Natasharae

Hey well its day 3 and ive had insomnia all 3 nights, so I have been taking benadryl just because it helps me fall asleep. How long will the insomnia last. I really dont want to have to keep taking these pills longer than a week.

Eleni58

I am on day 17 and have been taking benadryl all along. I STILL have insomnia. I can't tell you how long it will last because I still have it. They say it's safe to take for a couple weeks anyway and I know people who have been taking it daily for years.

360shoes

Hi Natasharae,
I think we are all probably different with how long it lasts with the exception we all probably dealt with it in the early days.

I just slept when I could and figured that it would level off eventually. Being a little sleep deprived was still better than the day after hangover days filled with disappointment. After all the crap I put my poor body through a few sleepless nights weren't going to kill me. Just me. I did warn everybody in my life though I might be a little crabby for awhile.

Another thing I thought about was maybe I was just one of those people who doesn't need a lot of sleep or needs to be more active during waking hours to get a good nights sleep. How would I know unless I quit drinking and tried? For years really all I was doing was just passing out confusing it with sleep. I would never know unless I just did it and figured it out.

Good news is I'm sleeping like a baby now and I don't need a ton of it to feel pretty great! That hit for me about the 3 month timeframe. Felt like forever at the time but in retrospect, 3 months is a drop in the bucket in my drinking career.

Good luck and keep up the awesome work taking care of yourself!

Amajorityofone

I am nine days away from my one year anniversary. No drugs. no smoke. No alcohol. No Nuthin.

In my opinion, trading in one addiction for another is self neutralizing and self defeating. Instead, embrace and then strive toward the day when nothing goes into your body but food and water.

Good luck and God Bless

KissMyTiara

Let your body work itself out. Don't swap one thing for another. It won't be easy but let it do itself. When your body its tired, it will sleep. I have NEVER heard from someone dying from lack of sleep.

ReadyAtLast

I would stop taking it now. Your body will sleep eventually.by taking another drug you're not giving your brain any chance to re-adjust or adopt new, normal sleep patterns. Your body and brain will become used to and dependant on Benadryl and isn't getting chance to re-wire

I know it's horrible but it does get better and when you do eventually sleep it will be the most amazing,rejuvenating sleep you've ever had

DarkDays

Agree 100% with this, I started taking sleeping pills a few years back , it led to a two year struggle with them on top of my drinking, nightmare.

So easy for me to say , do not put any sleep aid into your body whatsoever , but its what I had to do , ok I was still drinking when I got off the sleeping pills , took me a long time after to realise that alcohol was the thing that was thing behind my sleep issues . Been sober over 18 months now and had some bad sleep periods in that , but I have learned to ride it out no matter how bad it gets because it always and I mean always turns around.

Good luck.

Dee74

I think most of us have sleep issues for a little while.

If you're having sleep problems and you feel it's negatively impacting your life, it really is best to see a Dr.

D

Dee74

I've also seen threads here from people who've become addicted to benedryl.

Maybe you'd be better off seeing a Dr too Eleni?

D

Petecrab

Mine lasted a couple weeks of not much sleep. I get about 6/7 comfortable now (day 45)

I would stop the tabs ASAP. You body will cope on 3/4 hours much better than being hungover, after a few nights it will get more and more.

Do you do much exercise? I find that helps with sleep if my body has had a good workout.

Natasharae

I run 2-4 miles a day and do 45 min of cardio at the gym everyday.

Petecrab

Should find sleep will come soon then, promise =]

Eleni58

Dee, if I go to a doctor, I am sure he/she will put me on Ambien or some other stronger acting drug than benadryl. Honestly, I don't like to have to depend on anything for sleep and I was taking 3-4 pills a night the first several days and I am tapering down (to two pills a night)...and then, just like I did with drinking, my goal is to taper down to zero.

nobiggie

I've found that just embracing the insomnia as part of recovery has helped me cope with the fatigue. I tell myself, "Yes, you're going to be tired tomorrow but tired is better than hungover." Maybe going cold turkey on all of it might help?

Wish I had more helpful advice.

resolute50

I went 24 hrs. with no sleep.
Then on night 3 around 3 am I feel asleep.
It was dangerous for me as I have high blood pressure to boot.
I did take some Benadryl one night.

Now I drink tea with chamomile to help me relax before bed time.
Walk if you can every day, tired or not.

Natasharae

I run 2-4 miles a day

bitmap

I did not sleep at all for the first two days but by day three I started to sleep some. It has improve each night since then.

resolute50

Sorry missed that one.
I run about 40 ft. then turn around most days cause I forgot something.
Forgot I can't run far.

resolute50

Same here,
odd thing is that even though I was exhausted.
I still felt better than a hangover.

Amajorityofone

Good for you!

Now embrace the fact that insomnia is a part of the solution, not the "problem." I was up 22 straight hours Friday and found no need to take a "pill." I was nice and tired when I went to bed and still got up 4 hours later.

Again, I've been stone cold sober almost a year and sleep, at most, 4-6 hours a day. Even when I am bone tired.

My body simply doesn't need that much rest.

Neither does yours