An estimated one in three Americans suffer from insomnia symptoms, and roughly six percent of us might be diagnosed with insomnia. So, you’re not alone if you have trouble getting a good night’s rest. People that are recovering from addiction could be up to five times more likely to suffer from sleep disturbances. Sleep problems left untreated are known to increase your risk of relapse. In this post, we’ll share three suggestions that may help you with your sleep and addiction recovery.
1. Stay Active
Regular exercise has been shown to improve the quality and duration of sleep—particularly in test subjects who kept up the practice for four or more months. However, try to avoid too much vigorous activity before going to bed because it can leave you feeling too energized to sleep. There are other benefits from long-term exercise, including stress reduction. Stress is known to disrupt your sleep patterns, so exercise packs a powerful insomnia fighting punch!
2. Keep a Consistent Sleep Schedule
It’s important to keep a steady sleep and waking hours, even on weekends and holidays. Your internal clock may have a difficult time adjusting if you’re always changing your sleep schedule. However, if you find yourself unable to fall asleep after 15 minutes, don’t fight it! Laying in bed tossing and turning tends to fuel anxiety over sleeplessness which results in even more trouble falling asleep. Instead, get out of bed and do something relaxing until you feel tired.
3. Keep Tabs on Your Diet
While many of us rely on a cup of coffee to start our day, too much caffeine in the afternoon can have lingering negative effects on your sleep. Try to limit your caffeine consumption in the afternoon to help reduce the lingering effects on your sleep. You should also try not to overeat before bed because this can leave you feeling bloated an uncomfortable. Also, try not to go to bed hungry because hungry pains can cause you to toss and turn.
Make Better Sleep Part of Your Relapse Prevention Plan
At Moonlight Mountain Recovery, our residential addiction rehab program helps people find hope in recovery. Our comprehensive approach doesn’t just focus on treating the addiction – it considers the person as a whole. From the underlying psychological, behavioral and environmental causes of your addiction to the nutritional deficits and interpersonal trauma that often comes as a result, we’ll build a personalized treatment plan just for you. If you’re struggling with addiction or you’ve recently experienced a relapse, Moonlight Mountain Recovery is here to help.
