutter
∙ Reduce or eliminate external light sources (light blocking curtains)
∙ Be Patient with yourself – and be consistent in applying good sleep routines

Mindfulness Recovery and Relapse Prevention

Mindfulness refers to a moment-to-moment awareness of mental processes and habitual reactions – without judgement or acting on impulses. Just 11 minutes of daily mindfulness training may help heavy drinkers cut back on alcohol.

International Journal of Neuropsychopharmacology.

Recovery Wellness 101 – Mindfulness involves learning to focus on the present moment.

With mindfulness training – addictive cravings and reactions are not destiny. With mindfulness, habitual impulses and trigger reactions are noticed and acknowledged – but there is no follow through with action. Our holistic addiction recovery centers incorporate mindfulness training into rehab, recovery and relapse prevention.

Some strategies for relapse prevention combat addiction by trying to eliminate cravings or emphasize ‘will power’. This is usually not effective. Mindfulness guides practitioners to observe and acknowledge triggers and cravings without following habitual behaviors. Instead of immediately acting on cravings, meditators learn to respond with awareness, self-compassion and the strong intention to remain sober.

See Northern California Mindfulness Meditation and Addiction Recovery.
See Relapse Prevention Plan

Northern California Dual Diagnosis Addiction Recovery Treatment

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