Insomnia is common in people with substance drug disorders (SUDs). It can occur after withdrawals, and sometimes lasts for months and years and may be correlated with relapse. This can be uncomfortable to deal with and can cause some serious issues for people in recovery. Though insomnia is widespread, there are ways to deal with it and get a good night’s rest.
Insomnia in Withdrawal
As mentioned, insomnia is quite common among people with substance abuse disorders. It is a common symptom of withdrawal; as they gradually ween off substances, their bodies react. Sleeping problems can last for weeks, months, or even years, leading to increased anxiety, exhaustion, poor focus, and irritability.
Even more worrying is that chronic insomnia can interfere with recovery and cause relapse, particularly if left untreated. Insomnia usually decreases over time, but many coping strategies can be learned to improve sleep patterns.
How Sleep Impacts Addiction and Recovery
Insomnia may happen with all types of addiction and is a common symptom of withdrawal for people recovering from alcohol, tobacco, or narcotic abuse. Since each case of addiction is unique, the severity and frequency of insomnia can differ from person-to-person.
Those who recover from addictions will surely have to endure months of sleep difficulties. Nevertheless, the first few days after withdrawal from a substance can be especially difficult. This is because your body is fighting against your choice to stop substance use. The time you spent abusing drugs and/or alcohol have altered the way your body functions, especially at night. The body shifts again during detox and attempts to adapt to this new lifestyle choice. It is only normal that the cycle of your sleep is disturbed during this process.
Why is Sleep Important for Recovery?
The creation of good sleep routines — as challenging as this is — will increase your chances of escaping relapse early in your recovery. You’ll learn this recommendation from former addicts, drug rehab centers, and most likely physicians and counselors.
The secret to a healthy body is sleep. Your body becomes stronger when you accumulate the right amount of sleep. Your blood flows and energy is intact for the rest of the day when you have a healthy body you’re able to recover much faster
Tips to Deal With Insomnia During Recovery
Insomnia is only temporary, but it can be uncomfortable to manage. The more attentive you are to the issue and your recovery, the faster insomnia will dissipate. Here are some helpful tips we’ve created for you to use during the early stages of recovery where you may deal with insomnia.
Develop sleep rituals
Most recovery includes exchanging bad habits with healthy ones. When it comes to sleep, you should try and wind down with peaceful activities such as reading, meditating, or listening to soft, calm music/sounds. The last thing you want to do is an activity that will wake you up. This will help you fall asleep, or at least get into a resting state, at a regular time which will encourage regular sleep patterns. The more regular your sleep is, the better the sleep quality you’ll receive.
Be careful what you eat
Research indicates that nicotine and caffeine, if used at least four or six hours before sleep, make it harder for someone to fall asleep. Avoid these kinds of things as you approach the later times in a day. Eating certain foods before bed can make sleep difficult as well. If you’re hungry, eat a small, nutritious snack near your bedtime.
Do regular exercise
The scientific evidence that leads to better sleep activity is immense. A physical training regimen can help you to sleep more easily, more restfully, and to wake up more effectively.
Physical exercise can also allow you to sleep better and recover, which can strengthen the immune system of your body, increase your heart health, and decrease stress and anxiety. When you’re physically active, your body is working harder and faster, which means you will become more exhausted at normal times. If you do a difficult workout in the afternoon, you’ll be sure to fall asleep at a good time.
Remove Stress
There are a variety of treatments for calming the mind and body before going to bed and stress reduction techniques. To remove stress, you need to plan things out. Plan what you need to do in a day at work, after work, etc. This can help you stay organized and prepared for the unexpected. If you go throughout your day with no schedule, you may become stressed if something unexpected happens. If you’re always stressed, it’ll be difficult to sleep.
Participate in Cognitive Therapy
Cognitive therapy allows many people with sleep problems to identify and address stimuli that lead to their restlessness. Cognitive therapy will also provide a person with the right information on sleep patterns, shifts in sleep due to age and help to set realistic sleep goals, among many other things.
Treatment for Insomnia
The combination of insomnia and possibility of relapse requires medication during recovery after recovery. The first phase in insomnia care will concentrate on the patient’s recovery status. Patients should be provided with an effective drug abuse plan. Many psychological, social and medical issues that could lead to insomnia, such as psychiatric and health disturbances, use of sleep-disrupting drugs, use of nicotine, etc., are important to address.
Non-pharmacological treatments are favored because many depression medications are susceptible to abuse and can conflict with the healing of SUD. Cognitive-behavioral treatment (CBT) studies in the management of anxiety have typically produced positive results and encouraged sleep in the toilet. Such treatments may include,
Mindfulness meditation – The patient transitions to a period of restful, current alertness that reduces stress and increases self-regulation.
Progressive muscle relaxation – The individual relies on muscle tension and relaxation.
Biofeedback – The individual is conscious of and regulates the physiological stress responses.
CBT for Insomnia – To improve his mental health, unhealthy behaviors and habits are changed.
Long periods without sufficient sleep will impair your overall physical and mental health. According to research carried out by the National Health Institution, daytime disability and paranoia were correlated with insomnia that continues for over a month symptoms, higher absenteeism, malfunctioning of interpersonal, increased risk of emotional disorders and an elevated recurrence frequency.
Therefore, addressing insomnia with safe sleeping habits and communicating with medical professionals about your symptoms can provide you with the help you need to achieve better sleep.
