Your nighttime routine may become a nightmare once you get sober. Sleep patterns can get completely messed up with how alcohol and drugs affect the body. Now that you are sober, you may find that your circadian rhythm is out of whack because of how you treated your body when you were under the influence during your addiction.
Whether you passed out rather than falling asleep or stayed up for days on end, garnering healthy sleeping patterns will be important to your recovery.
Sleep Helps Heal the Body
Since addiction wreaks havoc on the body, sleep in recovery is crucial. Some amazing things happen during your sleep time when it’s not induced by drugs and alcohol. Sleep gives the body a break by lowering blood pressure, relaxing muscles, and releasing hormones that decrease inflammation in the body.
Sleep Helps Regulate Attitude
The acronym HALT stands for hungry, angry, lonely, and tired, and they are the biggest influencers in your attitude. Without sleep, you can become more annoyed and easily irritated. Your body needs regular slumber, and with disturbances to your sleep patterns, you could find yourself under mental distress. You need sleep to recover from mental anguish or physical exertion so that the body can regulate a healthy attitude.
Sleep Helps with Relapse Prevention
Health and sleep are often strongly related to one another. When you do not get enough sleep, you are more likely to make poor decisions due to sleep deprivation. Relapse could be a possibility if you are not careful. Talking yourself into taking something mind-altering to get you to sleep or consuming something to keep you awake could cause you to slip just from being tired.
Consistent and healthy sleep can be a factor in relapse prevention and staying sober.When insomnia, excessive tiredness, or sleep disturbances are a problem in your sobriety, you may need to consult your doctor to see if the problem is serious. Sleep disorders are not uncommon among people who suffered from drug and alcohol addiction.
Since you are already getting other things in order, you might as well get your sleep in order. Sleep is a basic necessity of life and can keep you from performing at your best. Your best bet is to get your sleep problems rectified so you can enjoy life to the fullest.
At The Guest House Ocala, our recovery programs include many experiential modalities, including traditional therapy, conscious connected breathwork, equine therapy, somatic experiencing, art in healing, grief therapy, mindfulness, and other forms of therapy. Call (855) 372-1079 today for more information.