Sleep
Nathan Thurm fan
Join Date: Apr 2010
Location: Upstate NY
Posts: 406
I'm having the same problem. I sleep about 3 hours a night (I don't fall asleep til about 7 am and sleep til about 10 am and it sucks). Fortunately, I'm not working right now.
Anyway, my doctor told me today about Valerian Root and Melatonin. I'm going to try these. She also said having a normal sleep pattern will gradually happen naturally after about a month.
Anyway, my doctor told me today about Valerian Root and Melatonin. I'm going to try these. She also said having a normal sleep pattern will gradually happen naturally after about a month.
Sobriety Date: Feb 2009
Join Date: Dec 2009
Location: Osaka, Jpn
Posts: 389
It is not what you want to know though. I keep my sober over 1 year. At first I had same problem. But After couple of month I can really sleep well, much better than sleep with alcohol. 
same planet...different world
Join Date: Sep 2006
Location: Butte, America
Posts: 10,946
Sleep is a BEAR in eearly recovery.
I remember I only caught 20-30 minute naps for weeks...
don't panic!
I was one of those 'last stage' drunks
and really should have been in a hospital
so don't freak out ...
I've also wroked 'Grqaveyard Shift for almost fifteen years. Over that time i've learned a few things about getting to sleep when every cell in your body is vibing to be up and going....
I am the only person I know who... the sound of lawn mowers, chainsaws, and motorcycles ... actually makes them sleepy.
Some tips from the Book of Barb:
1. if it's not against yer principles- think about giving Melatonin a try.
when you use it just for a few days to get your schedule back on course - I can find nothing wrong of 'program breaking ' about using something as perscribed to be able to hold a job and work.
2. Bigelow makes a tea called 'Sweet Dreams" that is ten times a good as 'Sleepy Time' from that other company. That other company is YuppieTrash.
3. Lay off caffeiene. Like make yourself a time barrier - like stop drinking it at 10:00am or something . .. that really does help a LOT.
4. Prayer and meditation before sleep: I think this helped so much because it helped ease my mind and when I know I'm 'connected' with the Infinite - I can relax completely.
5. If yall are men - I've never met a man who didn't fall asleep immediately after sex.
6. I know very FEW men who don't get amazingly sleepy immediately after a fairly big meal. Just having a 'dagwood' sandwich for two nights isn't gonna wreck your waistline, and as long as it doesn't become a long term solution, you're getting all the fuel your bodies need to keep healing...
7. Chocolate - really does help. Something about the endorphins... i'm a full blown choclate chowin DIVA so I dont care what anyone says negative about it. i love it . I want it . i'm eatin it. LOL
8. Books on tape - often make me sleepy. In the first days - I played AA speaker tapes 24/7. They were never off, unless I was at a meeting. TO THIS DAY - the beginning of a speaker tape will make me briefly sleepy LOL!
9. I sleep better when I'm a little cold. Like lowering the room temp will help me sleep deeper during the day.
10. Meditation - DEEP meditation ... often produces sleep.
11. counting backwards from a hundred will do it ... but you have to be able to keep returning your mind to visualizing the num,ber, then keeping on it.
12. I sleep with the radion on - it's on pretty low, in fact I can't usually clearly understand what they're saying, but it completely drowns out the noises in the hall from my inconsiderate (and increasingly annoying) neighbor who seems to be unable to comprehend that I need to sleep during the day. Not on a 'shout radio' station - I listen to NPR. The commercials arent startling, the music is good, and there's LOTS of talk. Having teh tv on doesn't work because the networks turn up the volume so much on commercials they will startle you awake. TRUST ME ON THIS.
Well, I hope that helps.
The last thing I did - I still do to this day -
and that's ... read. Read read read. I've learned to fall asleep reading, and you should see my 'bedtime' glasses - they look like they've been through the garbage disposal from going on four years of being bent all to heck and back while I'm sleeping, and getting torn off and thrown while still asleep.
I hope you find SOMETHING in all this that helps!!!
I remember I only caught 20-30 minute naps for weeks...
don't panic!
I was one of those 'last stage' drunks
and really should have been in a hospital
so don't freak out ...
I've also wroked 'Grqaveyard Shift for almost fifteen years. Over that time i've learned a few things about getting to sleep when every cell in your body is vibing to be up and going....
I am the only person I know who... the sound of lawn mowers, chainsaws, and motorcycles ... actually makes them sleepy.
