There is nothing worse than tossing and turning in bed at night, unable to fall asleep.
Even the best of sleepers have those random nights when they just can’t pass into slumber, but for many people, insomnia is a major issue and it’s extra hard for the recovering addict to have to lay in bed at night with the “I wanna use” program, or any other stream of thoughts, running through his brain. Drugs like Ambien, Lunesta, Rozerem, and Trazadone are prescribed with great consequence and are just plain no good for those with liver or kidney conditions. And for instance, Lunesta may not be safe if the patient has a history of drug or alcohol abuse, depression, lung disease, or a condition that affects metabolism, so I’m not quite understanding why this array of drugs are so widely prescribed to addicts.
Here are some of the main reasons why we cannot sleep at night
• Pain– Physical pain can keep us from relaxing and falling to sleep, and can also awaken us from sleep and keep us up in the middle of the night.
• Worry– Worry over money or business- need I say more?
• Worry– Worry over a life situation- again, need I say more?
• Guilt– Guilt can wear on your soul. That’s what it is supposed to do- it is actually a built-in corrective device responsible for turning around bad behavior and motivating us to become better people. But when it gets overwhelming and out of balance it can keep you up at night.
• Past programming– Perhaps somewhere in your past you needed to stay awake at night, perhaps caring for a sick child – a situation that has long since passed. But you still sleep lightly or not much at all- just like when you cared for that sick child.
Part of the change process for those in recovery is developing new habits and rituals, and because repetition makes relevance, here are some new things to incorporate into your night time/bedtime routine that will promote a healthy night’s sleep. No prescription needed for any of these things- no side effects, no worries- just holistic practices that work;
Homeopathic remedies– Homeopathy is the treatment of a disease or condition with minute doses of natural substances that in a healthy person would produce symptoms of disease. Over-the-counter, cheap, and as non-invasive as you can get. There are single remedies which cover specific situations or conditions, and there are combination formulas you can purchase for sleep without having to go through a rubric. I use a product called Calms, for those rare nights that I cannot sleep, and it’s ‘lights out’ within 10 minutes. For extreme grief reach for Ignatia, the classic grief remedy, or Aconite for shock that brings about insomnia. Sleep will soon come.
Camomile tea has long been known to relax you before bed. Peter Rabbit drank it after a rather harrowing day and apparently he went right to sleep. All kidding aside, Camomile tea is a known home remedy for relaxation before sleep. Drink it down hot then go to bed while your chest is still warm.
Hot bath– a hot bath before bed is relaxing- I can’t tell you why, it just is. Try one with lavender oil and Epson Salts and you will see what I mean.
Valerian and Kava– for centuries these herbs have been used for insomnia. You can purchase the loose herbs and make a tea or buy capsules at any health food store.
Melatonin is now often used as a natural remedy for sleep. It was even prescribed to my animals once by a homeopathic vet, for travel. It is safe, natural, and over-the-counter.
Sai Sanjeevini pattern for sleep– From the Masters of India comes Sai Sanjeevini… a simple, self -learning, zero cost, zero side effects, prayer-based spiritual healing system for awakening the divine healing power and wisdom within every being. My words cannot do justice to this magnificent healing system but I can tell you that there is a remedy pattern for everything from addiction, to cancer, to insomnia, and much much more. I invite you to learn about it and use it. It works. www.saisanjeevini.org
Forgive– when you get in bed at night, close your eyes and take one moment to forgive anyone who has hurt you, crossed you, or disappointed you. This clears you from obsessing and sets a relaxed vibration that will allow your mind to slow down and prepare you to go to sleep.