Struggle Bussing
Struggle Bussing
2 weeks sober. 10 days benzo free. Last 2 days have been hell. What is sleep? After getting decent sleep, my sleep the last 2 days is non-existent. I've gone natural. I've gone Rx. I felt so great Tuesday that I did a workout, in the am, that pushed me. Not too hard, but I reached my max HR and teetered on the above a time or 2. Since then, no sleep. I don't remember it being this hard the first time around
Dr. gave me Trazodone for sleep, which has done nothing. I got better sleep on a histamine and sleepy tea, but now nothing
Member
Join Date: Sep 2013
Posts: 1,095
You will sleep when you sleep. Dwelling on it will just keep you awake.
I find that I try my best to keep my mind occupied. The more you think about sobriety the harder it is to stay sober. The more you think about lack of sleep the harder it is to get to sleep.
I find that I try my best to keep my mind occupied. The more you think about sobriety the harder it is to stay sober. The more you think about lack of sleep the harder it is to get to sleep.
Being up for 24+ hours is what is making me worry. Sobriety be damned. That is the furthest thing from my mind now. Drinking will give me sleep but then cause me to start all over. That is a problem I DO NOT WANT! I took this week off to heal and get some sort of normalcy back in my life. I've gone to the gym, cleaned the house, shoveled the driveway(We got a bit of snow last night), taken hot baths. My mind won't slow down. And when I am up at night, I don't even think, "Just one. Just one to get you to sleep." I'm thinking, "F***! Lights are off. I've gone au naturale with my amino acids. Got my binaural beats on. Eyes closed. Eyes closed. Eyes closed. MFer!!! It's 4 am and I am still up. Wife and kids get up in 3 hours for work and school. Let me shut my eyes some more. NOTHING!
Have you tried some guided meditation or relaxation videos? Sleep will come but as others have mentioned it's simply going to take time. 2 weeks sober is a fantastic accomplisment but it's very, very early into sobriety and you literally could still be dealing with the tail end of acute withdrawal and definitely still lots of psychological withdrawal to go.
I don't know if you've been staying in contact with your Doc or not on the supplements but you've been mixing quite a cocktail of prescribed and natural supplements/chemicals that could also be disrupting things rather than helping.
You said you don't remember it being this hard last time and it probably wasn't - withdrawals get worse and worse every consecutive time for some. Keep in mind that if you drink now you risk not only re-setting the clock on, but the next WD might make this one look like a walk in the park to be honest.
I don't know if you've been staying in contact with your Doc or not on the supplements but you've been mixing quite a cocktail of prescribed and natural supplements/chemicals that could also be disrupting things rather than helping.
You said you don't remember it being this hard last time and it probably wasn't - withdrawals get worse and worse every consecutive time for some. Keep in mind that if you drink now you risk not only re-setting the clock on, but the next WD might make this one look like a walk in the park to be honest.
I never mixed the Trazodone with the supplements. When the Trazodone didn't work, I just stopped it. I just take the Hydroxyzine, which is Benadryl 2.0, with some Theanine, Melatonin and Yogi Bedtime tea.
If you saw my earlier post, you would see that is a problem I DO NOT WANT! I've been to the grocery store and back, passed a couple of liquor stores and my favorite CVS to buy Vodka. Still sober. I just want sleep. I go back to work Sunday. I can deal with the other **** that pops up. I need sleep for my job
Member
Join Date: May 2014
Posts: 2,950
What happens instead? Do you toss and turn, do you think about some event in particular or do certain kinds of thoughts or feelings come up?
Do you go to bed at the same time and get up at the same time? When do you exercise, when do you turn off electronics including tv, and turn the lights down, do you keep the bedroom totally dark, have you tried white noise, music or perhaps if you always use those have you tried eliminating noise.. do you perhaps eat or drink too close to bed time or have caffeine or nicotine at any time.. Do you read before bed?
Just throwing out ideas.
Do you go to bed at the same time and get up at the same time? When do you exercise, when do you turn off electronics including tv, and turn the lights down, do you keep the bedroom totally dark, have you tried white noise, music or perhaps if you always use those have you tried eliminating noise.. do you perhaps eat or drink too close to bed time or have caffeine or nicotine at any time.. Do you read before bed?
Just throwing out ideas.
I had a lot of sleep problems too and pills/potions didn't help. For me what was really going on was anxiety. There's the anxiety that you get along with withdrawals and then regular/clinical anxiety - I had both. Relaxation, meditation, mindfulness are tools I use to help. What happens with anxiety is that the more you think about not sleeping, the worse it gets - a vicious circle so to speak.