Some tips from the Book of Barb:
1. if it's not against yer principles- think about giving Melatonin a try.
when you use it just for a few days to get your schedule back on course - I can find nothing wrong of 'program breaking ' about using something as perscribed to be able to hold a job and work.
2. Bigelow makes a tea called 'Sweet Dreams" that is ten times a good as 'Sleepy Time' from that other company. That other company is YuppieTrash.
3. Lay off caffeiene. Like make yourself a time barrier - like stop drinking it at 10:00am or something . .. that really does help a LOT.
4. Prayer and meditation before sleep: I think this helped so much because it helped ease my mind and when I know I'm 'connected' with the Infinite - I can relax completely.
5. If yall are men - I've never met a man who didn't fall asleep immediately after sex.
6. I know very FEW men who don't get amazingly sleepy immediately after a fairly big meal. Just having a 'dagwood' sandwich for two nights isn't gonna wreck your waistline, and as long as it doesn't become a long term solution, you're getting all the fuel your bodies need to keep healing...
7. Chocolate - really does help. Something about the endorphins... i'm a full blown choclate chowin DIVA so I dont care what anyone says negative about it. i love it . I want it . i'm eatin it. LOL
8. Books on tape - often make me sleepy. In the first days - I played AA speaker tapes 24/7. They were never off, unless I was at a meeting. TO THIS DAY - the beginning of a speaker tape will make me briefly sleepy LOL!
9. I sleep better when I'm a little cold. Like lowering the room temp will help me sleep deeper during the day.
10. Meditation - DEEP meditation ... often produces sleep.
11. counting backwards from a hundred will do it ... but you have to be able to keep returning your mind to visualizing the num,ber, then keeping on it.
12. I sleep with the radion on - it's on pretty low, in fact I can't usually clearly understand what they're saying, but it completely drowns out the noises in the hall from my inconsiderate (and increasingly annoying) neighbor who seems to be unable to comprehend that I need to sleep during the day. Not on a 'shout radio' station - I listen to NPR. The commercials arent startling, the music is good, and there's LOTS of talk. Having teh tv on doesn't work because the networks turn up the volume so much on commercials they will startle you awake. TRUST ME ON THIS.
Well, I hope that helps.
The last thing I did - I still do to this day -
and that's ... read. Read read read. I've learned to fall asleep reading, and you should see my 'bedtime' glasses - they look like they've been through the garbage disposal from going on four years of being bent all to heck and back while I'm sleeping, and getting torn off and thrown while still asleep.
I hope you find SOMETHING in all this that helps!!!
bona fido dog-lover
Join Date: Mar 2008
Location: SF Bay area, CA
Posts: 99,774
Here's a link to the insomnia forum. Hope it helps.
Insomnia/Nightmares - SoberRecovery : Alcoholism Drug Addiction Help and Information
Insomnia/Nightmares - SoberRecovery : Alcoholism Drug Addiction Help and Information
Member
Join Date: Oct 2008
Posts: 6,947
Some good stuff there barb, YuppieTrash?... too funny... There is a tea I like called "Get Some Sleep" by The Republic of Tea... kinda like it, it has valerian in it... it is a Roibos tea (red)... tasty.
What works for me is Meditation music... Liquid Mind has a few that really work for me... one CD is Serenity, another is Spirit and the last one I got was Sleep... wear good over the ear headphones, the deep notes are important... Chick Wild who does the liquid mind thing, put some science into it... things like frequency, tonal variations, etc... I needed to use it quite frequently early on, still do when I'm having a problem with sleep or if I get a little agitated... I got mine from iTunes.
But, everyone is different, try all the suggestions that make sense to you... Probably a combination of things... You will get to sleep...
Oh, someone who used to post here mentioned... trying not to sleep... kind of counterintuitive, but really, makes sense... the harder I TRY to sleep, the harder it is to sleep...
Exercise, exercise, exercise... helps with the whole sobriety thing as well.
Mark
What works for me is Meditation music... Liquid Mind has a few that really work for me... one CD is Serenity, another is Spirit and the last one I got was Sleep... wear good over the ear headphones, the deep notes are important... Chick Wild who does the liquid mind thing, put some science into it... things like frequency, tonal variations, etc... I needed to use it quite frequently early on, still do when I'm having a problem with sleep or if I get a little agitated... I got mine from iTunes.
But, everyone is different, try all the suggestions that make sense to you... Probably a combination of things... You will get to sleep...
