Jfa

Hey guys, I'm a little over 3 weeks sober.

When I was drinking, I'd drink from 8 pm to sometimes 5 am nightly. Since quitting alcohol, I've had insomnia and still goto bed late, around 3 - 7 am.

I am also experiencing depression at night, during the day I am fine, but at night is when it really makes things difficult for me.

I'm just wondering if anyone has experienced this or something like this, and how and or if there are ways of dealing with it (Non medically)

Thanks for reading.

blinky17

thanks for sharing, jfa! i'm a little over 4 months sober right now and think what you're experiencing is normal. i have to remind myself that the years of drinking that i took part in aren't necessarily going to be reversed overnight. currently, i've been suffering insomnia because of impending foreclosure on my home and my move out day is fast approaching. if i had any non-medical recommendation, it'd be sipping sleepytime tea or chamomile tea. i drink celestial seasonings brand. in general, there's something about the act of sipping tea that calms me down and is soothing. others have recommended melatonin, which is an herbal supplement. for me, the action of taking a pill even though it's herbal spooks me. it's important we get our rest as alcoholics, even if it's make up sleep through a nap. hungry angry lonely and tried - remembering to avoid the feelings of HALT is pivotal in recovery. i wish you sweet dreams!

blinky17

hi again! just found a good, past thread for you to take a look at:
http://www.soberrecovery.com/forums/...-insomnia.html

Raveneyes

Hi is it possible you might have S.A.D? (Seasonal Affective Disorder) i suffer from this in the winter months, i am dreading the clocks changing, it will be dark in Scotland at 4

Kerbcrawler

well done on 3 weeks man, thats a big step in the right direction...you find when you stop drinkin you have a whole lot more time on your hands..can seem weigh too much sometimes, a lot of real highs an lows in early recovery ive found, when i feel like that down depressed, i fight and challenge it now , tryin out new things hobbys/money making schemes, legal of course...though the latters not workin as yet, as still skint/debt ridden,
though makin headway...best of luck.

SweetD

Jfa, i have the same exact problem as you. cant sleep.. only get depressed at night...
i am 42 days sober today and my night depression just really started getting bad a few nights ago. one night last week i was so depressed all the sudden i just started crying. i didnt know what to do so i just started googleing $hit and i came across these forums. i read a bunch of peoples posts about them also struggling , and it immediately made me feel a bit better. i decided to make a post and everybody let me know that its normal to feel depressed at our stage in recovery, and that most of it is just our brains trying to "reboot" to normal sober functionality. they also said its a good thing in a way to start feeling again and facing our problems sober instead of masking it with the booze. thinking about that has helped me alot the past few days. since then whenever i am feeling that depression start to come on, i come here to read posts and its not so bad.
i just look forward to getting over this hump of depression we are on.

anyway i hope that helps a bit. i totaly know what you are going through and just know that your not alone.

soidog

I would basically echo what others have said. Getting sober is a HUGE step forward. But some of the underlying issues might very well remain after the alcohol is gone. Lying at night in bed, when the mind is turning and there is nothing to absorb your attention, can be the most vulnerable time for depression.

I usually try and read, or listen to soft music - it helps lulls me to sleep. Getting a lot of exercise during the say also helps get me to sleep, as well as waking early. Good luck!