I started with the double whammy of quitting alcohol and going cold turkey off of Ambien. After a few days of not sleeping, what really turned things around for me was a combo of adding L-Tryptophan to my pre-bed supplements, and working on getting my blood pressure down naturally. The L-Tryptophan supplement helped balance out my amino acids and quiets my brain to stay asleep. And for my blood pressure, I have been exercising more, taking a potassium supplement, and eating at least five or six stalks of raw celery every day.

Another thing to consider is that if you have just recently quit drinking, your body is used to all of that sugar from the drink being in your system. You could be slightly hypoglycemic overnight. Eating a small portion of dried fruit before bed can help keep your blood sugar stable overnight.

Can I remind everyone about the medical advice rule?

Here is the SR Rule in full....

I understand that all who shared are well meaning and trying to help - however what happened to you and how you overcame it may not be suitable for others, and may well keep someone else from seeking the professional assistance they need.

Antihistamines are not sleeping aids for example.
That's an off label use that really should be signed off by a Dr.

Even 'natural' things like amino acids and melatonin can interact with other medications, or may not be suitable for everyone for other reasons.

L-TRYPTOPHAN: Uses, Side Effects, Interactions and Warnings - WebMD

http://www.soberrecovery.com/forums/...ecautions.html

We are a peer support group here.

We simply cannot give medical advice.
You need to see a medical professional for that.

Please try and be mindful of that.

Thanks for your understanding :)

Dee
Moderator
SR

Can I remind everyone about the medical advice rule?

Here is the SR Rule in full....

I understand that all who shared are well meaning and trying to help - nut sometimes what happened to you and how you overcame it may not be suitable for others, and may well keep someone else from seeking the professional assistance they need.

Antihistamines are not sleeping aids for example.
That's an off label use that really should be signed off on by a Dr.

Even 'natural' things like amino acids and melatonin can interact with other medications, or may not be suitable for everyone for other reasons.

L-TRYPTOPHAN: Uses, Side Effects, Interactions and Warnings - WebMD

http://www.soberrecovery.com/forums/...ecautions.html

We are a peer support group here. We simply cannot give medical advice. You need to see a medical professional for that.

Please try and be mindful of that.

Thanks for your understanding :)

Dee
Moderator
SR

I don't want to run afoul of the "no medical advice rule" (which I agree with), but my OCD forces me to point out that at least in the US, diphenhydramine and doxylamine (both antihistamines) are available as over-the-counter sleep aids in many forms.

Sominex (diphenhydramine) medical facts from Drugs.com
Advil PM: Indications, Side Effects, Warnings - Drugs.com
Excedrin PM medical facts from Drugs.com
http://www.drugs.com/cdi/unisom.html

http://www.drugs.com/mca/sleep-aids-...ounter-options

I am *not* recommending that anyone use these products.

Sweaty hands a couple of years ago I quit cold turkey of a bottle of vodka a day and a bunch of valium and ambian - I was a mess to say the least. I am a small female. Withdrawing and lack of sleep made me feel so bad for so long.

Dee with much respect to you and the rules of this forum fish oil and multi vitamins can interfere with medication etc. But I think a lot of us get a lot of comfort out of hearing which supplements etc helped others. I know I do. Are we not meant to share any of that with each other? Thanks.

Sharing our experience is usually fine as long as you keep away from recommending things for others.

Obviously there are exceptions to that, and off label use is one of them.

Some of those products you listed are not available in Australia but I stand by what I said tho, Van

http://www.sleepaidguide.com/benadry...sleep-aid.html

Anyone wondering why I'm so hard line is welcome to look at the Benadryl threads, for example, in the substance abuse forum.

Anyone who has an issue with what I've said or done and wants to discuss it further please PM me.

lets return to the OP, thanks

Dee
Moderator

Exit stage left. I'd avoid all sedative hypnotics as best as I possibly could. Try all of the natural remedies as suggested above first. Nah, they don't sit well with me unless circumstances are really ridiculous. Time makes a great sleeper from my observations. Sleep tight. And you're sober.:You_Rock_

Dee-Appreciate your consistency.

I've battled insomnia for years and have tried various things. For the past 7 years I've been working closely with my Dr. about my insomnia. And I've been working with a counselor. I'm glad my Dr. doesn't judge me for problems I've had and is also willing to prescribe something If I need it. My counselor has been helping me work through some issues I put on the back burner for a long time; things I should have dealt with and resolved a long time ago. But I'm not going to beat myself up about that. Sometimes it's just the busyness of life that makes it hard...

I like what one poster said in another thread something to the effect that one hour of sober sleep was better than 12 hours of alcoholic sleep. That thought is actually what's been helping me get over being obsessed about whether or not I'm getting enough sleep.

Thanks for clarifying Dee.

Time was helped me during that very bad time after combining sleep aids and booze. I kept telling myself each day that my body was healing and slowly it would get better. And it did. It was very very hard though.

Now on day two after booze I know the things that help me are exercise (even a very gentle short stroll is good), eating really nutricious foods, and avoiding caffeine. Doing those things is the hard part but I'm trying.