Let's talk about sleep...
 

Sleep.

My biggest fear, BY FAR, when I thought about stopping drinking for good, was not being able to sleep. Simply put, since I had drank to blackout most nights for years, I thought I couldn't sleep without alcohol. And I was really, really tired. Of everything.

It was a really hard transition, and only lots of late-night SR reading (and the decision to believe all of you who said it would be okay in time) got me through. Night sweats, broken sleep, headaches, anxiety for a long time. But I trusted that it would be okay if I let my body re-program itself... and it really is okay. It's better than okay by a long shot.

Fast-forward to now. It's been over eight months since my last drink, and I am sleeping beautifully. I literally think about sleep like I used to think about my first drink-- as in something I crave and look forward to after a long day. I crawl into bed, feel the comfort of my sheets and blankets, and stretch out like a lazy cat. I read a bit, then let my thoughts drift, and then I sleep, sleep, sleep. I wake up in the mornings refreshed and happy and grateful.

Infinitely better than black-out "sleep"--which, of course, isn't sleep at all.

I envy you. I'm hoping to get there soon. Keep it up.

I am in love with sober sleep. It was my best buddy in the early days after withdrawal, and I still look forward to my cozy warm nights with my husband in my big pillowy bed...ahhh!

It takes time and some times I still I stay up too late or get up too early. It is still evening out but when I sleep, its lovely dreamland, no sweaty, shaky, fragmented horror shows...

Inability to sleep properly was one of the worst things about my drinking career.

Passing out, then waking up around 2:30am, unable to get back to sleep, take a couple of shots to try and get back to sleep...but by the time I start to nod off, it's time to get up and get ready for work....AND I'm now half drunk to boot. What a mess. That cycle was a horror show. So, so glad to be out of it.

I took a fistfull of pills to sleep when I was drinking. I’m down to 50 mg of trazadone and a melatonin most nights...terrible insomnia runs in my family, drinking or no.

Sleep is so much better.

It's been really difficult for me. Not something I necessarily expected but honestly one of the main things I fear could derail my sobriety if I don't find a way to get it right..

I have delayed sleep phase syndrome which basically means I can fall asleep and stay asleep for a normal amount of time, just not at "normal" hours, I'm naturally more awake at night. Drinking allowed me to pass out whenever and adhere to a more socially acceptable schedule.

Since I quit drinking.. I'm now dealing with on and off insomnia where some nights I literally can't sleep at all. And I've never experienced that in my entire life.

It's cheesy but I sometimes listen to guided meditation sleep videos on youtube and that's helped to an extent. I've been mostly depressed and haven't really wanted to start any sort of exercise routine but I'm thinking it will be necessary at this point..

Oooh, learning to get sleep. I was so sick - SO sick- when I quit that exhaustion was a biggie. Now, it's quite different and I struggle with honest sleep issues - sometimes. I happily accept napping and some restless nights, and sweats when I do take my sleep meds, for what I lived when drinking.

I had weeks of insomnia, night sweats, anxiety when I first quit.

Now I fall asleep early and "normally" for the most part.

Lately I've been waking up at 2 or 3, but I think it may have to do with
work stress and not being able to exercise as much as normal due
to knee injury.

My sleep is certainly much deeper and more restful than when I drank
to pass out / sleep.
I never want to go back to that!

my sleeping situation never really improved. when i drank it wasnt all that great really. i mean I'd just drink till i passed out but then b y 3am or so i'd wake up really itchen for a drink and sweating profusely. So to combat that when i was drunk before bed i'd take some sleeping pills and ibprofin to hopefully keep me down.

No im sober. I dont take sqaut to sleep it was all just more trouble then it was worth to me. I dont always sleep that much either. Many nights i lay htere kinda bored and lonely everyones asleep but not me. But the sleep I do get is worlds better then what i got then.

So now its like quantity of sleep really doesnt seem to be the magical answer but quality of sleep is it seems like. I've come to accpet that i just cant seem to sleep properly. IN my case I think its just stress. I think I've done about all that I can at this point to fight it.

