Terrible night's sleep
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Thread Starter
Join Date: Mar 2017
Posts: 15
Terrible night's sleep
Yesterday was my 2nd full day without a drink (yay!) and I was actually feeling pretty good when I went to bed. But I woke up around 2am filled with anxiety and fear, much the same as if I'd drank the night before (I always wake up halfway through the night after drinking). I haven't really slept since then, so today is going to be a tiring day at work. Anyone with advice about getting better sleep? I'd really appreciate it. Here's to Day 3! Hope your day is going well.
Hears The Voice
Join Date: Jan 2013
Location: Unshackled
Posts: 7,901
Congrats on 2 days!
Insomnia is so common among the newly sober we have a whole forum about it:
Insomnia/Nightmares - SoberRecovery : Alcoholism Drug Addiction Help and Information
There are worse things than a few nights of bad sleep. Mine lasted 7-8 nights, but now I sleep like a baby.
Best of Luck on Your Journey!
Insomnia is so common among the newly sober we have a whole forum about it:
Insomnia/Nightmares - SoberRecovery : Alcoholism Drug Addiction Help and Information
There are worse things than a few nights of bad sleep. Mine lasted 7-8 nights, but now I sleep like a baby.
Best of Luck on Your Journey!
Member
Join Date: Mar 2017
Posts: 1,476
Hi Tricia,
The first week is the worst. Reading before bed helped me. I tried to stay away from caffeine late in the day and avoiding afternoon naps helped me.
It helps me to think that my body is repairing itself and I think about how many nights of drinking that I wasn't getting a proper nights sleep. Or, some nights I didn't sleep at all because I was up drinking.
I still suffer from insomnia, just can't shut down my mind at night. But once I fall asleep, it's a deep sleep. Some days I have to take a nap, but if I do, it's not more than 30-45 minutes.
Congrats on Day 2. Hang in there, let your body heal and you will eventually start to feel better.
The first week is the worst. Reading before bed helped me. I tried to stay away from caffeine late in the day and avoiding afternoon naps helped me.
It helps me to think that my body is repairing itself and I think about how many nights of drinking that I wasn't getting a proper nights sleep. Or, some nights I didn't sleep at all because I was up drinking.
I still suffer from insomnia, just can't shut down my mind at night. But once I fall asleep, it's a deep sleep. Some days I have to take a nap, but if I do, it's not more than 30-45 minutes.
Congrats on Day 2. Hang in there, let your body heal and you will eventually start to feel better.
Member
Join Date: Mar 2014
Posts: 25,373
When that happened to me I came on this site and sat here with a cup of hot chocolate and a piece of toast and read or posted in the forums. Usually by the time my snack was finished, I was ready to go back to bed. Sometimes it's just a blood sugar thing - after adding alcohol for so long, it takes a while to settle. Are you eating a good meal a few hours before bed? I try to eat four hours before bed, and I have 600-800 calories with plenty of protein.
Member
Join Date: Apr 2015
Location: Georgia
Posts: 188
Vitimins like valerian root and melatonin helped me.
Do know that kindling is real and the sleep issues only get worse after binging again. They worsen everybtime. Even if its just one day. Read my post and you will see.
Do know that kindling is real and the sleep issues only get worse after binging again. They worsen everybtime. Even if its just one day. Read my post and you will see.
Member
Join Date: Sep 2012
Location: UK
Posts: 269
Children's audio books.
Just put one on your phone and let it play as you settle into bed for the night. There are plenty on YouTube. There is something really comforting about bedtime stories.
You could try sleep hypnosis videos too. There is a great one on YouTube with positive affirmations in it and is eight hours long so is meant to play as you sleep. I didn't think it would work but it really does. Give them a go.
Best of luck.
Just put one on your phone and let it play as you settle into bed for the night. There are plenty on YouTube. There is something really comforting about bedtime stories.
You could try sleep hypnosis videos too. There is a great one on YouTube with positive affirmations in it and is eight hours long so is meant to play as you sleep. I didn't think it would work but it really does. Give them a go.
Best of luck.
Member
Join Date: Jan 2017
Posts: 701
Originally Posted by biminiblue 
When that happened to me I came on this site and sat here with a cup of hot chocolate and a piece of toast and read or posted in the forums. Usually by the time my snack was finished, I was ready to go back to bed. Sometimes it's just a blood sugar thing - after adding alcohol for so long, it takes a while to settle. Are you eating a good meal a few hours before bed? I try to eat four hours before bed, and I have 600-800 calories with plenty of protein.
