hughs dad

Hi all... I'm doing great in recovery right now during the day and evening. I am having some trouble sleeping. I just feel restless and my mind races. How long will this last? It's very uncomfortable and it's definitely a trigger to either take a Xannax (which I no longer have) or drink. Not saying I've let it go far, but my body automatically thinks of those solutions even now...

Rimmy

I've had two nights of crazyness. I figured this would happen because even when I just cut back, my nights were sleepless.

I hope it doesn't last long, but I'm kind of just force myself to "rest" rather than fight it. But the "waking dreams?" which are so real my body reacts to them are wierd.

I don't know... I'm just accepting it. After going to bed at 12:30, I finally just got up out of bed at 3:00 in the morning last night and read for 1/2 hour and then laid back down. No real sleep, but tried to "meditate" pleasing hopeful thoughts, and get some rest.

So I hope for you that a good nights rest comes for you soon.

Dime

Before I got sober for good I had detox'd several times. I remember being awake for the first few days and then gradually being able to sleep again. Not fun but it does pass.

Last time I had medical help in a hospital and was administered meds in the hospital. Much easier and safer with help.

Why not pop in and see your doc? When I got honest about my problem with the doctors they bent over backwards to help me.

least

Your addicted body thinks of those solutions - pills or drink. Please don't let those thoughts become reality. Be strong. Get support. Remember where you came from and don't want to go back to.

CarolD

I kinda have a bedtime ritual....I don't really like to sleep
but......
I take a last look at SR...often post on the Gratitude threads.
Put on classical music...take a warm shower....do my AA
nightly inventory and pray. Have a bit of ice cream.
Works quite well.....

Here is a link you might find useful....

Insomnia? 42 Simple Tips to Help You Get to Sleep - Insomnia treatment, cures

Glad to know you are continueing to move forward

tyler

I've had those issues my entire life, well before I started drinking or drugging. In a word, it sucks. For the last 20 years I dealt with it with alcohol and pot, which was effective, but the dammage it caused to the rest of my world was definately not worth it.

I had a perscription for Xanax for a number of years, and it did help me sleep. However a number of months ago I changed doctors and she felt that it was not the best choice for me, especially with my drinking and drug habbits. At first it was really hard, I tossed and turned for hours and hours. I can totally relate to the "racing mind" thing, mine runs a 100 mph!! What finally helped me was just accepting it for what it is. I have a hard time falling asleep, that's just how it is. I stopped stressing about how long it was taking me to fall asleep. I covered up the clock next to my bed so I couldn't obsess about the time and how many hours it would be until I had to get up. I just basically let my mind wander as it chose. I try my best to keep it out of those negative places it likes to camp out in, but even then I just ride it out. Eventually I fall asleep. It used to take a couple of hours, now it's between 30 min and an hour. I try to go to bed when I'm tired instead of when the clock says I should. I try to get up at the same time every day, even if it means I'm tired all day. I usually sleep better at night then, if not that night the eventually down the road.

That's what's been working for me lately. It's been a life long struggle for me, not exactly sure why, or if I even want to know or care to know why. It just is how it is. Take care.

hughs dad

Great feedback guys. Tyler, sounds like you've been where I am. I like the idea of not worrying about how long I've been in bed. Just taking it moment by moment. Carol, thanks for the link. There is a lot of good stuff there. I think I have just had a hard time with any discomfort (hence my alcoholism and xannax addiction). I need to accept life on life's terms and not try and manipulate everything (including my sleep). Thanks guys!

DayWalker

Hughs dad I've had problems sleeping my whole life. Even when I wasn'y drinking I always had issues going to sleep. I'd lay in bed until 3-4am before I went to sleep finally. I'm just the type of person that has trouble "shutting my mind off" I guess you could say. When I quit drinking a couple months ago though it got worse and there were times I would actually go without sleep for 36 hrs straight, that's brutal. Now I still have the "normal" issues with getting to sleep even though I'm sober now (as you can tell by seeing me on here sometimes at 3am LOL). But those are just my normal sleep patterns now. The problems with not sleeping from stopping drinking only latest me about 2 weeks and then they got a bit better.

One thing that helps me is to make sure I get up at the same time every morning no matter how much sleep I got. If there's day I sleep in till 10am/11am then that makes it worse to get to sleep that night then. So just try to get yourself on a pattern of getting up at the same time everyday and that might help you some.

Steve

NellieM

I have struggled with insomnia since I was a child. Drinking put me to sleep but excessive drinking made for a really bad night. Now I'm on day 27 and it's not getting better so I share your pain! the weird thing is it's worse on weekends, when I don't have to get up. Last night I tried some warm milk with a little bit of vanilla and cinnamon and it did help. I was asleep within about 15 minutes. Good luck to you!