Duke10

I have done great not getting bombed and the drinking during the day (on weekends) is done but it is those last 2-3 at night that are killing me. I can make it to about 9:00. The kids are in bed and it just seems like I have to have them to be able to sleep. I have tried some OTC stuff but it just doesn't seem to work.

smacked

I thought I needed to drink to sleep too.. but it just sedated me enough to pass out. I have had better sleep sober than I have ever had drunk, that's for sure. Are you interested in quitting drinking?

withdrawing

Google alcohol and sleep and see what you will find. Alcohol SERIOUSLY disturbs the good REM sleep that you get when you don't drink. When I was drinking it seemed like I never dreamed. It felt like I had only gotten a couple hours of sleep everytime I drank too. But, now that I have stopped drinking I go into a very deep sleep and dream every night. Vivid dreams that I remember when I wake up. And I wake up feeling good. That's a feeling that I love and have missed for a very long time. Alcohol ruins good sleep.

Reset

You have to brace yourself, quit entirely, and deal with the seemingly disrupted sleep issues for a couple of weeks.

Then your body will re-regulate your sleep patterns and you'll be good to go as far as that.

Dee74

Hi Duke

I used to believe I needed alcohol to sleep too - what I was actually doing was passing out...it's not the same thing.

You don't need alcohol for anything in your life Duke.

Most of us find we have sleep issues for a little while when we quit - here are some common sense tips that may help

http://www.well.com/~mick/insomnia/

Of course, if nothing seems to help, and if the issue concerns you or impacts majorly on your life, please see a Dr



D

Anna

I first started drinking to help my insomnia. Of course, initially the drinking at bedtime helped. But, in the blink of an eye, I became dependent on the alcohol and it controlled me. OTC stuff doesn't work for me at all, so I watch a lot of late-night TV and read a lot. I hope you can find a way to get some rest.

eJoshua

Oh yeah, the old "nightcap" idea? Oof, what a killer. I used to think it helped me too.

My sleep is still a little out of whack, but my head is so much clearer now that I'm sober because I'm actually sleeping and not just passing out.

I agree that you may just have to brace yourself for some rough sleep at first. I would recommend finding something to read to help you nod off and then try the following:
no caffeine w/in 6-8 hours of bed time
don't watch tv or go on the computer within 1 hour of bed time
make yourself some warm milk or herb tea before bed
dim the lights about an hour before bed
take a warm shower right before hitting the sack
if you have a sleeping partner consider trying to sleep on the couch for a few days if their tossing keeps you up
meditate before bed.

If all else fails, just lay in bed with your eyes closed and try to relax. I've also read that if you can't fall asleep after 15-20 minutes of lying there with your eyes closed to get up for 15 minutes and read and then try again. Whatever you do, try to get up at the same time regardless. If you change the time you wake up that will further mess up your sleep patterns, but if you are consistent with waking up the same time each day your body will start to regulate itself.

OTC stuff never worked for me either,

Best of luck!