grubby

Day 21 of no booze.

So I'm here still awake from Sunday, it's 4:37 AM.

Strangely, I don't really "feel" tired or anything like that... but I know the sleepy-ness will catch up to me sometime during the course of my upcoming Monday.

My question to you long-timers and other people who have been thru this "withdrawal" thing is:

How long did the insomnia last? When does our "normal" sleep pattern start to kick back in?

This "not being able to sleep without X sleeping pill" thing is getting old, I must say...

Thank you and I hope your week is off to a good start

Dee74

My insomnia was pretty much the first week..then gradually back to a consistent sleeping pattern.

If you're concerned or you feel it's impacting your life negatively, seeing a DR could be the next step.

You can always specify you're not looking for a medication based solution.

Here are some common sense tips too
http://www.nhs.uk/Livewell/insomnia/...omniatips.aspx
D

stueeX

Hi Grubby

I have just started on my recovery journey but in the past I have taken 5HTP supplement which is an amino acid tryptophan. I found it helps entering the deep sleep stage and gives you wicked dreams. Normally takes a few days to start working but it definitely helps.

KateL

Mine also only lasted a week or two xxxx

grubby

I forgot to mention, I spend anywhere from 10-12 hours a day looking at a computer screen. Just part of what I do. Kind of hard to get around it or "cut down" on it. Gotta put bread on the table and such.

I am trying to get to the bottom of this insomnia problem and now since alcohol has been taken out of the equation I am looking at other possible causes.

What happens is not so much that my brain feels "hyper" like it did in the first week, but now I just seem to lie there and nothing happens after 1, 2, 3, 4 hours. It seems almost as if the more I "try" to go to sleep, the more my brain seems to fight me.

Rickh54

Grubby, I was taking zopiclone to get me to sleep for a couple of years, while I was drinking. Stopped taking the sleeping pills about a week after my last drink.
I fall asleep very quickly and usually sleep thru the night. I go for a walk after dinner for 30 minutes, have a cup of decaf tea in the evening and some milk before I turn in.
I sleep much much better now than i did for the last 10 years. I am not lying awake at night figuring out where and when I can have a drink the next afternoon. Now I think about playing with my grandsons and planning a trip to the park or rec center pool.
Change your focus and you will sleep much better.

Jeff2214

Mine is still going strong as well. Day 4 I completely collapsed for a whole 3 hours before I was back up. Last night I actually had to take some of the equate sleep aid and slept like a log. Didn't want to but was told I looked better when I was drinking( I think they were trying to joke). Played pitch and catch with my son this evening and helped with his batting and I'm feeling a little sleepy now. Going to try and get some shut eye. Night all.

Jeff

least

Within a month I was back to normal sleeping. Still have occasional sleepless nights, or waking early, but mostly sleep well.

chevota87

I'm the same way?

lisa1966

Each time I have gotten sober, sleep and sweats are my largest complaint. Well, the shakes are no fun either. But, you should pop those sleep aids as long as you need to, and taper off of those as well. Otherwise, there are natural remedies like Melatonin, 5-HTP and Valerian Root. Also, try some Celestial Seasonings Sleepytime Tea as you begin to taper. I don't care to pop sleep pills either, but I've been sick otherwise, and my sleep is WAY off, but I didn't want to wait any longer to get sober. This is it.

Also, when you are able, start exercising - now that it is getting better outside, Vitamin D is vital to our recovery. Best of luck!

Arpeggioh

Ooooh, Melatonin...I just remembered something I learned from a sleep specialist while I was in treatment:

Seems some very recent studies have shown pretty good results for regular doses of Melatonin in preventing relapse in alcoholics! And she was a real live doctor and everything, so I believed her! I just forgot about it until right now...

That's not medical advice, I swear; just something I heard from a reputable source...

quitforme79

I barely slept the first month. And month 2 all I wanted to do was sleep which was hard since I had to go to work and AA meetings lol Anyway...I can laugh about it now but it was tough. After 3 months I really started to notice I was leveling out. I still wake up a couple times a night now (at 16 months) but I do not feel I suffer from it. I was never a normal sleeper even before drinking. And what's normal anyway? Keep going, you are doing great!

kcvalentine

It took me a few months to fall asleep normally. It was annoying but it did get better. Congratulations on 21 days! That's fantastic!

Legacy

When I first made my change, I was up until midnight and back up by 5AM. Now, 3+ months later, I am in bed by 10 and struggle to get up by 6. I enjoy the sleep way too much and I enjoy not waking up to regret and thoughts of stuffing my face with 48 ounces of coffee and look forward to enjoying a nice breakfast because I didn't stuff my face at 11PM the previous night while hammered. Stick with it, you'll never want to go back.

jaynie04

Hi guys and welcome. Chevota, I was just checking to see if you found the class after last nights thread and you are already a seasoned Marcher! Yay you!

BTW, great month, you get to call yourselves the Marchers. It doesn't really work too great to have to call yourselves Decemberers, or Julyers, etc. You and June have the cool months locked down!

jaynie04

Oops, I thought this was the March 2014 thread…..face/palm…..oh well, hi everybody! And here I was thinking I was all cool and SR seasoned…….

chefgeno27

I feel the same way day16 last night. Ill read a chapter of the aa 12x12 then tread here for a bit , meditate with some frozen yogurt or sherbet. go lay down about 7-8 my time . sorta sleep by 10-11 and wrestle that till like 3 or 4 am. then my body wants to sleep proper. alarm goes off 6 am time to head out to work and be at operations building by 7 sharp.....Im told it will pass and my HP will let it happen when it does. No more sleep aids for me all HP. be safe

howie2092

An app called f.lux dims your monitor in the eve and at night. Check it out.
Also melatonin before bed knocks me out.