The fact that sleep is vital to your health should be no surprise. If you experience sleep deprivation, it can affect all manner of aspects of your life, from your mental health to your experience of physical pain and even the body’s day-to-day functions. The importance of a good night’s sleep is not a new concept to many people.
However, you might not be aware of just how crucial improving your sleep, both in terms of quality and quantity, can be when it comes to recovering from drug addiction. There is already a connection you might have experienced, as people who experience drug addiction also tend to have worse sleep. But does the relationship work the other way around, as well?
Here, we’re going to look at just why sleep is so vital for those who are going through drug addiction recovery. Furthermore, we’re going to look at some of the methods you can use to improve your sleep quality and quantity. We will also look at how the right treatment program from the Louisville Addiction Treatment Center is a vital component in helping you stay in recovery alongside improving your sleep.
The connection between sleep and addiction recovery
Getting enough sleep might seem like a small detail in comparison with the other steps toward your recovery. However, it can play a larger role than you might think and shouldn’t be overlooked.
For one, you should consider the consequences of sleep deprivation. The range of impacts that poor sleep can have on both your physical and mental health should not be underestimated, including some of the following:
- High blood pressure
- Higher risk of obesity
- High blood sugar
- Lowered immune system
- Stress
- Anxiety
- Depression
- Suicidal ideation
- Mood swings
- Difficulty concentrating
- Poor control of emotions
Some of those consequences alone might be enough to get alarm bells ringing. For those who get addicted via the use of drugs to self-medicate, you can see the link of how one might indulge in drugs or alcohol as a means to treat the conditions above that poor sleep can exacerbate.
Furthermore, there is direct evidence from some studies in substance abuse treatment centers that sleep and help those who are recovering from addiction. In one study, adequate sleep improved positive emotions while reducing instances of drug cravings following withdrawal from opiates. Other studies have found that recovering alcoholics are twice as likely to relapse if they are experiencing a sleep disorder as compared to those who are able to sleep easier.
Methods of getting better sleep
If you want to ensure that you have the best chance of recovery, then improving your sleep quality should be a part of that equation. Here are some of the best methods of getting the sleep that you need.
Maintain a solid sleep schedule
It’s important to make sure that you actually set yourself a “bedtime” and have a routine that involves getting you ready for bed. You should start getting ready to sleep roughly 30 minutes before you’re actually in bed. This can include using the restroom, getting dressed for bed, and making some time for relaxation.
You should set aside no more than eight hours for sleep. What’s more, avoid daytime naps as best as possible, as they can interfere with your sleep at night.
Mind your diet and exercise
Your sleep is naturally going to be influenced by other aspects of your health. For one, you should always be mindful of what you eat and when. It’s usually recommended that you don’t eat for at least a couple of hours before bed. Lying down with a full stomach is going to cause discomfort, which can make it hard to get to sleep. Similarly, you should note foods that keep you feeling energetic. Nicotine, alcohol, and caffeine are all examples of substances that can make it difficult to get to sleep.
Physical activity can play a big role in helping you sleep, as well. The release of endorphins might give you a rush initially (which is why you shouldn’t exercise right before bed), but your body’s need for recovery can help you drift to sleep more easily.
Create the right environment for sleep
A dark, quiet room makes for the best sleep environment. However, one of the most common mistakes made in the modern bedroom is to leave the PC or TV on, especially if you’re listening to or watching something. You should make sure that you’re not flooding your room with the blue light from electronic devices for up to an hour before you plan to fall asleep, as it can interfere with sleep tremendously.
Try to make the bedroom a more relaxing place by reducing clutter or by using a white noise machine if you need to. Stress can be a factor that prevents sleep, as well.
You need more than just a good night’s sleep
As we have, hopefully, made clear, sleep quality is important to your recovery. However, this doesn’t mean that all you need to detox and then ensure a good night’s sleep to make the best chance of a successful recovery. The help and treatment of professionals can play a huge role in ensuring the best outcomes as well.
To that end, here are some of the treatment options that Louisville Addiction Treatment Center can offer. In combination with the improvement of living conditions, including your sleep, can you make sure that you get the best chance of long-term, sustained recovery.
Intensive Outpatient And Outpatient
Inpatient residential programs, which involve living onsite at the treatment center, are often recommended for the treatment of cases of addiction where being out in the world might put you at risk of relapse. While that option is worth considering, there are also those who might want or physically need to be able to take part in the regular routines of life, such as work and fulfilling other responsibilities.
To that end, we offer both outpatient and intensive outpatient programs that allow you to live your life outside of the treatment center while coming in up to seven days a week for counseling and treatment sessions. Our programs are built entirely around ensuring your long-term treatment through the continuous use of evidence-proven treatment methods. As such, you may be able to make sure that you’re able to take care of the responsibilities in your life while getting the direct help and ongoing support you need to avoid the risk of relapse.
Telemed
There are several cases in which in-person treatment might not be preferable or even possible. Over the past two years, global realities have forced healthcare providers across all sectors to address the increasing need for telemedicine. Digital communications can help close the gap for those who might not feel safe about spending time physically around other people. It can also help those who face barriers such as disability or an inability to procure transport to a treatment center.
At the Louisville Addiction Center, we make use of telemedicine for addiction to schedule and carry out appointments online, typically through the use of face-to-face software like Zoom that allows you to still ensure a personal and professional connection with the one delivering the treatment. If in-person treatment isn’t available, we have the telemedicine setup to ensure that you can still get the help that you need.
Multiple Pathways Treatment
An important part of recovery from drug addiction is to understand that your path to recovery might not be the same as it is for someone else. At Louisville Addiction Treatment Center, we always rely on evidence-based and traditional programming, delivered at the hands of highly skilled and experienced professionals to ensure the best outcomes. However, what those treatments look like can vary from person to person.
Aside from traditional counseling methods, we can also make use of programs such as medication-assisted therapy, animal-assisted therapy, family therapy, and wilderness therapy. We can find the best tools to help you as an individual. With this, we have found that we can allow for better patient outcomes. Our combination of the freedom of choice in your treatments as well as solid program guidelines and rules is part of what has allowed us to help so many patients succeed.
Rest easy with the help of the Louisville Addiction Treatment Center
Improving the quality of your sleep and ensuring that you get enough can be vital in helping you in a successful recovery from drug addiction. You can offer yourself the best chances of long-term sobriety with additional help from an experienced team that relies on evidence-driven methods of treatment.
If this sounds like something that you could benefit from, then consider admission to the Louisville Addiction Treatment Center. We work with you to develop and deliver the treatment program suited to your specific needs and circumstances. With a personal level of care to go with our effective treatment methods, we can help you take both the first steps towards recovery while supporting you in the long term.