Wastinglife

Insomnia is common for alcoholics. I have suffered acute bouts throughout my life. However, this year my sleep issues have become chronic insomnia. Sober or drinking it doesn't matter. I have seen a doctor but I don't think I want prescription meds because I would most certainly get addicted to Ambien or benzodiazepines. Gotta wait it out. Try everything else first.

Insomnia tips anyone?

Free2bme888

I’ve always had crappy asleep ever since my mom used to pass out Stonecoal drunk with the cigarette burning in her hands and she would drop them on the floor of our home . I would wait until the wee hours of the morning as an eight-year-old girl and wait until she passed out enough that I could pick up the burning cigarette off the carpet and put it out in an ashtray and make sure that the lighters and the cigarettes were heading out of reach for the rest of the night .

The anxiety of burning alive in my sleep has never really left. I also just have a hard time getting to sleep and then I have a hard time staying asleep. Needless to say, there’s not been any better since the operation . Willow perhaps you have something there and maybe instead of fighting it—I should just go along with it .

Sleep, nutrition, and abstinence from poisons are also important to our health. I wish that for all of us today 😍

D122y

Was,

It took 6 months give or take before my body began to normalize.

I napped when i could. Sometimes in my car at work.

I remember the world seemed to move too fast.
Peoplentalked too much and too loud. Lights were too bright.

Now it slows down for me. Everything is better. Normal. I had to suffer like never before and never since.

I never want to walk that path again. I put on a calm and quiet face when i am around booze. But, until the booze got me so ill i could barely function, i couldn't stop drinking.

In a way i was kucky because i had major physical issues and still have deep mental reminders.

Some folks need to quit but don't have my hell.

Thanks.

Anna

Insomnia is awful, and it's something I've tried to manage since my teens. One thing I know for sure is that the more I worry about it and let it bother me, the worse it gets. If I stress about it during the day, I'm setting myself up for a bad night.

I'm sending you a link via PM for cbti (cognitive behaviour therapy for insomnia).

DontRemember

'manual labor'... I've been doing some this week, like I did when first starting out my construction company( did everything I could by myself) and the first night I could not wait to go to sleep! I actually had to keep myself awake,because I didn't want to mess up my sleep schedule. Also melatonine works for me too. My sleep is very much on 'point' now with some substantial non drinking months behind me. when I get the occasional odd night, I'll use melatonin.

PalmerSage

Exercise has been EXTREMELY helpful for me in sobriety. Especially at the beginning, I would literally walk every single chance I got (which still didn't feel like enough, with childcare, work, etc.) Try to wear yourself out.

bexxed

Exercise, like others say here, is really helpful. So is avoiding electronics and lights for a couple hours before sleep. In my country (USA) melatonin is sold in the vitamin section of pharmacies, over the counter. I use it with excellent results.

tekink

I don't know what the insomnia from alcohol withdrawal is like.

I already had it for four years solid from opiate withdrawal and still deal with that.

Dee74

There are some good common sense tips here:

https://www.better-sleep-better-life...mnia-tips.html
http://www.nhs.uk/Livewell/insomnia/...omniatips.aspx

FlyAgain

Fearlessat50

Insomnia is just the worst. And the more sleep deprived I was, the more it made me want to drink to take that edge off. It took me more than a few months for my body, sleep and emotions to feel rebalanced after quitting drinking. Even after that, I took a prescription sleep aid until just a few months ago, then tapered off.

I look at my sobriety now as part of my overall health, balance and well-being. Physically, mentally, spiritually, socially. I do high cardio exercise as well as yoga several times a week. If all of these areas are in balance, I do sleep better. However, I do still have sleepless nights on occasion. Life and stress still happen. I’ve also dealt with menopause hormones. I take natural supplements such as Melatonin, GABA and Valerian. The blend I take works well. I also use a meditation app at night before bed. There’s Headspace, Insight Timer and others. There’s even so,e good ones including for recovery and insomnia on YouTube.

You might want to talk to your doctor or see a naturopath about what natural supplements can do. I’ve heard other people say acupuncture works well.

As others have said, I’d rather experience a sleepless night because that’s just my body fighting sleep occasionally than because of alcohol or addictive substance.

Be patient with yourself. Good luck.

Cosima11

I highly recommend waiting it out.

It took many, many months for my sleep issues to (mostly) resolve themselves. Now at over a year I can pretty much adapt my sleep schedule as necessary and always feel fully rested. There were many times I didn't think things were ever going to get better, but I'm glad I didn't go the prescription route because whatever healing my body/mind/spirit needed to do has finally run its course in that aspect.

Spider

It is pure evil. I have it still (pushing 6 months sober) and have had it for decades now. Lot's of good advice here, and I have tried a great deal of it, but it persists. Good luck with it Wasting Life

Minerva99

My experience, in the case of menopause-related insomnia, was that trazodone was a big help. It's not addictive (I told my doctor I did not want a benzo). It's an anti-depressant and helps with sleep (for most people).