Determined1977

I know most of us suffer from insomia. For myself, sleeping troubles started when I was a child. Towards the end of my drinking, it took a whole bottle of wine to get 15 minutes of sleep. The addict in me would take 10 Tylenol pms and not even feel tired. Since I stopped drinking last week, I have slept every night for 5 hours. This time around, I realized what helped. Now when I can't sleep it's not so frusrating. I will read a book, run on my treadmill. In the past, the more frustrated I felt, the more I would drink and never sleep. For now I am taking 2 Tylenol P.M.s (which is suggested dose) and sleepy time tea. My goal next weekend is to try to sleep without a sleeping aid. Does anyone have any other suggestions that has worked for them?

SoberLife90

Keep the caffeine to a minimum especially after noon and do not have the TV on in your room before you go to bed. If you already do not do those two things, just keep on staying sober one day at a time. You will eventually fall back into a rhythm. Personally, I use melatonin to fall asleep, not necessarily to stay asleep.

Determined1977

Ty soberly feel . I don't drink caffeine but, sleep with the t.v. on. Since I was a child, always had the t.v. on all night. Definately worth trying.

TheadoreThiamin

What you basically wanna do is practise a wind down routine that is conducive to sleep. Your body will adjust and release melatonin in preparation for sleep.

Avoid caffeine after 5pm or earlier depending on how sensitive you are to it. Have a hot bath an hour before bed, the cooling down will prep your body for sleep. Practise mindfulness to clear your head of racing thoughts. Reading a boring book can do the same. Avoid bright lights such as monitors, phone, tv and so on. Herbal teas at night. Get up at the same time each day regardless of how much sleep you've had.

It's all down to routine and patience.

You can take melatonin to help kick start melatonin release but I wouldn't rely on it. Your body tends to get lazy and won't produce enough for a while if it's used to a pill and then you are back to square one.

Of course there might be something else going on in which case you should talk to your doctor and maybe do a sleep test.

For me at least it was all down to bad routine and racing thoughts.

Oh you've probably read these but just in case you haven't:
http://www.soberrecovery.com/forums/...-insomnia.html
http://www.soberrecovery.com/forums/...-insomnia.html

thomas11

If I remember correctly, my drinking "problem" started with sleep issues. Getting fairly drunk before bedtime and a meal helped me sleep well through the night. Then, like most things, I became dependent on it, and towards the end, sleep eludes us. Step one was removing alcohol, after a period of time the mind seems to calm. I now take a natural sleep aid and sleep quite well 98% of the time.

lynnmarie123

I take a magnesium supplement 1/2 hour before bed, but check with your doctor before starting any supplement routine as some can react with medications.

Hawkeye13

Hot shower, herbal tea, book to read and no computer or phone near bedtime.

It took me some time to get through the insomnia after I quit drinking, but now
I drop off really quickly after the shower and a few minutes reading

Determined1977

Thanks for the replies. Magnesium plus no t.v. I may try.

thomas11

My wife takes a shower every night before bed. I never understood it because I was a morning shower guy. But she says its part of her sleep routine. And she sleeps good!

Soberwolf

https://sleepfoundation.org/sleep-to...thy-sleep-tips

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