wpainterw

In my drinking days I found that alcohol seemed to help me get to "sleep" (but not what they call REM sleep which is the most restful) but that I often or indeed usually woke up two or three hours later. It took more alcohol to get back to "sleep". And gradually I built up a tolerance and more alcohol was necessary. This obsession with "sleep" accelerated my illness. Alcohol is also a depressant. Depression is characterized by a serotonin deficiency and serotonin promotes sleep and tranquility. Better see your doctor and be candid about everything. If you give up drinking and let your doctor do what's necessary to normalize your body you will eventually sleep better than before. Don't get hung up on sleep aids, either Rx or over the counter. Any prescriptions should be in small amounts with limited renewals or you can become addicted again, this time to pills.

W.

Spacegoat

Hey. Yeah I agree drinking is a bad idea was a bit frustrated this AM. Well I slept for several hours during the day. Anyone who posted OTC remedies, could you keep them coming please.

I have 2 sleep aids here, one of them I have never slept on so I should try the others now. I had a card of (weakass, "this is an insult" I said to doc) sleepers here but can't find them recently.

Spacegoat

About the stimulation and all that. Theres a few points there I would like to expound on but not going into it right now as it's late again. I posted this thread 9AM this morning after being in bed all night and staring at the walls.

I got up a couple of times for the bathroom and looked on here yes, but it's not a case of me here listening to banging tunes all night and complaining that I can't sleep at the same time LOL. An easy assumption to make, I know.

I had no stimulation whatsoever when this began, and for many years after that also but these days when I know for sure that I aint gonna sleep I do go for media to keep me content until I pass out, otherwise I would go nuts. (Again)

Thepatman

I used to have bad anxiety about insomnia. Now days, I just have a solid routine.
I am up very early, everyday, so I don't struggle with sleep. I go to bed to relax, not sleep. I always end up sleeping.

Like a child type thing. Mess with my schedule, and I get grumpy.

Trick: remove any digital clock if you tend to look at it.

Spacegoat

I have been reading about insomnia recently and have come to the conclusion that mine is, and probably always has been due to underlying emotional problems. I know that makes me sound like a b*itch, but the shoe fits.

Whatever, it is what it is. I'm quite stressed again lately between estranged women & children, so called parents and a whole bunch of psychosocial problems that I wouldn't wish on anyone. Anyone would be but, well. F it!

Dee74

Can't hurt to give these a try:

Relaxation Techniques | University of Maryland Medical Center

D

EmbraceSobriety

I just posted 5 days ago on how I couldn't sleep, so I laid in bed until 11:30, and went to the store and bought wine out of frustration. The next day, I went to the store and bought benedryl and zquil, I have been taking 3 benedryl and 2 zquil caps together each night for the last 4 nights and it has worked for the most part. I still toss and turn, but at least I've stayed sober. I've had sleeping issues for a very long time. I decided that I can't allow that to be an excuse to keep drinking. I can't do it anymore, totally fed up with it. Today is my 5th day of sobriety.

I hope to get some prescription meds once I get a little more money coming in. I also have been doing hard work outs at the gym almost daily, which has helped as well. I do that during my the time I use to drink-in the evening.

Try benedryl and zquil-its better than drinking, after a while, your body will probably adjust.

Della1968

Just stay away from the liquid Zquil it also has alcohol. I didn't realize they made capsules.

Dee74

Be careful embrace.
I don't know zzquil but Benedryl's not a sleep aid - thats an off label use.

There's many threads around from folks who got themselves into trouble with benedryl too:

http://www.soberrecovery.com/forums/...addiction.html

http://www.soberrecovery.com/forums/...ss-nights.html

http://www.soberrecovery.com/forums/...addiction.html

http://www.soberrecovery.com/forums/...wn-scared.html

D

Knurdyone

I can SO relate to wanting to drink just to get a night's sleep in early sobriety. I dreaded the tossing & turning, finally after what seemed like forever, falling asleep to vivid and disturbing dreams. Then unable to wake up when I needed to. It sucked.

I know it is horrendous, but please stick it through. Drinking will only prolong the process of the body finding its natural sleep rhythm again. It will.

It was suggested to me to create a new sorta ritual before bedtime. Reading here helped but I had to set a time limit. I found the ritual helpful. And I am grateful every day my sleep eventually normalized.

LBrain

Drinking to get to sleep is the main reason I'm here. Drinking to sleep for the past 23 years working shift work was no picnic either. Who knows if things had been different. I do know that with my history over the past 40 years I don't think it would have mattered much. I'm sure I would have found another reason to drink. I guess I was fortunate that I was able to get out before it killed me.

I know you are a song person Stratman. Here's one...

EmbraceSobriety

the "zquil " I bought said "compare to zquil" its a generic capsule of "diphenhydramine", so I guess its different, theres no alcohol is the ones I bought, Its just 25 mg of diphenhydramine HCI, so I guess its different then the actual zquil

Spacegoat

Cheers guys, got 4 or 5 hours last night. Could have done with a few more but.

Gonna be a long day here if I can resist the urge to go back to bed, just getting the coffee in now.

Nice one LBrian, definitely a Bowie fan here. That DVD he released after the millennium was pretty sweet.

Dee74

I guess my cautionary comments for benadryl go for zzzquil as well seeing as they both derive from diphenhydramine.
Be careful.

D