Swimmer1990

So this has become my biggest issue with sobriety. Let me preface this by saying sleep used to be one of my favorite things - I could pass out in a moments notice and sleep through a hurricane. This remained largely unchanged even over the course of my 3 years of heavy daily drinking. If I took a few nights off from drinking I still slept like a log with no sleep aids or anything.

Fast forward to today as I am trying to quit for good, and I find sleep causes me a lot of anxiety. Starting in January I began noticing difficulty in falling asleep initially (though staying asleep was still not a problem). Now I cannot do either sober, and I read articles about how alcoholism can permanently cause insomnia and this freaks me out. So much so that I am on day 1 again because I'll fall back into drinking just to get a solid 7-8 hours without tossing and turning.

I just want to know if 3 years in anyone's opinion is long enough for me to have permanently ruined my ability to sleep sober. Like I said sleep was always a haven for me as I could just pass out and move straight into a new day. Now I hate when bedtime is coming because I dread laying there awake for hours followed by waking up around 7AM because of some light cars driving by etc.

mercurial me

I can only respond as someone who's gone through the hell that is insomnia & night terrors that come with alcoholism/alcohol withdrawals. I've found that if I exhaust my body with physical activity (ala hitting the gym for hours, chopping a ton of wood, etc) it will exhaust my mind to the point I can sleep. The upshot is I'm in the best shape of my life and I've got enough chopped wood for my fireplace for the next x5 years

Sometimes a hot bath, light music, or chamomile tea help too. Good luck!

biminiblue

The insomnia will pass. Sleep is difficult for the first two weeks to a month after quitting.

If you find after that time that you cannot go to sleep or stay asleep, maybe there is a psychological reason why - something you are worrying about, for instance - or too much stress in your daily life. Sobriety is about finding balance. Give it time.

Swimmer1990

I really appreciate the positive words guys! I've actually been trying the exercise which definitely helps although is somewhat inconsistent. Ususally if I go first thing in the morning I'm exhausted at night but it doesn't always let my brain turn off as fast as I'd like.

Soberwolf

I had sleep problems before my alcoholism and 15 months sober it is better but i still have the odd sleeping problem here & there

it does get a lot better

Lusher

Quote:

I've found that if I exhaust my body with physical activity

Yeah, I'll second that as well.

Made all of the difference for me too. I'm out in minutes, however I do, on occasion, wake up and have trouble falling back to sleep. Usually those are the nights when my mind might be on overdrive for whatever reason.

I don't know what your history is as far as prescriptions, but I do sometimes have to rely on them to re-set my inner clock. I really try and limit that to maybe 3-4 times a month. I'm not promoting the use, and I am very mindful of not putting myself in a position of needing them regularly, however they have helped.

My problem is that if I get one bad nights sleep, and then a second, I'll be all wound up and worried about the upcoming night. I'll actually wake myself due to the excitement when I notice that I'm drifting off. Sort of s cycle, and the Rx seems to break that.

This did all start after I quit drinking as well.

thisisme

Passing out is not sleep.
You never hit REM which is required.
Patience is the key to sobriety, in time you will sleep the deep sleep like you did as a child.

Just wait.

zjw

excercise and physical activity helps. But i'll be honest as much as i do all that. I still have plenty of issues myself. Of course my case is interesting 7 nights in a week maybe a few of those i might sleep well but who would know those few nights along with the rest are generally interupted by something (6 kids). So even when i got all my ducks in a row and the planets are aligned and i could potentially get a good nights rest forget it something happens.

Just last night however I slept great aside from the coughing fits from being sick. But since i am sick I woke up and still feel like a train wreck and should just go back to bed but i cant because I got responsiblitiies *sigH*

downtown3

this^ Exercise, exercise and more exercise will knock you out. Also try to get into a sleeping routine. Go to bed at the same time every night and do the same things leading up to bed every night. For example i always take a shower before bed, fix something to eat, throw in a movie or watch a ball game and when the time comes i hit the sack. Your body will prep itself with these little queues as you build the routine and it will recognize them as a precursor to bedtime.

Get up early if you have to one morning well before you feel like you should - this one day will be a struggle but by 8 -9pm you will be tired and ready to sleep.

Melatonine helps as well but you dont need a lot, as more gives the opposite effect. 0.5 -2.5 mg 30 min before bed. You will most likely have to split the pills in half from my experience.

Yogi tea company makes a tea called bedtime which contains a great mix of natural sedative herbs that has a wonderful calming effect on you. Chamoille, passion flower and a bunch others. Chemically chamomille is very similiar in nature to benzo's without the harmful sides and addictive properties. When i was tapering off booze this was a staple of mine, now it has become part of my nighttime routine. https://www.yogiproducts.com/teas/bedtime-tea/ This is the best by far of the teabag variety that you can find in any supermarket. It's the only tea like this that contains - valerian root, skullcap and passion flower - this is the holy trinity of sleep aids. Other companies have one or two in them but this is the only one i know that has all three. You can also get the stress relief blend and brew a cup of tea with two teabags, one from bedtime and one from the stress relief.

Turn off ALL lights in your room, cover computer lights with black tape or throw a shirt over the cable box, so its a dark as possible and keep the temp at about 65-68f. This is why a hot shower helps begin the sleeping process as your body begins to cool itself it sends a signal that it is time to sleep.

High protien foods before bed will keep you up as well - if you are going to eat before bed choose foods rich in carbs (may not help the waistline). For example a bowl of shredded wheat cereal with bananas and honey, or whole wheat pasta with veggies. Greasy heavy foods will also keep you up so avoid hot dogs and cheeseburgers etc. Acidic foods will also cause distress so avoid them. You can read a comprehensive list here of acidic and alkaline foods - Detailed Listing of Acid / Alkaline Forming Foods

Go to the bathroom right before you go to bed even if you dont have to, to empty the tank and avoid waking up in the middle of the night to go. Keep a bottle of water next to your pillow so if you get thirsty you can just grab it in the dark, without having to turn the lights on and take a jug and go right back to bed.

These are all the things i have learned when i was in the same position as you. Individually they are hit and miss but when used in unison they are guaranteed to improve your sleep. Good Luck!!