By: Dana Brown, HealthConditions.info
For those in addiction recovery, sleep is the ultimate source of relief, but it can be even more difficult to come by when you remove the negative coping methods you once relied on to relax. People in recovery can struggle with insomnia, making the road to healing that much more challenging. All is not lost, and you can take back control of your sleep while getting control over your life, so you can live clean and free.
Dump Your Old Mattress
You might be able to sleep on your current mattress, but are you waking up rested and pain-free? Are you constantly moving about to avoid that big dip or staying as still as possible to avoid that annoying creak? Maybe you’re waking up feeling even more tired than when you fell asleep. Best Life explains all these signs point to the need for a new mattress, but if you’ve not been in the market for a new one in a long time, all the choices might make your head spin.
The key to optimal sleep is to find a mattress that matches your sleep position. For example, back and stomach sleepers should check out the Purple mattress for its cushy (yet firm) gel feel that also supports alignment while side sleepers might fall in love with the Casper Wave due to its waved support system that provides zoned support so its soft under your shoulders while still offering support in other areas.
Upgrade Your Pillow
As Harvard Health Publishing explains, your pillow does more than provide a place to rest your head – it provides much-needed head, neck, and spinal support and alignment too. Back and stomach sleepers need a thin pillow to keep their head and shoulders level, while side sleepers should opt for a thicker pillow to keep your spine straight and fill in the resulting gap between your shoulders and head. Pillows aren’t just for your head, as they can be placed between your knees and under your hips too to help alleviate pressure points and support the natural curve of your spine.
Address Any Dental Problems
Getting quality sleep can often get derailed by problems with your teeth. And when you’re in recovery, getting good sleep is of the utmost importance. Problems such as TMJ and sleep apnea, for example, are often caused by misaligned teeth. To complicate matters, misaligned teeth can also be very difficult to clean, which can lead to gum disease and tooth decay due to a buildup of plaque. Fortunately, you don’t have to spend a lot of money to correct this problem. At-home aligners like byte, for example, cost a lot less than in-office dental treatment, and they’re often much cheaper in price than other, similar aligners. In addition to sending your aligner directly to your home, they also provide top-shelf support by a team of professionals who monitor your progress remotely. This allows you to put more focus on your recovery and less about making sure you keep your dental appointments!
Explore Sleep Technology
Believe it or not, there are sleep apps that do wonders for your sleep woes. Before you start loading up on apps, consider whether your phone can support all that extra data and perhaps use this as an excuse to go ahead and upgrade so your phone doesn’t crash or overheat during your sleep routine. Look for savings on new models that offer plenty of bells and whistles, in addition to a more robust data plan
Once your phone is powered up and ready to go, it’s time to explore some sleep apps. Both Sleep Cycle and Sleep Time can help you track your sleep cycles and patterns to find the optimal wake up time, and SnoreLab is a great download for those looking to identify snoring patterns and find solutions to fix it. If you need some extra help falling asleep, Headspace offers soothing sounds and guided sleep meditations to lull you to sleep.
Get on a Schedule
Whether you love schedules or they are the bane of your existence, Sleep Education explains a consistent schedule can improve your sleep. Find a sleep and wake time that allows you to get at least seven hours of sleep, and stick to it every night. However, if you aren’t yet sleepy or are still awake after 20 minutes, get up and do something relaxing to induce sleep such as reading, meditating, or taking a warm bath. Avoid pre-bedtime no-nos such as drinking caffeine, eating a big meal, or vigorous exercise.
We all need at least seven hours of natural, uninterrupted sleep, but when you can’t seem to drift off, you feel helpless. Sleeping pills might sound like the answer, but they come with risks including building up tolerance and daytime drowsiness, which aren’t helpful to your recovery. Opt for natural ways to get the good night’s sleep you need, and your mind and body will thank you.
About the Author
Dana Brown is the creator of HealthConditions.info, which aims to provide Internet users with helpful content and resources that will lead them to making healthier decisions. She has 15 years of caregiving experience, and after seeing some patterns of poor health she became determined to help inform people about healthy living.