I have had insomnia since early childhood and it is back with a vengeance now that I don't have drugs or alcohol to shut my brain down at night. This time I am going to a doctor to see what can be done to help me though instead of trying to self-medicate. My drunk sleep was never good sleep anyway and never lasted more than 4 hours. Then the hangover and anxiety set in and I couldn't sleep anyway. At least when I do get sleep now, it's restorative sleep. Insomnia is so hard to deal with, especially when you need a lot of energy like I do in recovery. I, like you, am going to hold on though and believe everyone who said it gets better.

I strongly recommend that you get up early before you start your day and put in a workout. Start with 3o minutes on the clock for a brisk walk and then do some modified sit ups, squats and knee pushups. You can do them on knees or against a wall. Even just a few of these will add strength. Early morning exercise can cure sleep problems. Try that first.

Pay attention to nutrition. Get rid of all the processed crap and eat real food with only 1-2 ingredients per item. Splurge on good fruit like honeycrisp apples or grapes for a sugar fix....fruit really helps. Bad nutrition aggravates depression.

My husband says he has insomnia that he can't do anything about, but when he avoids drinking and does the above things, he has no problems. He also snores less!!!! Win for me.

I have chronic insomnia which has plagued me through 26 years of sobriety. If I take nothing I'll sleep every other day. The solution has been non-addictive medication, which hasn't been a problem.

I slept so beautifully and deeply last night. For the longest time I would rouse when my husband leaves for work at 3am, last night, I slept through him getting up and my bed being invaded by munchkins :) On a hard night to fall asleep I am awake, maybe 15 minutes in bed.

This is significantly different than when drinking, I would sleep til 3am and get up, hungover, and work, then take a nap and lose most of the afternoon. Ruined most weekends. I took a lot of naps when drinking, now never.

It's taken a bit to not wake up frequently, but it's finally starting to be a good 6-7 hours of deep, restorative sleep and functionality all day, every day.

Thanks for the suggestions!

It's true nutrition and working out are important aspects I've been neglecting. I lost a bunch of weight when I quit drinking so that boosted my confidence and I thought I could get away with not really doing much.. but I know it's not just about appearance.

I've always lived with roommates (or a boyfriend) but a couple months ago I got my own place which is nice but that's been an adjustment of its own.. I enjoy cooking for other people but can't seem to find the motivation to do it for myself.. so there's been a lot of take out and processed foods. I also drink waaay too much soda.

Yet another factor is my job, I work nights so that obviously is not helping my sleep problems. Ugh it's daunting to know there are still so many changes to make but it seems like solving one problem just leads to the next so hopefully I can get things going in a more positive direction again.

Working nights definitely complicates things! It makes it hard to get on a schedule. Btw I am a diet soda freak and I have no plans to stop. ;) best of luck..hard to eat right when you work nights, too.

Yeah the job factor is probably the most frustrating of all.. I have my real estate license but am not doing anything with it. The restaurant/bar industry is fast and easy $$ which has been more convenient thus far. But of course convenient doesn't always mean better as I'm learning in many areas of life lol

I think you're on to something, Sassy... I get up early every morning and work out like hell. Add my crazy job and 2 active kids, I am EX.HAU.STED. by the end of the day. Sleep is waiting for me... real sleep.

Still working on the eating thing. I'm fighting the sugar battle. I HATE IT. Can't seem to stop. Ugh.

One of the things I missed most while drinking was quality sleep.
I love it so much now - it's like a recreational activity! Everything from crawling into the covers to slowly slipping into slumber, to waking up refreshed and looking forward to coffee!

^^Me Too!^^

I never remembered falling asleep -- probably because I was passing out. Now I love my bedtime routine: tv off, YouTube Sleep Music on, an hour with my current historical fiction novel, a little melatonin -- when the lights go out, I'm asleep within minutes. One of my favorite aspects of sobriety...

I too love reading my historical fiction novels- Juliet Marlier is my favorite.
Set the ambiance lighting, maybe Youtube some rain soundscapes, feel my body slowly and naturally relax.
Millions upon millions times better than passing out!