Have you ever seen those never-ending MyPillow television commercials? They come on at night…EVERY NIGHT! If you’re an addict, most likely you’ve been up past the midnight hour many times and have seen these mildly annoying, but oddly likeable, infomercials. But what’s most interesting is the man behind the company. Mike Lindell, the inventor of the MyPillow®, is a recovering addict, who once stayed up for two weeks straight smoking crack.
Thankfully, he’s been sober for years. The first time I heard his story of addiction I felt sick, mostly because I could relate to his story so well. I never stayed up for two weeks straight (I doubt I would have survived that long of a bender), but there were many times when I was up for two or three days without sleep. Those are some of the most painful and awful memories I have from my addiction years, and I pray I never return to those times.
Anyone who has ever led a lifestyle of addiction filled with alcohol, cocaine or speed will have plenty of stomach-churning stories about multi-day benders; epic tales of repeating sunrises that leave an indelible stain upon our memories. Even as I sit here writing this paragraph, I’m haunted by the memories I still have of those long-ago days of depravity and sorrow as I chased the buzz through multiple nights without stopping.
If you have been a practicing addict for any length of time you are sleep deprived, I promise you that. Our bodies need sleep to survive and function properly. The average adult requires seven to eight hours of sound sleep every day. If we suffer from a lack of sound sleep, the damage to our bodies, and our ability to think clearly is profound. When we’re drinking and using on a regular basis, we don’t sleep so much as we pass out. Any sleep we get is usually restless and disturbing. And then we wake up with those damn hangovers, our bodies battling against the poison we’ve been ingesting.
One of the biggest challenges we face in early recovery is getting the correct amount of sleep each night. Even though we’re no longer drinking and using, we’re now struggling with a host of anxieties, fears and phobias that we spent years trying to suppress with booze and drugs. Ironic, isn’t it? So now we’re clean and sober, but we still don’t sleep enough because we’re dealing with all those damn feelings, anxieties and memories that we’ve been trying to run from our entire lives.
Over time, as your sobriety continues and you improve your health through diet and exercise, you will begin to sleep better. Besides diet and exercise, meditation will also bring great benefits and rest into your life. It might take time, and there will be restless nights when sadness, sorrow and regret wage war in your head. However, you need to hold fast and never give up. Sleep will come eventually as you move further and deeper into your sober journey.
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To find books on addiction, recovery and sobriety visit: Sobermofos.
For addiction therapy and consultation options please visit: Online Therapy.
Want to reduce anxiety, stress, and sleep better? Meditation works! Visit: ZivaONLINE
*Health Tip: There are many plant-based sleep aids which you can buy at any natural food store. This might help you get more sleep at night. Also, I mentioned this earlier but it bears repeating; take a short nap every day if you can. A 15-30 minute nap will do wonders for your mind, body and spirit.