Day 100 something and still having sleep issues
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Thread Starter
Join Date: Feb 2016
Location: Washington state
Posts: 571
Day 100 something and still having sleep issues
Good morning!
I started off counting my sober days one by one. Each additional day was (and is) a celebration. But counting the days turned into counting the weeks which turned into counting months at the 2 month mark. But day 100 is a bonus landmark and one I celebrated some days ago...less than a week maybe? Time to go back to counting months.
My problem is that by this time, I was hoping insomnia would be better. This sober time around has offered me better sleep than other recovery attempts (thank goodness!), but my bad nights seem to be increasing even though I am wearing myself out physically every day. I've read insomnia can last for several months and may never get better. I have no problem getting to sleep, just not staying asleep.
I hope everyone is coping with sobriety and all it's challenges. The rewards are worth it!
I started off counting my sober days one by one. Each additional day was (and is) a celebration. But counting the days turned into counting the weeks which turned into counting months at the 2 month mark. But day 100 is a bonus landmark and one I celebrated some days ago...less than a week maybe? Time to go back to counting months.
My problem is that by this time, I was hoping insomnia would be better. This sober time around has offered me better sleep than other recovery attempts (thank goodness!), but my bad nights seem to be increasing even though I am wearing myself out physically every day. I've read insomnia can last for several months and may never get better. I have no problem getting to sleep, just not staying asleep.
I hope everyone is coping with sobriety and all it's challenges. The rewards are worth it!
If your sleep doesn't get better soon you may want to see your doctor. 
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Join Date: Feb 2016
Location: Washington State
Posts: 591
Hi Lynn, I hate insomnia. I couple of things that I've discovered can cause it for me are drinking caffeine in the afternoon (or drinking too much in the morning - like more than 1 cup of coffee worth).
The other one though which a nutritionist taught me is that if the body goes too long without having food to digest it will start producing adrenalin to force the body to burn fat and muscle reserves. This can be a cause of waking up in the middle of the night for many people (including for me) if they don't eat past the early evening. The solution was to eat a small late evening/bedtime snack of a few hundred calories of high protein/fiber food(so it digests longer). This was a big help for me to learn. She also recommended keeping some nuts and a small juice box by the bed, and if I get this in the middle of the night, eat that stuff for a quick snack and see if it helps me fall back asleep.
Ongoing anxiety/stress can be a big one for this too. Journaling sometimes helps when i get the mind spinning on this stuff (which happens a lot as we put our lives back together).
Dunno if that helps. I hope it gets better for you.
The other one though which a nutritionist taught me is that if the body goes too long without having food to digest it will start producing adrenalin to force the body to burn fat and muscle reserves. This can be a cause of waking up in the middle of the night for many people (including for me) if they don't eat past the early evening. The solution was to eat a small late evening/bedtime snack of a few hundred calories of high protein/fiber food(so it digests longer). This was a big help for me to learn. She also recommended keeping some nuts and a small juice box by the bed, and if I get this in the middle of the night, eat that stuff for a quick snack and see if it helps me fall back asleep.
Ongoing anxiety/stress can be a big one for this too. Journaling sometimes helps when i get the mind spinning on this stuff (which happens a lot as we put our lives back together).
Dunno if that helps. I hope it gets better for you.
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Join Date: Dec 2012
Location: Toronto
Posts: 3,195
Insomnia seems to be quite common for alcoholics in recovery. My doctor is a recovering alcoholic himself and he admitted to having insomnia for a year after getting sober. I have awful insomnia but I don't want medication for it because of my alcohol and substance abuse history. Benzos or Ambien addiction is the last thing I need.
