How Can I Get a Good Night’s Sleep in Recovery?
- Jul 15, 2021
- 6 min read
Updated: Oct 16
When recovering from addiction, trauma, or mental health struggles, getting a good night's sleep is often one of the biggest challenges. The constant physical and mental hurdles can make restful sleep feel impossible. Fortunately, establishing healthy sleep practices can provide the body and mind with the rest they need to continue healing and coping with daily stress.
How does addiction, trauma, or mental health affect sleep?
Addiction, trauma, and mental health issues can impact sleep in multiple ways. Physical discomfort and emotional distress can make it difficult to fall asleep, while anxiety or nightmares can wake you up and disrupt your sleep cycle.
There are proven strategies to help you get the restorative sleep you need. By incorporating a consistent routine and avoiding certain habits, you can support your recovery journey and improve your overall well-being. Read on to discover how to get good night sleep during recovery and find actionable tips that can make a difference tonight.
What are the challenges of getting a good night's sleep during recovery from addiction, trauma, or mental health issues?
Sleep is often one of the most difficult and important aspects of recovery. While it is essential to maintain a healthy daily routine and lifestyle, getting a good night’s sleep can be an incredibly complicated affair.
Those who are struggling with addiction and moving through the recovery process, suffer from mental health disorders, or have experienced trauma can all have their sleep patterns disrupted in various ways.
Learning to get a good night’s sleep is a skill on its own and essential to ensure that your mind and body are well-rested and prepared to actively participate in the recovery process, as well as cope with the stresses of the day ahead.
How Mental Health, Addiction, and Trauma Can Affect Sleep
Each person’s sleep patterns can be disrupted in several different ways depending on their unique circumstances, with both physical and mental factors making it difficult to either get to sleep in the first place or remain asleep once at rest.
Experiencing physical discomfort resulting from addiction recovery or trauma can make it incredibly hard to reach a peaceful state in which to fall asleep. Aches and pains, muscle tension, nausea, increased heart rate, and headaches are just some of the symptoms that can afflict each person. Each one is not just inhibiting on its own but can also make getting to sleep incredibly difficult.
Feelings of increased anxiety or depression can also leave a person’s mind wide awake, even if their bodies are exhausted. Anxiety, paranoia, fear, and guilt are extremely powerful emotions that can constantly stimulate one’s mind, with some people remaining hypervigilant or unconvinced of their safety even while in their own homes. Feelings of shame can also compromise one’s emotional state and plague the mind to a perpetual sense of unrest.
Even if an individual has gotten to sleep, maintaining a consistent sleep cycle throughout the night can be another hurdle on its own, as those who experience feelings of anxiety, depression, or who have experienced trauma can be incredibly prone to vivid nightmares. These nightmares can jolt their bodies and minds awake and into a serious state of alertness, compromising their restful state for the remainder of the night.
Tips for a Good Night Sleep Recovery During Recovery
Getting a full night of sleep is paramount for providing the body and mind with the rest and respite needed to be prepared to incorporate new coping strategies and effectively practice mindfulness. Furthermore, it is crucial in maintaining the higher mind’s decision-making. As a result, it is essential to incorporate helpful sleeping practices to ensure that this time is restful and rejuvenating.
Turn Off Electronics
Electronics are incredibly stimulating. While their use throughout the day can be used for entertainment and self-care, they can actually create more of a hurdle when it comes time to get to sleep.
Electronics create a great deal of blue light, which is harder on one’s eyes and can make it much more difficult to fall asleep than in a darkened space. While some individuals may utilize electronics to listen to music or podcasts as they fall asleep, it is important to be very selective about how this is used.
While the use of ambient noise can be beneficial and help detract feelings of anxiety from one’s sleeping space, listening to upbeat music, lyrics, or listening to podcasts and conversations can all continue to stimulate the mind to a point where it has difficulty falling asleep.
Make It Routine
Sleep can be programmed as any other routine part of one’s day. Starting a pre-bedtime routine at the same time each night can program the body to begin expecting rest and sleep at a specific, regular point in the day. While this strategy can take some time to become effective, maintaining this regular time and adhering strictly to it can leave the body and mind expecting to get to sleep regularly.
Having these routines can also signal to the body and mind that it is time to wind down for the day. Having consistent daily practices, such as a hygiene routine or practicing meditation, mindfulness, or journaling just before bed, can allow the body and mind to settle into this healthy and productive routine.
Avoid Caffeine
Caffeine is notorious for getting people up and moving—the opposite of the goal here. However, caffeine can cause even more detrimental effects throughout the recovery process as it can accentuate feelings of anxiety, paranoia, and an increase in stress. Keeping a healthy diet and avoiding caffeinated drinks can be crucial in allowing the body and mind to rest without additional imposed hurdles to your sleep.
Frequently Asked Questions
• What are some physical symptoms of addiction recovery that can disrupt sleep?
Physical symptoms like aches, pains, muscle tension, nausea, headaches, and increased heart rate can make it very difficult to get to sleep.
• How do anxiety and depression affect sleep?
Anxiety, fear, and depression can keep your mind wide awake even when your body is exhausted, while feelings of paranoia or guilt can lead to a constant state of unrest.
• Can nightmares affect my sleep during recovery?
Yes, vivid nightmares are common for those with anxiety, depression, or a history of trauma, and they can jolt you awake, disrupting your restful state for the rest of the night.
• Why should I avoid using electronics before bed?
The blue light from electronics can be stimulating and make it harder for you to fall asleep in a darkened room. Listening to upbeat music or podcasts can also keep your mind too active.
• How can a pre-bedtime routine help me sleep better?
Establishing a consistent routine, like practicing meditation or journaling at the same time each night, can program your body and mind to expect rest and wind down for sleep.
We know how difficult and overwhelming it can be to navigate the complexities of sleep disruption while in recovery. If you're struggling, please know that we are here to walk alongside you. At Chateau Health and Wellness, we take a holistic approach to address the underlying issues that impact your ability to get restful sleep. We understand that this journey is unique to you, and we're committed to helping you build a foundation of health and well-being. Please reach out to us at (435) 222-5225 to speak with our compassionate team and begin your path to healing.
 |  |  |
About The Author
Ben Pearson, LCSW - Clinical Director
With 19 years of experience, Ben Pearson specializes in adolescent and family therapy, de-escalation, and high-risk interventions. As a former Clinical Director of an intensive outpatient program, he played a key role in clinical interventions and group therapy. With 15+ years in wilderness treatment and over a decade as a clinician, Ben has helped countless individuals and families navigate mental health and recovery challenges.
Danny Warner, CEO of Chateau Health and Wellness
Brings a wealth of experience in business operations, strategic alliances, and turnaround management, with prior leadership roles at Mediconnect Global, Klever Marketing, and WO Investing, Inc. A graduate of Brigham Young University in Economics and History, Danny has a proven track record of delivering results across diverse industries. His most transformative role, however, was as a trail walker and counselor for troubled teens at the Anasazi Foundation, where he directly impacted young lives, a personal commitment to transformation that now drives his leadership at Chateau.
Austin Pederson, Executive Director of Chateau Health and Wellness
Brings over eight years of experience revolutionizing mental health and substance abuse treatment through compassionate care and innovative business strategies. Inspired by his own recovery journey, Austin has developed impactful programs tailored to individuals facing trauma and stress while fostering comprehensive support systems that prioritize holistic wellness. His empathetic leadership extends to educating and assisting families, ensuring lasting recovery for clients and their loved ones.