Oh, someone who used to post here mentioned... trying not to sleep... kind of counterintuitive, but really, makes sense... the harder I TRY to sleep, the harder it is to sleep...
Exercise, exercise, exercise... helps with the whole sobriety thing as well.
Mark
Goya2463
Join Date: Apr 2010
Location: NYC,NY
Posts: 12
Ambien
Originally Posted by Stang 
I'm now on day 3 and haven't slept in two days. I have to work today it's gonna be rough. What are some good sleep aids to deal with the insomnia?
Goya2463
Join Date: Apr 2010
Location: NYC,NY
Posts: 12
[QUOTE=goya2463;2582004]
Tea are very good,i'll be careful with ambien cause a few people say ambien is not a narcodic,but it is addictive,i wish i could know if it is a narcodic dose any one know.i'm not to good in typing or with a computer so i'm sorry if i typed any wrong but please feel free to me about ambien is it a narcodic..anyone out there..
Tea are very good,i'll be careful with ambien cause a few people say ambien is not a narcodic,but it is addictive,i wish i could know if it is a narcodic dose any one know.i'm not to good in typing or with a computer so i'm sorry if i typed any wrong but please feel free to me about ambien is it a narcodic..anyone out there.. Member
Join Date: Jul 2008
Location: Los Angeles, California
Posts: 8,326
I'm not a good sleeper, never have been, but here's a few tricks that sometimes help me.
Do you know any long piece of poetry or prose by heart? I use "The Owl and the ***** Cat" or "The Jabberwocky." Get into your comfortable sleeping position, close your eyes and recite to yourself that piece. Focus on each word. Any thing you know by heart will work. Even technical manuals or whatever.
I have the best luck with meditation tapes. I have quite a few on my iPod so I use the ear buds. I like "Deep Sleep with Medical Hypnosis." It works faster if used regularly.
Try to get a walk in for about 20-30 minutes each day, early on. The ambient light helps the body clock reset itself. Stick to a regular sleep schedule. Take the TV and computer out of the bedroom. As barb says, a fan with a soft hum will help and keep the room cool. Use extra blankets for warmth. Sometimes I use a hot water bottle on my tummy.
I hope this helps.
Love,
Lenina
Do you know any long piece of poetry or prose by heart? I use "The Owl and the ***** Cat" or "The Jabberwocky." Get into your comfortable sleeping position, close your eyes and recite to yourself that piece. Focus on each word. Any thing you know by heart will work. Even technical manuals or whatever.
I have the best luck with meditation tapes. I have quite a few on my iPod so I use the ear buds. I like "Deep Sleep with Medical Hypnosis." It works faster if used regularly.
Try to get a walk in for about 20-30 minutes each day, early on. The ambient light helps the body clock reset itself. Stick to a regular sleep schedule. Take the TV and computer out of the bedroom. As barb says, a fan with a soft hum will help and keep the room cool. Use extra blankets for warmth. Sometimes I use a hot water bottle on my tummy.
I hope this helps.
Love,
Lenina
Member
Join Date: Feb 2010
Location: NJ
Posts: 20,458
I take both valarian and melatonin...also the supplement called PM relaxation by procaps labs...(order it online). I take my calcium before bed...drink many kinds of relaxing tea.
if you have allergies, try Zyrtec, it makes you very sleepy...no dry mouth like benydril. I also use either Tylenol PM (one is enough) or Advil PM.
I've had scrips for Lunesta which didn't work at all for me, Ambien is habit-forming but after a while it does not work....but i get in a weird-semi-sleep state and will cook something that just is NOT edible, leave it on the stove....when i wake up i wonder WTF and just through it out.
if you have allergies, try Zyrtec, it makes you very sleepy...no dry mouth like benydril. I also use either Tylenol PM (one is enough) or Advil PM.
I've had scrips for Lunesta which didn't work at all for me, Ambien is habit-forming but after a while it does not work....but i get in a weird-semi-sleep state and will cook something that just is NOT edible, leave it on the stove....when i wake up i wonder WTF and just through it out.
Member
Join Date: Oct 2008
Posts: 6,947
Ambien is a controlled substance, CIV, I believe... Vicoden is a CIII and Percocet is a CII... Maybe not a narcotic, but in the same universe...
I was addicted to it, God knows why, but I abused it, so for me, I don't use it... for others, it's between them and their MD...
I was addicted to it, God knows why, but I abused it, so for me, I don't use it... for others, it's between them and their MD...
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