backtender

I work shift work 2 days then 2 nights been using alcohal for years to help me sleep. Scared of the thought of all the sleepness nights once I quit drinking. That is one of the things holding me back.

Taking5

You will likely have a few sleepless nights, I know I did. But once you are sober the quality of life - including sleep - is so much better you can hardly believe it. If you quit cold turkey please see your Dr., and be honest about the amounts you drink and any other substances you take. Alcohol withdrawal is more dangerous than opiate withdrawal and it can kill you.

coffeenut

Fear holds many of us back.

I never thought I would sleep again. Now, I sleep long and hard. Wake up feeling awesome. Yeah, there is the occasional insomnia time...but overall...the quality is much better.

backtender

How long did it take till ya slept?

Norther

I remember being scared of the same thing. My sleep has pretty much straightened out after a month. Waking up without a hangover pretty much compensates for any loss of sleep. I was only sleepless, or nearly so, for the first two or three days. Like much else about quitting, this issue is much more scary in prospect than it is as an experience.

Saphie

Once you are over the worst, you'll find ways to adjust.
I avoid caffein in the afternoon. Drink a relaxing herbal tea before bed and if it does get really bad I resort to otc sleep aids, but that's a personal choice.
This time I'm on day 16 and I'm sleeping without help and...........I still wake up with the thought 'how badly am I hangover'? The realization that I'm not is one of the most fantastic feelings that come with sobriety. Give it a try. It's worth losing a little sleep over.

Taking5

It took me about 5 days to get an OK nights sleep. By 2 weeks I was sleeping like crazy. By 4 I never felt better in my life. It keeps on getting better too.

FBL

After 30 years of drinking, I finally got sober last June. I had some sleepless nights the first couple of weeks, but then my sleep became deep and restful and I haven't had any problems since that time.

Mark75

LOL... yea, even 20 months into sobriety, I wake up occasionally with that thought....

Yea, get through that first few days and after a while you'll sleep better than you have in a long time, I know I do

Dee74

hey backtender

I had sleeping issues for well over a decade.
I needed that beer to sleep - because I'd conditioned myself that way.

It took about a week or so for me to get back into a normal pattern of sleep w/out alcohol. 3 years on I sleep like a baby.

People do go without quality sleep and manage - parents of newborns for example.
Don't let an excuse keep you doing something that is destroying you.


If it's an issue for you, you can see a doctor, but really a few days is all it should take, backtender.

here's some sleeping tips
Insomnia? 42 Simple Tips to Help You Get to Sleep - Insomnia treatment, cures

good luck!
D

Hope4Recovery

30 days sober. Been sleeping like crazy for the past two weeks.

ozgoddess

I would agree with Dgillz.

It took me about a week to start sleeping for longer periods of time. After two weeks I hardly woke at all during night. Now I sleep until from the time my head hits the pillow until the alarm goes off in morning.

Also, like Saphie suggests, I try to avoid caffeine. It doesn't really affect my sleep once i get to sleep but getting to sleep when I have drunk too much of it is an issue.

Making sure you are really tired helps I find, both physically and mentally. For me a good work out and a good book seems to take care of this.

Anyway, like Dee said - a few sleepless nights is definitely worth it and definitely not an excuse. 60 days in and I am thanking god I had the good sense to stop this insanity.

Good luck buddy :ghug3

Nevertheless

I think you are subconciously making an excuse to not stop. You will probably only have problems sleeping for a few days. The mind can play tricks on you.
Make a list of the negative things that might happen if you stop. Then make a list of the positive things that might happen,(No hangovers, saving money, etc etc) and compare the two.
The scary part might be the fact that you still want to drink after looking at the facts. I know I did until I got really fed up with it.
Not trying to sound harsh. But drinking is a harsh disorder.
Fred

Kmber2010

It does get better First few days were up most of the night and the first week was rough, 2nd week got better and now 7 weeks in and I sleep better then I have in the past 4 years probably. Just ride it out.....no pain no gain they say. The insomnia is a common symptom but we all managed.

Hang in there and if you wake up.....just come to SR and post and then get back to bed. Thats what I did to help.