Sweet Dreams Go Up In Smoke

A very common complaint of alcoholics and addicts in recovery (and out) is the inability to sleep on a set schedule. This lack of sleep and another tortuous night alone with nothing but our thoughts are just as dangerous to recovery as an old friend with a bottle or a dealer with a new marketing scheme. Sleep deprivation can cause stress, compromised reasoning ability, and even bring about depression.

On a flight out of Chicago today I had the pleasant experience of sitting beside a psychiatrist that specializes in sleep disorders from the Birmingham Children’s Hospital. I took the chance to ask her advice on how those of us in recovery can improve our chances of getting a good night sleep and she gave me these three tips.

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(1) Lay off the cigarettes. Yeah I know, smoking is often used as crutch especially by those who are new to recovery, but cigarettes act as a stimulant and will work against your efforts to get a good night sleep.
(2) Avoid caffeine. Now it just sounds like I am being sadistic right? Coffee and cigarettes are a staple of recovery meetings but this doesn’t mean they are necessarily helpful.
(3) Stop the catnaps. Definitely one of my guilty pleasures, but I can notice that a power nap adversely affects my ability to turn in at an appropriate hour.

Now those things you can do to improve your sleeping habits include:

(1) Maintaining a consistent sleep schedule for bedtime AND rising. (including weekends)
(2) Reduce exposure to light sources before bedtime including reading lamps, computer screens, and definitely the TV.
(3) Use the bed for sleep only. Now get your mind out of the gutter, because I mean no slothing all day in the sack, eating in bed, or working.

When we sleep well, we feel better. When we feel good, we stick to our recovery programs.