by Elissa Frazao
Addiction can cause an imbalance in your life. Balancing important aspects of your life during sobriety can increase your chances to feel satisfied and avoid relapse.
At Practical Recovery, we encourage our clients to work on becoming SEN (sleep, exercise, nutrition) masters.  In addition to being the three primary foundations of good health, good sleep, sufficient exercise and adequate nutrition are extremely beneficial in recovery.
Good sleep patterns come with many benefits including improved memory, healthy weight loss, enhanced creativity, better athletic performance and emotional stability.
Here are some tips for better sleep:
- Set a regular time for sleeping and waking up. Stick to this schedule (even on the weekends)!
- If you have difficulty falling asleep, get up and try a quiet activity such as writing in a journal or reading a book.
- Avoid watching television or using a computer/smartphone before going to bed or while in bed.  These forms of stimulation work against sleep, and the bright light from the screens can make it difficult to fall asleep.
- Increase the amount of light you see during the day and decrease the amount of light during the night. Light affects the melatonin levels in your body which affects your sleep cycle.
- Avoid consuming caffeine, nicotine, large meals and sugar at night.
- Short naps are fine if it does not adversely affect your sleep.
- Make sure you are sleeping on a comfortable bed with good support. Sagging spring mattresses are uncomfortable and can cause back problems.