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Join Date: May 2012
Location: canada
Posts: 7,242
lynnmarie,
i fall asleep easily, no problem, and then keep waking up. sometimes stay awake then, too.
i've slept through the night once last year.
i do all the right things: no caffeine after 2 pm. no screen technologies after 8. quiet relaxed evening.
get tons of outdoor exercise daily. eat decent food. blahblahblah.
i've been sober nine years.
i know; not what you wanted to hear.
but when i'm awake now at all hours, i'm okay. i don't like it, but i'm okay.
i'm not sitting up in bed with clammy skin and racing heart and fuzz-tongue, pounding head, hating myself.
i'm okay.
this is much preferable.
i fall asleep easily, no problem, and then keep waking up. sometimes stay awake then, too.
i've slept through the night once last year.
i do all the right things: no caffeine after 2 pm. no screen technologies after 8. quiet relaxed evening.
get tons of outdoor exercise daily. eat decent food. blahblahblah.
i've been sober nine years.
i know; not what you wanted to hear.
but when i'm awake now at all hours, i'm okay. i don't like it, but i'm okay.
i'm not sitting up in bed with clammy skin and racing heart and fuzz-tongue, pounding head, hating myself.
i'm okay.
this is much preferable.
Member
Join Date: Jan 2016
Posts: 770
Originally Posted by lynnmarie123 
Good morning!
I started off counting my sober days one by one. Each additional day was (and is) a celebration. But counting the days turned into counting the weeks which turned into counting months at the 2 month mark. But day 100 is a bonus landmark and one I celebrated some days ago...less than a week maybe? Time to go back to counting months.
My problem is that by this time, I was hoping insomnia would be better. This sober time around has offered me better sleep than other recovery attempts (thank goodness!), but my bad nights seem to be increasing even though I am wearing myself out physically every day. I've read insomnia can last for several months and may never get better. I have no problem getting to sleep, just not staying asleep.
I hope everyone is coping with sobriety and all it's challenges. The rewards are worth it!
I started off counting my sober days one by one. Each additional day was (and is) a celebration. But counting the days turned into counting the weeks which turned into counting months at the 2 month mark. But day 100 is a bonus landmark and one I celebrated some days ago...less than a week maybe? Time to go back to counting months.
My problem is that by this time, I was hoping insomnia would be better. This sober time around has offered me better sleep than other recovery attempts (thank goodness!), but my bad nights seem to be increasing even though I am wearing myself out physically every day. I've read insomnia can last for several months and may never get better. I have no problem getting to sleep, just not staying asleep.
I hope everyone is coping with sobriety and all it's challenges. The rewards are worth it!
As others have pointed out, go see your doctor. Insomnia is such a common problem and there are good treatment options.
I'm curious though. You have no trouble falling asleep but wake up. How long after you fall asleep do you wake up? How do you feel the moment you wake up? If you can remember, and dreaming, how did you feel before you woke up? Also, how long does it take for you to get back to sleep?
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Thread Starter
Join Date: Feb 2016
Location: Washington state
Posts: 571
Originally Posted by MikeM
Congratulations on the 100 days!
As others have pointed out, go see your doctor. Insomnia is such a common problem and there are good treatment options.
I'm curious though. You have no trouble falling asleep but wake up. How long after you fall asleep do you wake up? How do you feel the moment you wake up? If you can remember, and dreaming, how did you feel before you woke up? Also, how long does it take for you to get back to sleep?
As others have pointed out, go see your doctor. Insomnia is such a common problem and there are good treatment options.
I'm curious though. You have no trouble falling asleep but wake up. How long after you fall asleep do you wake up? How do you feel the moment you wake up? If you can remember, and dreaming, how did you feel before you woke up? Also, how long does it take for you to get back to sleep?
Sleep quality and disturbances vary. Last night, right before starting this thread, I got about 2-3 hours and then was wide awake. Tossed and turned hoping to go back to sleep and finally gave up. I was up for a couple hours and then slept for another 2.
Sometimes I wake up every hour and fall right back to sleep.
It's never solid and it's rarely more than 6 hours of sleep.
How do I feel when I wake up? "Crap, I'm awake."
Dreams? What dreams? I used to dream when I was drinking, I can't remember anything now. Is this normal?
