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Old 05-07-2008, 11:16 AM
  # 13 (permalink)  
Jody Hepler
Member
 
Join Date: Feb 2006
Location: USA
Posts: 328
Not sleeping - try speaker cds

I am clean and sober 22 years through AA and NA (narcotics and valium mainly). I used alcohol and drugs for 30 years, and so when I stopped, my body had no idea how to "lie down and go to sleep". It is better, but I've never just fallen asleep and stayed asleep all night. It is one of the consequences of my years of using. And it is a daily reminder to me of my addiction.

What I do - and have done for 22 years! - is to go to sleep with speaker tapes (like you buy at conventions for NA or AA, or there are places on line - PM me and I'll tell you). I get ready for bed (having a routine helps - do the same thing every night for 21 nights to develop a habit - I used to drink a cup of Sleepy Time tea, take a warm bath, read something spiritual, same time every night) and then hit the tape recorder button and I am like Pavlov's dog and fall asleep within minutes. When I wake up - several times during the night - I flip the tape and hit the button again, and back to sleep.

I have a cd player and cds also - I'm just an old timer with more tapes.

I guess you could use music tapes also. But the speaker tapes keep feeding my brain recovery - and it over-rides the negative Committee in my head.

Love in recovery,
Jody
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