The sleep protocol

If you have to choose between any single intervention in this curriculum and consistent sleep, choose the sleep. The nervous system rebuilding, the emotional regulation, the craving response, the immune function, the cognitive recovery — all of it depends on sleep at a level most of us never appreciated until we lost it for ten years.

The protocol expands on Course 02. Same bedtime, same wake time, seven days a week, for ninety days. No screens in the bedroom. Bedroom temperature between 65 and 68 degrees Fahrenheit if possible. Total darkness — blackout curtains or a sleep mask. White noise or earplugs if your environment is noisy.

Caffeine cut-off at noon. This will feel extreme. It is the single biggest sleep-improvement intervention available, and most people in recovery have a caffeine habit they are dramatically underestimating. Caffeine has a half-life of five to six hours in most adults, meaning a 3pm coffee is still 25% present at midnight. If you cannot do the noon cut-off, push it earlier than you currently do and notice the difference within a week.

Alcohol disrupts sleep architecture badly, even in small amounts. If you are still drinking in recovery — many people in opioid recovery do, though it is not advised — you will sleep worse for it. The two glasses of wine that 'help you fall asleep' wreck the REM portion of the night and leave you exhausted in the morning.

If you have used opioids long-term, you may need help recovering sleep. Talk to an addiction-aware doctor about non-addictive sleep support. Melatonin in low doses (0.3-1mg), magnesium glycinate before bed, certain antidepressants used off-label at bedtime, and cognitive behavioral therapy for insomnia (CBT-I) are all real options. Avoid Ambien, Lunesta, and benzodiazepines — they are addictive and treat the symptom, not the system.

Within three months of consistent sleep, your recovery looks different. Your cravings are smaller. Your moods are more stable. Your relationships are warmer. You make fewer bad decisions. The single biggest change you can make in your recovery is the boring one: go to bed at the same time tonight that you went to bed last night.