Your quality of sleep can have an impact on your recovery. You may overlook the importance of a great night of sleep, however, sleep can restore your mind and body allowing you to take on the day with energy and clarity. You may not realize how important sleep is to your well-being until you begin getting great rest. Having issues with getting a restful night sleep can leave you feeling:
- Tired
- Lethargic
- Unmotivated
- Irritable
- Weak
- Unfocused
- Overly sensitive
- Less able to cope with minor stressors
When you are in recovery, you are likely to experience some challenges in confronting difficult or painful emotions. You might be making some significant changes in your life as you engage in the process of recovery. Change and dealing with negative emotions can wear you down. If you have been neglecting the importance of a good night’s rest, you may be making these challenges more difficult for yourself. Taking care of your physical health is paramount to success in recovery. You need all the strength and resilience you can get to face the road ahead of you. Capitalize on these tips to benefit from a good night’s rest. You might be surprised at the difference sleep can make!
Your Sleep Environment
Your bed:
- Clean, comfortable sheets can make a huge difference in your sleep quality.
- Be sure to clean and change your bedding regularly to ensure that you are comfortable.
- Make your bed each morning to get your day started on the right foot!
Your bedroom:
- Make sure your bedroom is dark and quiet for the best sleep.
- Use curtains to block out light from entering windows.
- Try using door draft blockers to block out noise and light from doorways. (You can even roll a spare towel or sheet to use as a door draft blocker).
- If you live in a noisy neighborhood or apartment, try using ear plugs to muffle sounds. Ear plugs will not block all noise, they will just cut down on the concussive impact of sounds (you will still hear alarms to wake you up!)
- White noise machines, fans, or air conditioners can help fill your room with background noise that is not disruptive.
- Try extended length YouTube videos with whitenoise and sleep sounds for 8 to 12 hours! Make sure the videos are ad-free–you do not want an ad waking you up in the night! Turn your devices’ brightness off or down as much as you can to minimize additional light.
- Try a sleep mask to cover your eyes and help you get to a deeper sleep faster.
Your routine:
- Try to sleep and wake around the same time each day. Your body will function much better on a regular routine.
- Relax before bed with some nighttime tea (no caffeine or sugar!), reading or journaling, and turning lights low a few hours before bedtime.
- Journaling at the end of the day can help you get your thoughts out if you experience difficulty thinking about problems at night.
- Try to avoid screen time on devices or phones prior to bed. Exposure to unnatural and bright lights from devices may hinder your ability to fall asleep quickly.
- If you feel hungry before bed, eat a snack with low or no sugar. Your body will respond to sugar with a burst of energy–the last thing you need before going to bed!
- Try taking a cold shower before bed to help you fall asleep. Showering before bed also helps to keep your bedding clean. A quick, cold shower can help to lower your body temperature, which signals to your body that you are ready for sleep!
Your day:
- Getting daily exercise can help you feel tired by bedtime.
- Minimize drinking caffeinated beverages throughout the day. Try not to drink caffeine in the afternoon and evenings.
- Eat healthy foods low in sugar. High blood sugar levels can cause your mind to race and your body to feel energized beyond your control.
- Leave a glass of water next to your bed to drink when you awake. During sleep, your body fasts and having water by your side can boost your energy in the morning.
When you get a good night’s rest consistently, you may notice a change in your mood and your mental resilience. Low qualities of sleep can leave you feeling weak or drained before you even start the day! By getting a good night’s rest, you might be surprised at the change. When you are addicted to alcohol or other substances, your sleep is likely to be disrupted by the chemicals or the unhealthy routines established in conjunction with addiction. Begin to adopt healthy lifestyle habits like a good night’s sleep and you will notice huge changes in your overall well-being!
Getting a good night’s sleep can help you feel refreshed and restored to begin your day at your best. While engaging in addictions, you may have neglected your sleep for long periods of time. You might be surprised at the difference that a good night’s sleep may bring! Healthy habits throughout the day will help to set you up for a good night’s rest and having a bedtime routine can help you improve your sleep quality. When in recovery, you may need to learn healthy ways to live and cope with daily stress. You may face challenges and uncover painful realizations. You will need all the strength you can get to face recovery. Everlast Recovery Centers is here to help support you during this difficult time of your life! We can teach you better ways to cope with your problems to help you recover from addictions. Call us today at 866-DETOX-25
