CrimsonKing

So yesterday was my Day 1 and I made it. Awesome. I kept busy, working late, and went to bed shortly after I got home. I thought about it A LOT... "ok... so if my wife tells me to stop and pick some up what do i say..." I don't want her to know I'm "officially" quitting because I have messed up too many times, but saying no would be hard... luckily it wasn't an issue and I got through.

But Sleeping... SUCKED.



I could NOT fall asleep without beer, and although I have gone a 1 night a week without I think because I knew I was quitting I was having panic attacks right and left... Sudden startled sensations... Sweating... Perhaps psychosomatic but wow, it was rough. I did it though, and now with a day under my belt I can keep moving!!

Thanks for everyone's well wishes yesterday!

summer2013

Great job! I'm on day 5 and the lack of sleep is SO hard but I just keep thinking how worth going through the mental withdrawels , lack of sleep, panic and anxiety feelings and all are going to be in the end! That's what is keeping me going is that I just can't give in to my 27 daily addiction anymore and want to see my life change as it's never going to change if I don't make the difficult changes myself! Keep strong for you, for your family and for your future and just remember these hard times we are dealing with will be life changing in the end. God bless and stay strong! Proud of your day 1!

stevenw198

Tonight will be my first night. I've felt awful all day with a hangover and yet I am still thinking about a drink. I know I won't though I'm determined to do it for my daughter.

Notmyrealname

Yeah, it can be pretty bad for a few days. This last week I had the whole spectrum of funky sleep symptoms: scary dreams, too hot/too cold alternating, just can't get comfortable, sweating buckets, and a couple of sleepless nights.

Today was day seven or eight and I finally had good, uninterrupted sleep last night for a decent length of time. Then I woke up and felt like I could sleep another four hours on top of that. But this is all normal stuff you just have to work through for a few days.

If you take a daily antihistamine for allergies (like zyrtec) before bed that may help you sleep. I've had pretty good results with a melatonin/valerian/GABA supplement, too, but YMMV.

Good job on getting through the first day!

Anna

Good for you for getting through Day !.

ippochick

keep going. it's tough work but the rewards do come (says me from the lofty position of a whole 16 days sober!!

CrimsonKing

thanks guys! yeah, every time i haved powered through a day without i had trouble sleeping. when i drink, i fall asleep quick... go figure.. haha..but it's terrible sleep.

looking forward to sleeping, and not waking up with night terrors. haha.

Crossfitdad

I said it on another thread CK that you and I are about the same. My first few nights were rough..anxiety, breathless, pounding heart, etc and not falling asleep until around 2:30 am. I'm on my 10th day and I am sleeping like a baby and waking up pretty damned refreshed. I think it started getting better on night 4 or 5...I'd fall asleep around 1:00 am. Chamomile tea works absolute wonders...I would brew it and let it sit on my night table. Then I would read and about thirty minutes before I would want to sleep, I'd chug it.

Now I am going to bed around 10:00 and falling asleep by 10:45. The better sleep and not waking up at 4:30 on the dot with raging anxiety has made this all the better.

least

It takes a while to reestablish normal sleeping patterns. Give yourself time. It will get better.

Bebetter

I'm on day 4, but don't count the first night because I was hungover and fell asleep fine. The last 2 nights have been worse than I ever expected - not too bad, but still, worse than I would have thought. I've never had problems sleeping, but now I know why.... beer put me to sleep. Now, I can't fall asleep easily, and I can't stay asleep. My baby gets me up in the middle of the night still (she's 15 months), and I can't fall back asleep afterwards.

I've been journaling at night and doing really boring crossword puzzles. I'm trying to relax into the lack of sleep, and just take it as a side-effect of quitting rather than focus on it. Treating it more as medical than mental, and letting the anxieties fade away.

There is a meditation CD I used to use for anxiety that would put me to sleep - you might find it helpful. It's called "Sound Body, Sound Mind." I really recommend it.

ippochick

off topic, crimson, but is your username a Dark Tower reference?

mecanix

For me the sleeping sorted it's self out eventually .

After the first week i broke and started sleeping all the time , saturday and sunday mornings were a great discovery sober, as to how nice they were .

Stick with it, some really great things ahead

Bestwishes, m

CrimsonKing

Yeah! We do seem to have a lot in common, which helps enormously. I will say this too: The nights, like last night, and the night here and there where I haven't drank I actually READ. I love reading, and don't as often because I would go to bed drunk, try to read and not be able to focus the page. Feels so good to chill out and RELAX instead of stammering around the house.

CrimsonKing

Yup! Ka is a wheel!

ippochick

long days and pleasant nights, sai crimson!

(or should i say 'EEEEEEEEEEEE! EEEEEEE! ?)