sleep dread
today is day 12 sober.
i was a weekend binge drinker. Not a daily drinker. Even so, when I had my last drink on the night of May 31st, I woke up at 4am on the the 1st of June in a panic and couldn't go back to sleep.
I didn't think anything of it. I mean its normal to wake up early and anxious after binge drinking right. That night i just couldn't go to sleep. Maybe it was the fact i was starting a new job the next day.. but i started feeling anxiety like a feeling of dread at the pit of my stomach that kept me awake the whole night.
needles to say, my first day of work on the new job was stressful and tiring. I saw a doctor that evening. He have me 2 weeks worth of valium and fluoxetine for the anxiety (I've had anxiety all my life but never had problems sleeping). He did warn me that the fluoxetine may cause heightened anxiety initially.
I took the valium for 3 days and i had the sleep of angels. I stopped after 3 days because i didn't want to get hooked. I actually slept OK for the next 3 days after that. By then the fluoxetine had started ramping up my anxiety (I think).
I started having problems with sleep again! I have been getting maybe 2-3hrs a night because I can't get rid of this feeling of dread in my stomach come bed time. It actually starts at about 7pm and gets bad by 10pm.
I have started taking 0.25 xanax just to sleep (with my doctors permission).
But I don't want to get hooked on any of this ****... i mean, i just quit alcohol!
Has anyone been through sleep dread? It's ruining my life right now (ok Im being dramatic, its been stressing me out for 2 weeks).
But I'm afraid if this continues I may lose my job.
Ive been using sleep apps on my iPhone but they keep me asleep for an hour and then the dread sets in again.
Any advice or shared experience would be much appreciated!!!!
Thanks,