Readysteady

I'm not a daytime drinker, don't even remotely want one in the daytime. But when the night comes, especially later at night, I "have to" have a few (sometimes a cpl more than "a few"). Mainly as a sleep aid, and to get into a mellow frame of mind as the later hours come, and go to sleep and hope I didn't have enough to feel like hell the next day. When I do, I feel "resovled" to not drink the next night. But oh when it gets later (after 9 or 10 pm) that changes and I just want a few to settle down. Had only a six-pack (and no more in the apt) tonight, hoping to get sleepy.

silentrun

My body seemed to know what time it was supposed to get the booze. I didn't think about it during the day at all I just did it every night at about the same time. I started to drink so much I couldn't sleep and started to use sominex.

ReadyAtLast

I totally relate.Even after a heavy night and feeling rough in the morning,swore I'd never drink again.Fast forward to evening and wine just had to be drunk. I learnt thatjust because I didn't drink in the daytime didn't mean I didn't have a problem.I'm coming up for 4 months now and NOT drinking is the norm. I slept 8 hours last night.Sleeping well is one of the best bits of not drinking.You can get there too

ScoutBall

I never used to want one during the day.
I started drinking during the day--mostly to get rid of the hangover--cause hey, nothing cures a hangover like getting drunk, right? And, also because I could. (I work at home).
It was just how my drinking escalated. I had a lot of trouble sleeping, and would drink more as my body tolerated it--until I was so sick the next morning I started counting time until it was "acceptable" to have a beer. Noon was the obvious one. Then 11. Then 10. Then, eff it. I'm up. Gotta get rid of it somehow.
It was something that escalated, and escalated quickly.

silentrun

I am coming up on 2 months. My sleep has gotten better. That first month was pretty rough.

silentrun

The first 8 years of being an alcoholic seemed pretty great. That last 2 years of drinking escalated crazy fast. I went from drinking 2 times a week to daily in that time. Then on Feb 10th it became clear to me that I was at the point were all I really wanted to do was drink. All in or all out.

Readysteady

Thanks for the input, folks! The hair of the dog doesn't seem to help, in fact makes it feel worse overall. Have been using sleep aids for years and just switched to non benedryl, non melatonin based pills.

@ScoutBall.....The last time I drank in the daytime, I was visiting a friend who lives a few hours away, and I was really hungover. He insisted hair of the dog would do the trick and poured me a triplle shot of whiskey (2pm, mind you). It amplified the hangover! WTF? I thought (at least the way "normal" alkies go) it would make me feel better. Nope, felt indescribably bad. Not sick in the stomach, just mentally.

Readysteady

PS: I now make excuses for not heading down there. Have been making effective efforts to avoid people/scenarios that push heavy drinking.

ScoutBall

I don't miss being constantly hungover/drunk.
At all.

Readysteady

Thanks for the input, SB. I'm looking forward to not missing it either. At least going a spell without and seeing how it feels and what it's like. I did go a day or 3 (rarely) and I thought that felt good, not knowing if more days would feel better....or worse. If I slip after awhile then so be it. I'll decide then if total abstinence is what I need to do. Well it's 3:30am, and on the last beer (6), and feel a little tired. Hopefully will fall asleep before long. Thanks again, the feedback helps.

instant

Urges- thank God I don't have them anymore

ScoutBall

Have a good sleep.
If you decide drinking isn't for you anymore--you know where to find us.
I can tell you from past experience--and this one--that more days does feel better.
Take care.

fantail

Hey readysteady,

I've had trouble falling asleep my whole life, and drinking for me was hugely linked to that. I just couldn't fall asleep without drinking after a while.

I've said this to others on this forum, but I'll repeat it because at least for me, it was kind of a revelation... what's so bad about not falling asleep?

I used to totally panic about it. And the first few weeks of sobriety were really rough. I would be up all night on a fairly regular basis. I'm still up late sometimes (it's getting close to 1 here) but on other days I'm in bed at a nice time. But once I stopped drinking, I realized that the panic was totally irrational.

If I can't sleep, worst case scenario, I stay up all night reading a book and I'm tired the next day.

If I go the drinking route, it's guaranteed that the next day I'll be sluggish and somewhere between mildly and grossly hungover. But even worse, I continue the reward cycle in my brain that means that the next night I'll have to do it all over again. I waste time, and money, make myself feel awful, and trap myself on a treadmill of repetition.

Since breaking that cycle, I've been sleeping better than I have since I was a child. Even on nights when I'm up late, I feel better the next day, because the sleep I do get is actual restful sleep, not just a shutdown to process the alcohol.

It's so worth the initial difficulty! Anyone who can make it through work hungover day after day can make it through a couple of weeks of being sleepy.

Readysteady

Thanks fantail. Makes sense. Well I'm signing off for the night. Will I sleep though? If I can't I'll log back on!

Nonsensical

I truly believed for many years that I needed alcohol to help me sleep. Since drying out my sleep has improved dramatically.

least

When you drink yourself to sleep it's not real sleep, it's just passing out. I was amazed at how well I slept when sober and how great I felt when I woke up.