junk33

I find im up a lot more these days ,sleep for 2-3 hours then cant sleep again , now 4am and here iam again.
I have had a couple of periods of abstinence since xmas ,one for 29 days another for 14 ,im currently on my 18day this time and hopefully my last time.
this time however is kicking my ass ,im always tired still , cant sleep well still coming up on 3 weeks and im still getting the pins and needles occasionally.
Im starting to think maybe ive finally done it and have irreversable damage to nerves .drinking heavy for all these years may have finally caught up to me.
I also have this dull pain in my thighs that i used to get after a night of drinking ,i get that constantly now.
I also had a few cravings today for the first time in a a few weeks ,sunny day ,long weekend .
I fixed my vehicle out in the sun ,that would have always been reasaon to have beers but i came inside read some posts on here and had a nap , that took away the cravings.
if these little nagging pains would go away it would all be good ..just blabbing away here ,what else am i gonna do in the dead of nite at 4am while normal people are fast asleep : >

trachemys

Sounds like me when I get chronically tired from lack of sleep. You said 2-3 hours of sleep and it's 4 AM and you're awake again. That means you didn't go to sleep until 1 or 2. Find some ways to get to bed earlier. I usually hit the sofa around ten with all the lights off, TV on low, in my pj's. If I wake up early, I go get in bed or just roll over and doze back off.

You have to retrain yourself to sleep sober.

Ghostlight

I'm sorry you're going through this, but no one ever died from lack of sleep, but millions have of alcoholism.
Maybe see a doctor and be brutaly honest about you're drinking. Maybe they can help with your symptoms.

Just don't pick up that first drink, and you'll be doing better in no time I wager.

Best to you and please keep posting.

junk33

thx for the response trachemys , i do get to bed early then sleep for a couple then usually im tossing and turning all nite ,not sleeping ,today i just happen to get up.
this alcohol is really terrible stuff,you dont realize that until you try and quit it..it affects all aspects of your life.i might as well make a coffee and watch the sunrise

junk33

thx ghostlight but to brutally honest with you ,and this may sound stupid to you but im one of those people that does not go to doctors ,unless something is falling off or im in excruciating pain ,i just dont go
i have a phobia of needles, last time i went i was pacing the waiting room like a caged tiger sweating profusely,i wouldnt let the doctor give me a shot he had to subscribe pills ,people that know me are always telling me i have to go but if you have paralyzing phobias it is not that easy

Grymt

Yes, that's right. I found I had to retrain myself re sleep. Perhaps one of the most important thing for me was to learn how to rest between short sleeps and try to be active to some degree during the day. It's taken time for me, my bad sleep period lasted years but there are reasons for that, at times I wondered if I'd ever have a good nights sleep again but persevering has indeed resulted in unbroken sleeps regularly now for some time and if I wake up I have no real difficulty falling asleep again.
There are a number of ways to rest that alleviates the lack of proper sleep. For myself I've found meditation to be helpful. Another way to look at it is relaxing the mind and the body. To expedite the relaxation of the body it helps to consider ones pre-sleep diet as digestion during sleep is different to when awake. A loaded digestive system makes for a poorer sleep. It helps to ease into sleep rather than switching a light off and trying to sleep. Consider nature without electricity. That is the format that biologically we are engineered to transit through the day night cycle. It's not hard to replicate that in a modern setting. I find a shower (or a warm bath) is helpful. Fresh air and some herbs are helpful eucalyptus, lavender, etc.
Relaxing the mind can be harder (and in turn the body). Again there are mind relaxation techniques that if practiced help. My favorite is anapana. Early in sobriety it is usual to experience a 'wild' mindset. That is part of the 'turning sane'. It passes. Then it is helpful to not further agitate the mind, iow do less harm than good in life in general. Do things that makes for a still mind. In time that balances in favor of overall restful sleep.
Be Happy

trachemys

Try googling meditations for sleep. You can learn to quiet your mind and go/go back to sleep.

least

Welcome back! I hope this time you succeed in giving up alcohol for good.

junk33

yes, im doing good on the alcohol front on day 19 ,and no desire to indulge .iam a little dejected at the thought of me being a cross addict , ive realized that gambling is just as big of a problem as alcohol ,and is in fact responsible for most of my financial issues ,i dont know why i never thought of it before , i always solely blamed the booze ,like a slap in the face , i got the double demon to fight off now .
i took the positives from the weekend so far ,and that is being on day 19 of no alcohol .
day 1 on gambling after losing a few hundred (idiot)
atleast i know where my problems stem and ill now fight both simultaneously