Insomnia and quitting?
Member
Thread Starter
Join Date: Jul 2010
Location: albuquerque, new mexico
Posts: 63
Insomnia and quitting?
Anyone have much experience with this. I can see now that I go into my 63 hour of sobriety with very little sleep that I must of needed the alcohol to sleep. I don't want to pop pills and start a new problem, not sure what my options are.... Any suggestions would be appreciated. Also curious about how will I know if I need to get pharmaceutical help to detox?
bona fido dog-lover
Join Date: Mar 2008
Location: SF Bay area, CA
Posts: 99,776
There are natural and herbal remedies for insomnia. Chamomile tea helps relax you. Valerian, hops, scullcap are herbal relaxing agents. Melatonin is a natural substance in our bodies that regulates (and helps induce) sleep. Warm baths and exercise help too.
As far as detox goes, you're past two days and withdrawal only lasts a few days so you don't have much detox left. I'd suggest seeing your doctor or the local emergency room if you are feeling bad. Meds can be given short term to make your detox safer and less unpleasant. Check out the insomnia forum for suggestions to sleep.
Insomnia/Nightmares - SoberRecovery : Alcoholism Drug Addiction Help and Information
As far as detox goes, you're past two days and withdrawal only lasts a few days so you don't have much detox left. I'd suggest seeing your doctor or the local emergency room if you are feeling bad. Meds can be given short term to make your detox safer and less unpleasant. Check out the insomnia forum for suggestions to sleep.
Insomnia/Nightmares - SoberRecovery : Alcoholism Drug Addiction Help and Information
Administrator
Join Date: Aug 2003
Location: Dancing in the Light
Posts: 61,499
Hi,
You could be over the worst of the withdrawls at this point, but it's always a good idea to talk to your dr. The insomnia may take awhile to sort out. I had insomnia before I began drinking. Actually that was one of the reasons I started to drink, to self-medicate. Big mistake! Hopefully your sleep patterns will sort out soon.
You could be over the worst of the withdrawls at this point, but it's always a good idea to talk to your dr. The insomnia may take awhile to sort out. I had insomnia before I began drinking. Actually that was one of the reasons I started to drink, to self-medicate. Big mistake! Hopefully your sleep patterns will sort out soon.
Member
Join Date: Jan 2010
Location: Germany
Posts: 2,058
After I quit drinking I had horrible insomnia. I would maybe get an hour of tossing and turning and like 20minutes sleep to more tossing and turning. The first week was tough but it got way better. Now when I have problems sleeping....I will get up and come to SR or peruse the web for a bit.....and then go and lie down. I have read that lying in bed tossing and turning is not good. It is better to get up and read a book or something for a bit and then return to bed.
I also usually do some light reading right before and that helps.
Hang in there....those first few days is an entire shock to the system so to speak but never hesitate to reach out to your dr.
I also usually do some light reading right before and that helps.
Hang in there....those first few days is an entire shock to the system so to speak but never hesitate to reach out to your dr.
Member
Join Date: Jul 2010
Location: San francisco,ca
Posts: 112
Sleeping has been the biggest problem for me when not drinking. I am new to this myself and have been trying to quit for the past 6 months. I finnaly broke down and addmitted that I needed help and went to a aa meeting. That helped greatly with my drinking, but I did have problems getting to sleep even after a month of staying sober. I have relapsed recently and am now at day six.
For me the first 48 hours I usually go with no sleep, and then usually only 3-5 hours a day for a week. I was drinking coffee during the day to just manage and acomplish what I had to do. I think that was probably a bad idea. I'm not drinking any coffee this time and my first time asleep after 48 hours, I was able to get a full 8 hours, same thing everyday since.
There are a lot of tips on how you can try to deal with this, but the bottom line is that you have give it 100% to deal with this and any other symptom of dealing with alcoholism. Try everything you can to get to sleep. I know its difficult because of the state your in. You probably have headaches, feel tired, unmotivated and probably have a low or high state of anxiety. I remember just 4 days ago I felt like I just wanted to die. I wanted to sleep but did not want to take any type of drug to help.
Remember to deal with all the other things you need to during your detox. Make sure your eating and getting fluids in your system. I tend to lean twards the natural method and don't beleive in taking other drugs to help me through my detox, but that may not be the best thing for you. If your having bad symptoms I definitely recomend talking to a medical doctor about what your should do. The first time I detoxed, I was at home and comming off a serrious binge. Two days into it I ended up in the emergency room. I didn't even know that I was going through withdrawls and thought something was just really wrong with my body. They told me my potasium level was low, they gave me a IV, something to help me sleep, and told me to eat bannanas and drink a lot of gatorade. 12 hours later I felt just about normal.
