offthewagon

finally going to the doctor today.
I had a great sober weekend and I should feel great. I haven't drank anything in almost a week. But I still have the problems sleeping. I should be happy and feeling great. Physically, I'm almost there. But the sleep issue is killing me. I don't sleep well, and when I do sleep, I have these vivid awful dreams. Last night I woke up in the middle of the night, tossed and turned for a bit, then finally half feel asleep for about 30 minutes. The dream I had in that time was so awful I wanted to cry (I still want to cry) and I can't shake the feeling. Horrible thoughts that I don't want to repeat. And I can't get rid of that feeling. I need to be able to sleep normal if I'm going to get sober. I usually smoke weed to help me sleep, but I'm quitting that also. I gave up weed once for a full year, and for that entire year I had this problem. I just can't go through that again. I'm almost glad I had that horrible dream though, because it will motivate me to be honest and talk to my doctor about all of this. I want to be sober and healthy and happy. I don't want to wake up feeling like that ever again. Quitting drinking and quitting weed are 2 very different things. Alcohol will absolutely kill me if I don't stop. Weed I don't really think is bad. However, I hate that I am dependent on it for sleep. quitting them both at the same time is going to be damn near impossible if can't sleep - I'm telling you these dreams are so bad I just can't take it.

sugarbear1

Your body is healing from the self-inflicted damage you did while smoking weed and drinking. Sleep patterns were disrupted as well as the dopamine and other stuff.

You are healing! Stay stopped! It will get better!!

offthewagon

I gave up smoking for an entire year once. At first I thought the sleeping problems would go away. I though it would just take a month, maybe 2 for my body to adjust. But I stuck to it for a full year and it never got any better. I don't know what the solution is. Shoot, I don't know exactly what my problem is. Well I know I have a drinking problem, and I know I'm done drinking. I just don't know what to do about the sleep problem. I'm letting go of it, I don't have the answers. I'm getting a full physical today and I'm going to talk to my doctor about everything. Because I need help.

simian66

I've been off the weed for almost 3 years now. I smoked all day every day for 25 years. I still don't sleep well at all. I'm lucky to get three hours at a time. I sleep at odd hours. I wish I could sleep an 8 hour stretch but I just don't. The dreams seem to settle. I remember my dreams more often now. They aren't always bad now. I don't want to go down the sleeping tablet path so I guess I'll have to look at other options like forcing myself to wake up at a regular time, go to bed at a regular time, reduce caffeine, keep the room dark.... all that stuff.

I hope you manage to keep off the weed. I used to smoke until I passed out. Being sleepy is got to be better than being stoned. It's cheaper anyway!

offthewagon

ditto simian66 - I definitely don't want to have to take sleeping pills. I don't want to rely on anything. But I don't know what to do. What i have heard is that people tend to have the most vivid dreams when they are not quite in a deep sleep. So as long as I'm having problems sleeping, I'll continue to have funky weird dreams when I do sleep. They might not always be as bad as last night, but I won't really be able to control that. I do remember what was like in that year I wasn't smoking - it was bad bad bad. Bad enough that I decided - enough of this, I'll just go back to smoking. If it was just a matter of not being able to sleep more than a few hours at a time, I would just live with that. I would do whatever I need to adjust and I would be okay. But when you have a nightmares or bad dreams like that, they don't just go away when you wake up. It's becomes this bad feeling that sticks with you all day.
Anyway. The priority is to stop drinking. If I have to take the occasional ambien to get through the beginning, so be it. at this point, I am leaving it all up to my doctor. I'm no expert.
The good thing is I felt absolutely great this weekend. I was sober and productive and happy. I exercised, I ate well, and I was just a happy guy. At least I have that.

Duke10

Have you tried to exercise 3-4 hours before bedtime. I am only on day 8 and had the worst time sleeping. At this early stage it was hard to motivate myself to do much but I finally went for a nice LONG walk and slept better. Besides that the work out helps release endorphins in your brain that help you stay sober. I wish you luck. You have made the right decision but like most things it will not be easy!! Best of luck

offthewagon

oh yeah, I did LOTS of exercise this weekend. Every day going to the gym and taking bike rides. I was exhausted when I went to bed last night. Helped a little, but still

DisplacedGRITS

Keep moving forward. The sleep will improve. I know it feels like forever but it will get better. Have you searched the forums for sleep advice? There's a ton of it here. Your doctor may be able to help yu as well. Just make sure he doesn't give you something with a hallucinagetic. I was addicted to Ambien for years and Lunesta isn't much better. You're only on Day 6 and your body is going through a lot right now. Your nervous system has been depressed by alcohol for so long that now your there isn't anything in your brain blocking the electrical paths so your brain is firing on overdrive. That's why sleep is so difficuly, we feel anxious, nervous, twitchy, ect. The longer you go without alcohol, the more your brain heals and has your normal patterns return. It took me at least 2 weeks before i really started to feel close to 100% physically normal. Sleep is probably the most difficult physical sympton to deal with. Again, search the forums and speak with your doctor. Congrats on your progress and do resist the urge to drink at night "to sleep." Good luck!