checkmate1

I'm finding now that I'm sober I'm needing less sleep. I was sleeping 8-10 hours when I was drinking and still was tired now its more like 6-8 hours and that's all I need and feel more refreshed. I'm less tired throughout the day also. How about everyone else?

tooling

The best thing is getting up and moving around a bit. It only takes a short time to wake up.

When I was a drinker it took a long time to get that morning feeling to go away. And the hangovers going to work on monday were a nightmare.

I sleep about 7-8 hours a night. When I drank I slept less because i had to drink you know. But I was always tired when i was sober.

least

Just the fact that I get good restful sleep each night is reward enough for staying sober. And waking up with energy instead of feeling horrible... oh, sleep is so much better sober.

switchboard

I love sober sleep! I fall asleep really quickly now at bedtime, and easily get 6-7 hours of awesome sleep a night (with only one bathroom break usually) and wake wonderfully rested. Before sobriety, I was 'passing out' between 8 and 9:00 p.m. each night and could barely function in my zombie-like state the next morning for work, after 9+ horribly broken hours of non-sleep.

Sober sleep ROCKS!

TwelveSteps

As you probably know, alcohol interferes with your REM sleep in a major way -- so sleeping more was probably your brain's way to keep you in bed longer in desperate hopes of getting the REM it needed. Anyway, I'm glad to hear it, I experienced the same thing.

GG

sugarbear1

Me, too. Unless I've worked hard on a step, some are emotionally taxing! The hard work is paying off, though!

sugarbear1

You don't need to have a bathroom break, there are solutions for that, too. Or get a physical.

CarolD

Thanks for sharing your good news ...

I've had odd sleeping patterns since I was a child..
I prefer to sleep about 4 hours then nap later during the day.

BullDog777

i love sleep. i mean it. i freakin love it.

when i was at my worst drinking and drugging, i had RLS(restless leg syndrome), PLMD(periodic limb movement disorder) and nocturnal myoclonus(hypnic body jerks at the onset of trying to fall asleep) and i went years like this. the only rest i ever got was passing out.

when i got sober and it took a good month to re-learn how to sleep normally, i slept like a baby. all of my sleeping disorders were gone and it felt awsome to finally get some rest.

To be honest, that's a HUGE reason i won't go back. i love to sleep.

there's nothing better than a nap on my oversized couch under a cool ceiling fan with the AC kicked on in the early afternoon.

soberlicious

Oh hell yes Checkmate! One of the first things I noticed when I stopped drinking...that and I could eat again too! Simple joys...but HUGE

Beebizzy

Gosh, I'm the opposite. I've always been a bit of an insomniac and not needed much sleep (since I was a baby, according to my mother). I'm starting to think, though, that I settled for too little in the sleep department sometimes.

Like Carol, it's always been a bit weird.

When I was drinking I'd conk out at like midnight and wake up at 2/3am - and that was it, awake for the rest of the night. Functioned 'fine' in work the next day - but probably could have been way better.

Now, 9 days into sobriety and admittedly taking valium (last small dose tonight), I've slept like a log (but still not more than 6/7 hours a night - but that's a luxury for me). I also slept a fair bit during the day especially at the start of detox. Then the doc said 'no more than 1 hour max during the day, and not after 3pm' so that my sleep at night isn't affected. Fair enough.

I get very tired so it's hard to respect, but them's the rules.

I'm worried how it will be when I've finished the valium. Although the doc said there's meds he can give me if it's a disaster. He prefers I try lifestyle changes first though (= exercise :-)). Fine by me.

BB

Beebizzy

OK - I obviously don't know how to do the 'edit' thing.