One thing thats easy to do and may help is to make your sleeping enviorment as compfortable as possible. Make your bed with new sheets, cleen up with a shower, go to bed naked...whatever makes you as compfortable as possible.
Hope this helps.
Dune.
For me the first 48 hours I usually go with no sleep, and then usually only 3-5 hours a day for a week. I was drinking coffee during the day to just manage and acomplish what I had to do. I think that was probably a bad idea. I'm not drinking any coffee this time and my first time asleep after 48 hours, I was able to get a full 8 hours, same thing everyday since.
There are a lot of tips on how you can try to deal with this, but the bottom line is that you have give it 100% to deal with this and any other symptom of dealing with alcoholism. Try everything you can to get to sleep. I know its difficult because of the state your in. You probably have headaches, feel tired, unmotivated and probably have a low or high state of anxiety. I remember just 4 days ago I felt like I just wanted to die. I wanted to sleep but did not want to take any type of drug to help.
Remember to deal with all the other things you need to during your detox. Make sure your eating and getting fluids in your system. I tend to lean twards the natural method and don't beleive in taking other drugs to help me through my detox, but that may not be the best thing for you. If your having bad symptoms I definitely recomend talking to a medical doctor about what your should do. The first time I detoxed, I was at home and comming off a serrious binge. Two days into it I ended up in the emergency room. I didn't even know that I was going through withdrawls and thought something was just really wrong with my body. They told me my potasium level was low, they gave me a IV, something to help me sleep, and told me to eat bannanas and drink a lot of gatorade. 12 hours later I felt just about normal.
One thing thats easy to do and may help is to make your sleeping enviorment as compfortable as possible. Make your bed with new sheets, cleen up with a shower, go to bed naked...whatever makes you as compfortable as possible.
Hope this helps.
Dune.
Heathen
Join Date: Mar 2009
Location: La La Land, USA
Posts: 2,567
Trust me, you do not 'need' alcohol to sleep.. but it may take a while to learn how to calm and sleep without sedating yourself. All that 'sleep' I was getting for so many years, was really just passing out. Dreamless, restless, unconscious time in bed.. not so much restorative natural, restful sleep. I started sleeping better a week or two after getting sober, and have slept amazingly since. 63 hours is a drop in the bucket compared to how long you drank, yes? Give your body and mind a chance to heal.. it takes a while.
Proud Neonephalist
Join Date: Jul 2010
Location: North Coast BC Canada
Posts: 1,141
Try drinking milk an hour or so before you go to bed. When you metabolize milk it helps the body make melatonin, which helps you sleep.
Babies and little kids produce melatonin 'by the bucket full', that's why you can take them out of the car seat, put them into pyjama's, tuck them into bed and they won't wake up. As we get older, melatonin production decreases. Going dry must magnify the problem.
The first couple nights after quitting I woke up every hour for about ten minutes. Last night, my sixth night sober, I woke up only once for about fifteen minutes.
Everybody's different, so I can't say for sure, but milk is working for me.
Murray
Babies and little kids produce melatonin 'by the bucket full', that's why you can take them out of the car seat, put them into pyjama's, tuck them into bed and they won't wake up. As we get older, melatonin production decreases. Going dry must magnify the problem.
The first couple nights after quitting I woke up every hour for about ten minutes. Last night, my sixth night sober, I woke up only once for about fifteen minutes.
Everybody's different, so I can't say for sure, but milk is working for me.
Murray
Member
Join Date: Feb 2010
Location: NJ
Posts: 20,458
Originally Posted by Anna 
Hi,
You could be over the worst of the withdrawls at this point, but it's always a good idea to talk to your dr. The insomnia may take awhile to sort out. I had insomnia before I began drinking. Actually that was one of the reasons I started to drink, to self-medicate. Big mistake! Hopefully your sleep patterns will sort out soon.
You could be over the worst of the withdrawls at this point, but it's always a good idea to talk to your dr. The insomnia may take awhile to sort out. I had insomnia before I began drinking. Actually that was one of the reasons I started to drink, to self-medicate. Big mistake! Hopefully your sleep patterns will sort out soon.
if you go to the grocery, there are a wide flavorful variety of "relaxing teas", I love the pomegranite and plum, orange unwind. you can drink them iced but then use 2-3 bags.
my other helpful sleep sumpplement is a small dish of ice cream...i don't know why but it seems to help! or a turkey sandwich.
congrats on your good start and
Member
Join Date: Jun 2010
Location: Kansas
Posts: 44
i have had this problem too. its probably not the healthiest thing, but i do take a prescription sleeping pill to get to sleep. it is not addictive to me, but i do want to get to a point where i don't need it to sleep. until then i'm taking it though, because all that matters right now is not taking another sip of alcohol. and doing that on like no sleep is pretty difficult because your brain doesn't function properly if it hasn't gotten any rest. i would say you should just talk to your dr about it though.
