We all know the importance of a good night’s sleep. Scientists say that it is in fact, just as important as healthy eating and exercise.
While sleep is crucial to everyone’s physical and mental well-being, it’s even more important for those who are going through addiction recovery. The problem is however, getting decent slumber can be extremely difficult when recovering from an addiction because of withdrawal and the many other changes that your body is getting used to.
One of the main reasons why people in early recovery have trouble sleeping is because of nutrient deficiencies that develop during active addiction.
Another reason why those in withdrawal have trouble sleeping is because of the addictive substances themselves. For a person seeking treatment for an addiction to stimulant drugs for example, sleep will be affected until the drugs are no longer in the body.
While addiction and insomnia often go hand in hand, for some, the inability to sleep can be so detrimental that it actually triggers the person to relapse. Aside from a lack of it causing a great deal of stress, why exactly is sleep such an important factor in addiction recovery?
It affects the decisions you make
Sleep isn’t just important for strong, physical health – it also plays a central role in our mental, emotional and psychological well-being.
According to researchers, even just one night of bad sleep can decrease our ability to make decisions. Because sobriety requires a great deal of diligence and attention when it comes to decision-making, what this means for anyone in addiction treatment is that not getting enough sleep can have a profound effect on the success of your recovery.
Sleep has also been shown to reduce stress levels and because stress is often such a big trigger for those with addiction, the last thing you want to do is exacerbate sleep deprivation.
A study carried out by the University of Pennsylvania’s Department of Psychiatry found that just one week of limited sleep (4.5 hours per night) can result in increased stress, irritability, and mental exhaustion.
It can affect cravings
Researchers from Penn State’s College of Medicine conducted a study which found that quality of sleep was directly linked to both a recovering person’s mood and the frequency of their cravings.
Using a smartphone app, the team surveyed patients four times a day about the quality of their sleep, their positive or negative moods and their level of drug cravings. They also conducted in-person visits to get more detailed information.
The results showed that lower quality sleep caused higher levels of drug cravings throughout the day, as well as more negative moods. If you’re receiving addiction therapy in Toronto and would like information about improving sleep, please feel free to get in touch.
It can make you more vulnerable to relapse
When we’re sleep deprived, we subject ourselves to a number of worrying conditions including depression, stress, obesity and even suicidal thoughts. It also makes us unable to focus, retain information and make decisions or problem solve.
When faced with a lack of sleep, we’re more likely to engage in risky behaviors as we have less control over our moods. For anyone receiving addiction help, this greatly increases their chances of relapsing.
If you think that you or someone you know could benefit from addiction therapy in Toronto, please feel free to contact us in the strictest of confidence and we will be more than happy to help. Alternatively, you can carry out an Alcohol Use Questionnaire or Drug Use Questionnaire to determine whether or not you may have a substance abuse problem.
