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Old 08-22-2017, 07:35 PM
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Shutterbug1
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Join Date: Jul 2012
Posts: 149
Two months!!! That's awesome

I'm right behind you with 21 days today!

Sleep depravation is awful, it just makes everything harder. I'm sorry that you are struggling with this, but you will find something healthy that works, that isn't weed. Like you mentioned before, we need to find new ways to sooth ourselves.

As far as sleep goes, this is what works for me. You've probably tried a lot of things, but I figured I would share what I've learned along the way, in case there is something you haven't tried and could benefit from.

I used melatonin after the first week of withdrawal hell, I just needed to sleep and couldn't deal with the effects of the sleep depravation anymore. I used that for about four nights just to get some rest. I didn't keep taking it for fear of dependence on anything, even coffee. It was a short term solution, in a desperate time.

I also stopped drinking coffee while I was detoxing, which has worked out really well. My energy levels feel more balanced throughout the day. Sometimes I use music designed for helping you sleep, there's a bunch on youtube. A big one is I make sure I turn off all my lights about an hour before bed, I have a few night lights in strategic locations, so I can see if I need to but it's also nice and dark. And I ALWAYS use a screen dimmer/blue light remover at night when using electronics. Something that really helps me if I'm having a particularly hard time is progressive muscle relaxation. I learned this from my therapist and it gets me so relaxed. I also do something similar to PMR, I start at the top of my head and work my way down to my feet, commanding each part of me to relax. I will stay on an area until I can feel the muscle "let go". Forehead, eyes, cheeks, jaw etc. I usually never make it to my feet because I fall asleep lol I just focus on the area and tell it to relax, may sound strange but it really works. Before I start the progressive relaxation, I do some breathing, which I also learned from my therapist. Breath in for three, hold for three, breath out for three. It's a very popular technique and works very well. I also keep my bedroom sparse and make sure my sheets are nice and clean, clean PJ's, so everything is inviting and feels good to lay in. Maybe try some chamomile tea too. I haven't tried the tea lately, but i was really into it as a kid.
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