We can't give medical advice here but even without the prescription meds I'd warn against mixing so many different things together...and possibly speak with your doctor about the anxiety issue too.
Member
Join Date: Sep 2013
Posts: 1,095
I had a friend who used to take a lot of speed; he was also naturally high strung.
After years of abuse he really messed up his nervous system. Years after he quit speed he would still have awful insomnia. He would sometimes go weeks without sleep...and he was drinking excessive amount of rum and coke everyday and that didn't even knock him out.
Sleep came eventually for him. The body can only stay awake so long.
After years of abuse he really messed up his nervous system. Years after he quit speed he would still have awful insomnia. He would sometimes go weeks without sleep...and he was drinking excessive amount of rum and coke everyday and that didn't even knock him out.
Sleep came eventually for him. The body can only stay awake so long.
What happens instead? Do you toss and turn, do you think about some event in particular or do certain kinds of thoughts or feelings come up?
Do you go to bed at the same time and get up at the same time? When do you exercise, when do you turn off electronics including tv, and turn the lights down, do you keep the bedroom totally dark, have you tried white noise, music or perhaps if you always use those have you tried eliminating noise.. do you perhaps eat or drink too close to bed time or have caffeine or nicotine at any time.. Do you read before bed?
Just throwing out ideas.
Do you go to bed at the same time and get up at the same time? When do you exercise, when do you turn off electronics including tv, and turn the lights down, do you keep the bedroom totally dark, have you tried white noise, music or perhaps if you always use those have you tried eliminating noise.. do you perhaps eat or drink too close to bed time or have caffeine or nicotine at any time.. Do you read before bed?
Just throwing out ideas.
Member
Join Date: Jan 2016
Location: Seattle, WA
Posts: 69
This may not be the healthiest, but as an interim solution until your sleep normalizes, maybe this would work... I watch Netflix comedy tv series on my tablet until I get tired, roll over and fall asleep. Currently rolling through its Always Sunny for the dozenth time. Netflix turns out off eventually. Dr. Could also help you out with something for sleep.
This may not be the healthiest, but as an interim solution until your sleep normalizes, maybe this would work... I watch Netflix comedy tv series on my tablet until I get tired, roll over and fall asleep. Currently rolling through its Always Sunny for the dozenth time. Netflix turns out off eventually. Dr. Could also help you out with something for sleep.
Mester,
See a dr. That is the official rule.
Personally, I didn't see a dr. I would have lost my job if diagnosed w alcohol probs. Many people in my community drink hard until they die young.
I take a multi. Vit and a b12 sup.and drink water all day.
I stayed away from coffee for about the first year clean. It used to ramp up my anxiety.
It took months before I was sleeping ok. I still usually only sleep about 5 straight unless the moons line up.
I did a lot of binary beats initially.
1 hr. Of sober sleep is better the 12 of drunken sleep.
Also, i heard laying quietly, just thinking about breathing and a peaceful scene (a green hillside meadow is my fav) can get you a ton of rest.
Also, get up, make your bed and sit in a chair...next to your bed. After a while...that bed looks very inviting.
No phone or tabs or tv in bed. Just sleep in bed only. Bed is a sacred place.
Thanks.
See a dr. That is the official rule.
Personally, I didn't see a dr. I would have lost my job if diagnosed w alcohol probs. Many people in my community drink hard until they die young.
I take a multi. Vit and a b12 sup.and drink water all day.
I stayed away from coffee for about the first year clean. It used to ramp up my anxiety.
It took months before I was sleeping ok. I still usually only sleep about 5 straight unless the moons line up.
I did a lot of binary beats initially.
1 hr. Of sober sleep is better the 12 of drunken sleep.
Also, i heard laying quietly, just thinking about breathing and a peaceful scene (a green hillside meadow is my fav) can get you a ton of rest.
Also, get up, make your bed and sit in a chair...next to your bed. After a while...that bed looks very inviting.
No phone or tabs or tv in bed. Just sleep in bed only. Bed is a sacred place.
Thanks.
I think at some point you need to simply accept that you are going to have a rough time of sleep for a bit too - your doctor probably isn't going to have a magic pill that will just fix it. You'll hear it over and over again, but some of this stuff just takes time and patience.
Currently Active Users Viewing this Thread: 1 (0 members and 1 guests)