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Old 01-05-2017, 11:51 AM
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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
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Old 01-05-2017, 12:00 PM
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Mester, two weeks sober and 10 days benzo free is really awesome! I have heard that around day 10 is rough with benzo withdrawal, so keep up the good work!
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Old 01-05-2017, 12:09 PM
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Originally Posted by Coldfusion View Post
Mester, two weeks sober and 10 days benzo free is really awesome! I have heard that around day 10 is rough with benzo withdrawal, so keep up the good work!
I wasn't on Benzos that long. Got a Rx in late October for 2mg Valium(I still have 3 left). Did a 4 day Librium taper. 50mg upfront down to 5mg by day 4.
Dr. gave me Trazodone for sleep, which has done nothing. I got better sleep on a histamine and sleepy tea, but now nothing
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Old 01-05-2017, 12:23 PM
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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.
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Old 01-05-2017, 12:53 PM
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Originally Posted by Doug39 View Post
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.
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!
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Old 01-05-2017, 12:59 PM
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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.
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Old 01-05-2017, 01:03 PM
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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.
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Old 01-05-2017, 01:16 PM
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Originally Posted by ScottFromWI View Post
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.
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
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Old 01-05-2017, 01:20 PM
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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.
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Old 01-05-2017, 01:37 PM
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Originally Posted by Mester View Post
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.
Even without the Trazadone you are still mixing up a pretty potent cocktail of OTC and natural stuff there, there's no knowing what might happen. Have you spoken with your doctor at all about this?

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.
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Old 01-05-2017, 01:50 PM
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Insomnia is a bitch no doubt. Talk to your doc about prescribing something to help you out.
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Old 01-05-2017, 01:53 PM
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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.
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Old 01-05-2017, 03:36 PM
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I need sleep for my job
I'd check in with my Dr, Mester.

D
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Old 01-05-2017, 05:04 PM
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Originally Posted by BrendaChenowyth View Post
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.
I turn everything off around 2200. I drink my tea, take my supplements, then put on my binaural beats for sleep by 2300 and lay with my eyes closed and concentrate on my breathing for 5-10 mins. My bedroom is about as dark as dark can be. By 0130-0200 I have yet to fall asleep and if I do, I don't stay that way very long. Then I just toss n turn for about an hour before I just give up and go in the other room and watch TV until the kids get up for school
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Old 01-05-2017, 11:57 PM
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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.
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Old 01-06-2017, 01:53 AM
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Originally Posted by Flyfisher125 View Post
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.
I'm Netflix'd out. I've moved onto movies in ny collection which is over 1,000
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Old 01-06-2017, 03:45 AM
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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.
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Old 01-06-2017, 05:04 AM
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Well, I got that 1 hour of sober sleep. But that's about it. Called the Dr. this morning. Just waiting to see what he can do
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Old 01-06-2017, 06:42 AM
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Originally Posted by Mester View Post
Well, I got that 1 hour of sober sleep. But that's about it. Called the Dr. this morning. Just waiting to see what he can do
Sounds like a good plan. TV and Movies actually had the opposite effect for me. Keeping myself away from electronic stimlation ( TV, internet, etc ) for a while before bed worked well. Reading books was a much more relaxing option for me at least.

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.
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Old 01-06-2017, 12:20 PM
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Dr. prescribed Seroquel. Let's see how tonight goes
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