C23

It is 12:08AM and I am still up. I am tired, but I have no desire to go to bed. That is so weird. Oh, well, at least I am sober and going on day 13 without getting bombed.

adore79

I cant sleep either, been a little manic today but its all good and Im feeling good. I'll sleep when I can.

nibroc

God, I l know I can't sleep unless I've been bombed by drinks. Please keep us updated on how you can/can't sleep. I'm in the same boat.

Anna

I go through mildly manic phases frequently too and sleep is just not possible.

It's frustrating.

I have found that breathing exercises help to relax me when I am like that.

You can try doing 'belly breaths' which is when you breathe in and expand your belly and then use your stomach muscles to push the air out again. It really helps to relax, though not necessarily to sleep.

Missymae737

I couldn't sleep early in sobriety because I had so many feelings to contend with...These feelings were numbed when I was drinking...BUT sleep did come and waking up the next day without a hangover and guilt was much appreciated...:ghug

Congrats on day thirteen...

flutter

I'm sure you'll settle everything out soon. I know when i was really newly sober (still am, but I mean the first month or so), I was just processing so much.. guilt, embarrassment, fear.. but finally it subsided and I have never slept better in my entire life.

micwush

I can relate. I'm into my 4th day now and haven't had a decent nights sleep since my last binge. I'm restless and my thoughts tend to race. I am feeling a lot of guilt and shame over my last relapse and that's part of it. Lots of stress going on besides that too. I'm trying to forgive myself and move on with my recovery. That and deep breathing exercises work great too when my thoughts get overwhelming.

Hang in there. I've been through this several times (unfortunatly) and know it does get better soon. Take care!

coffeenut

I think when I got sober I thought that wasn't going to happen to me again. It does. But when I wake up, I feel better w/no hangover!

AbsentFriend

I'm in ACA, not AA, but I can relate. I don't WANT to sleep either. I can be completely exhausted, but I'd still rather stay up - on the internet, watching TV, etc.

I've lately taken to tricking myself into sleeping. I'll lie down on the couch in the middle of a good rerun, telling myself it's just to get more comfortable, and only for a little while. I'll wake up a few hours later.

Or, I'll lie down in bed, on top of the covers, next to my dog, with the TV on in the next room. Tell myself I'm just cuddling with the dog, that I'll get up again and surf the internet again, etc, that I have all the time in the world. I'll fall asleep for a few hours, then realizing I am actually in bed, resign myself to falling back asleep until it has been close to a full night's sleep (still fully clothed of course, and often lying perpendicular or opposite to the head of the bed).

I dunno either.

TWILIGHT6579

my friend told me and ive done this a million times
take everything thats on your mind say it outlloud or in your head like work kids anything thats on your mind blow a deep breath into your hand and set it on the night stand dresser whatever and it will go away til you wake up in the morning it may sound crazy but it really works try it and let me know

Bard

Sometimes you just can't sleep no matter how tired you feel. If it's just a odd occasion that pops up I wouldn't worry about it to much. Just lay up in bed or on the couch and flip the TV on, something boring is bound come on and send you to sleep. And hey right about my time here Jay Leno and David Letterman is starting, that's guarantee to put me to sleep if I watch it for more then 5 minutes!

cab31

Its a natural part of recovery not being able to sleep. Its because alchohol abuse has lead to an imbalance in your glutimate system in your brain. Basically alcohol is a depressant and due to this the body has produced more excitory neurotransmitters to balance out all the alcohol you have been drinking. When you stop drinking all of a sudden there is too much excitation in the brain and this is why you struggle with sleep and also why some people have seizures etc. The good news is that it returns to normal over time and there are some drugs that can help it if it is really bothering you.

I have always been an insomniac and i have found that hypnotherapy CDs can help. Really listening to your body and making sure that you try to go to sleep during the short period of fatigue you have every 90 mins or so can help. Also never lay in bed for more than thirty mins if you cant sleep. Get back up and do something else then try again later. Most importantly dont panic! You will be able to function tomorrow no matter how little sleep you get. And it always makes me feel good to know that i am not alone and that there are heaps of people out there that are struggling to get to sleep.

Dime

Seventeen months sober and it still continues. Last night was typically, out after midnight awake at 3:15 am. It's frustrating when you are dead tired and still don't go out.

Rusty Zipper

hey, i have six years and my sleep cycle is wack'o

what i do know, i get what i need tho...

a few little winks when i can catch them do help...

Saddler

I have been getting less sleep lately, but I don't really have a problem with that. When I was drinking, I would usually stay up really late getting tanked one night (like 2,3,4AM), have to go to work the next day, feel terrible, then come home that afternoon and be useless and go to bed early. Next day I would feel rested, get drunk, my 2-day cycle started again.

Since I quit drinking, I have found I can stay up until 1-2AM, and get up at 7AM feeling good, etc. I know this is not technically enough sleep, but I do feel so much better and am getting so much done.

Helene

Thanks for posting this thread, I am also in the same sleepless boat. My mind is in overdrive. I found all the responses on here very useful, and it helps to know there is a reason for it and that it should pass. I was always a marathon sleeper before I became a drunk (and before that an addict), so hopefully my beloved sleep will return as my sobriety increases....