I was just feeling low when I posted this morning. I will take that wee bit of sober low time over the alternative...any day!
Do your best
Join Date: Aug 2014
Posts: 67,047
Have you tried sleep, yoga, relaxing, spa music at nighttime esp while reading ?
here are some links they are called sleep hygeine tips to help you
https://sleepfoundation.org/ask-the-.../sleep-hygiene
Twelve Simple Tips to Improve Your Sleep | Healthy Sleep
https://www.sleepassociation.org/pat...-hygiene-tips/
I remember D having a excellent link for insomnia but the memory is vauge and I can't find it but its a quality link if I find it il post it
here are some links they are called sleep hygeine tips to help you
https://sleepfoundation.org/ask-the-.../sleep-hygiene
Twelve Simple Tips to Improve Your Sleep | Healthy Sleep
https://www.sleepassociation.org/pat...-hygiene-tips/
I remember D having a excellent link for insomnia but the memory is vauge and I can't find it but its a quality link if I find it il post it
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Join Date: Jan 2016
Posts: 770
Originally Posted by lynnmarie123
Hi Mike. I would see a doctor, but I know the prescription pad will come out and I don't want to rely on a substance to get me to sleep. That's what I did with alcohol.
Sleep quality and disturbances vary. Last night, right before starting this thread, I got about 2-3 hours and then was wide awake. Tossed and turned hoping to go back to sleep and finally gave up. I was up for a couple hours and then slept for another 2.
Sometimes I wake up every hour and fall right back to sleep.
It's never solid and it's rarely more than 6 hours of sleep.
How do I feel when I wake up? "Crap, I'm awake."
Dreams? What dreams? I used to dream when I was drinking, I can't remember anything now. Is this normal?
I was just feeling low when I posted this morning. I will take that wee bit of sober low time over the alternative...any day!
Sleep quality and disturbances vary. Last night, right before starting this thread, I got about 2-3 hours and then was wide awake. Tossed and turned hoping to go back to sleep and finally gave up. I was up for a couple hours and then slept for another 2.
Sometimes I wake up every hour and fall right back to sleep.
It's never solid and it's rarely more than 6 hours of sleep.
How do I feel when I wake up? "Crap, I'm awake."
Dreams? What dreams? I used to dream when I was drinking, I can't remember anything now. Is this normal?
I was just feeling low when I posted this morning. I will take that wee bit of sober low time over the alternative...any day!
Not remembering your dreams is normal. Some people just don't remember them.
About the prescription pad, well, if you have reservations about medication, you can just tell the doctor that. Maybe he has alternatives.
When I read your description, I thought: "Stress". Let me guess, you are not physically relaxed in bed. Correct?
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Thread Starter
Join Date: Feb 2016
Location: Washington state
Posts: 571
Mike, stress is the last word I would use to describe myself. Falling asleep is no problem so being relaxed isn't an issue, I don't think.
I complained about sleep and then last night I got 7 hours and only woke briefly twice.
I'm still in such early recovery, I shouldn't expect more than I get. Healing takes time. I will be patient and take those great sleeps when I get them!
Thanks for all the advice everyone! Such great people here!
I complained about sleep and then last night I got 7 hours and only woke briefly twice.
I'm still in such early recovery, I shouldn't expect more than I get. Healing takes time. I will be patient and take those great sleeps when I get them!
Thanks for all the advice everyone! Such great people here!
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Join Date: Dec 2014
Location: DFW area, Texas
Posts: 521
100 days is awesome! Agree with what others have said, perhaps a trip to the doc is just what the, well, doc ordered! 
I went on a sleep aid during those anxious days in 2014 (the really bad withdrawal timeframe for me) and it helped tremendously. Didn't realize what a good night's rest was until I actually had one.
I went on a sleep aid during those anxious days in 2014 (the really bad withdrawal timeframe for me) and it helped tremendously. Didn't realize what a good night's rest was until I actually had one.
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