Member
Join Date: Apr 2010
Location: Singapore
Posts: 737
Check out this site... Insomnia Cures. There's heaps of great info there on how to deal with no sleep, and some great tips on steps you can take to help solve the problem.
Needing booze to sleep was a massive impetus in the beginning, one that helped hurl me down this ridiculous and wrong road to becoming an alcoholic. I assumed that - no matter what - sleep was paramount to me, and if needed I would just drink myself into unconsciousness - no biggy at the time. That is a mistake and assumption of epic proportions. If you can't sleep then just DON'T sleep (as rotten a prospect as that might be). For me the alternative - drinking - became unacceptable.
Good news is that after about 2 or 3 weeks my sleeping habits went back to what my friends tell me is quite normal, and I am getting proper rest that the booze has been preventing me from for over 20 years.
Patience is the key early on jmf. Let your body feel all this nonsense, and when it gets super frustrating always remember the bottle that did this to you.
Needing booze to sleep was a massive impetus in the beginning, one that helped hurl me down this ridiculous and wrong road to becoming an alcoholic. I assumed that - no matter what - sleep was paramount to me, and if needed I would just drink myself into unconsciousness - no biggy at the time. That is a mistake and assumption of epic proportions. If you can't sleep then just DON'T sleep (as rotten a prospect as that might be). For me the alternative - drinking - became unacceptable.
Good news is that after about 2 or 3 weeks my sleeping habits went back to what my friends tell me is quite normal, and I am getting proper rest that the booze has been preventing me from for over 20 years.
Patience is the key early on jmf. Let your body feel all this nonsense, and when it gets super frustrating always remember the bottle that did this to you.
Administrator
Join Date: Apr 2007
Location: Australia
Posts: 211,432
I can see now that I go into my 63 hour of sobriety with very little sleep that I must of needed the alcohol to sleep.
I was the same way. I had similar hassles when I sobered up.
It got better tho - I used to have insomnia for 10 years or more - now I sleep like a baby.
If you're really worried tho? please see a Dr.
D
part time member
Join Date: Oct 2009
Location: Michigan
Posts: 2,910
In the beginning it was hard to sleep. I found that if I read a book for awhile before I went to sleep it helped.
It took awhile...but I will admit that sleeping is one of the greatest gifts of sobriety!
It took awhile...but I will admit that sleeping is one of the greatest gifts of sobriety!
Member
Join Date: Feb 2010
Location: NJ
Posts: 20,458
i slept 7 full hours last night (the most in a week), deep, restful complete with ridicules dreams...I feel almost normal and have real energy and appetite and I look clear-eyed.
took melatonin last night and one tylenolPM....it's been a week since I had alcohol, i think most of it is out of my system thankfully.
took melatonin last night and one tylenolPM....it's been a week since I had alcohol, i think most of it is out of my system thankfully.
Member
Join Date: Jan 2010
Location: las vegas nv
Posts: 180
I agree with least, although, I am totally cold turkey, and
I CAN'T SLEEP!!!!!!!!
I keep remembering that movie The Machinist
The best thing that has helped me is using my imagination, and pretending I'm clean and queen of the world. Dorky but sometimes works, makes me feel more serene.
I CAN'T SLEEP!!!!!!!!
I keep remembering that movie The Machinist
The best thing that has helped me is using my imagination, and pretending I'm clean and queen of the world. Dorky but sometimes works, makes me feel more serene.
Member
Join Date: Feb 2010
Location: NJ
Posts: 20,458
Originally Posted by Anna
Hi,
You could be over the worst of the withdrawls at this point, but it's always a good idea to talk to your dr. The insomnia may take awhile to sort out. I had insomnia before I began drinking. Actually that was one of the reasons I started to drink, to self-medicate. Big mistake! Hopefully your sleep patterns will sort out soon.
You could be over the worst of the withdrawls at this point, but it's always a good idea to talk to your dr. The insomnia may take awhile to sort out. I had insomnia before I began drinking. Actually that was one of the reasons I started to drink, to self-medicate. Big mistake! Hopefully your sleep patterns will sort out soon.
you might want to cut back on caffeine later in the day, get a little exercise if you feel up to it and if you're feeling achey a warm bath helps to relax you too.
i found this great light lavender oil in the baby section..not heavy or greasy very pleasant scent.
oops sorry I am repeating myself from last week!
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