Member
Join Date: Feb 2017
Posts: 104
Same happened for me until about 10 days and my body had finally physically adjusted without alcohol.
I decided to not take a supplement and allow the body to attempt to do it on its own. I made an effort to go to bed if I could at the same time every night to get a routine resestablished. Drinking nightly kept me up late and living on 5 hours of poisoned broken sleep, so it was no surprise that my body/brain would need the time to adjust.
Sleep issues are some of the hardest but manageable parts of recovery to get through it seems because it ramps up anxiety/irritability some days. I hope it adjusts for you soon.
I decided to not take a supplement and allow the body to attempt to do it on its own. I made an effort to go to bed if I could at the same time every night to get a routine resestablished. Drinking nightly kept me up late and living on 5 hours of poisoned broken sleep, so it was no surprise that my body/brain would need the time to adjust.
Sleep issues are some of the hardest but manageable parts of recovery to get through it seems because it ramps up anxiety/irritability some days. I hope it adjusts for you soon.
Member
Join Date: Mar 2017
Posts: 125
If it is readily available to you go see a physician. Quitting cold turkey can be quite a shock to the body. I went 40 hours wide awake, after that my sleep started getting better by the day. Real sleep with REM, not passed out sleep where you wake up more tired than when you laid down. The first couple days are no ball of fun but after that everyday gets better. Soak up the free wisdom from some of these folks online..They paid a heavy price to learn it.
Member
Join Date: Sep 2015
Location: America
Posts: 4,136
Invest in some self care, even if you don't feel like it. Make yourself do it. A long hot shower or bath. Take time brushing your teeth thoroughly; floss. (may seem silly, but brushing my teeth makes me feel better)Exercise; staying active. Reading. Writing. Get some chores done you've been putting off. Or just do some little things; baby steps. I've struggled with insomnia for YEARS. Lots of reasons why and I've needed to address each and every one... one by one. Be patient. Soothing music.
Administrator
Join Date: Apr 2007
Location: Australia
Posts: 211,452
Things got better with time for me...night by night...I hope they will in time for you too.
Check with your Dr if you're going to take any supplements like melatonin - whats has worked for others may not work, or even be suitable, for you
D
Check with your Dr if you're going to take any supplements like melatonin - whats has worked for others may not work, or even be suitable, for you
D
Member
Join Date: Nov 2010
Posts: 279
I have struggled with sleep on and off over the last few years. It's much better since quitting drinking, but I still have bouts of insomnia. Some things that have helped me:
Create a nighttime ritual. I drink bedtime tea every single night. I have a few different varieties i rotate. Chamomile and valerian are good. I also keep the same bedtime between 9-10 pm. It might be a little later on the weekend but I really try not to. I take a magnesium supplement too.
Keep your room cooler at night. I use a fan for white noise, and turn the heat down or off. I get hot when I sleep and if I wake up in the night it's hard to fall asleep.
Blackout curtains and make sure your room is dark. No lights from your alarm clock (I cover mine up as it is ridiculously bright), and keep your phone off and out of the bedroom.
Regular exercise helps improve sleep ( but not right before bed)
I don't have caffeine after noon and I switched from coffee to tea in the mornings.
I have read that lavender on the pillow is helpful but I have not tried this. A bath with lavender could be a relaxing wind down too.
Good luck!
Create a nighttime ritual. I drink bedtime tea every single night. I have a few different varieties i rotate. Chamomile and valerian are good. I also keep the same bedtime between 9-10 pm. It might be a little later on the weekend but I really try not to. I take a magnesium supplement too.
Keep your room cooler at night. I use a fan for white noise, and turn the heat down or off. I get hot when I sleep and if I wake up in the night it's hard to fall asleep.
Blackout curtains and make sure your room is dark. No lights from your alarm clock (I cover mine up as it is ridiculously bright), and keep your phone off and out of the bedroom.
Regular exercise helps improve sleep ( but not right before bed)
I don't have caffeine after noon and I switched from coffee to tea in the mornings.
I have read that lavender on the pillow is helpful but I have not tried this. A bath with lavender could be a relaxing wind down too.
Good luck!
Member
Thread Starter
Join Date: Mar 2017
Posts: 15
Thanks again.
Thanks again, everyone. This website is a really huge help. Going to try to get some sleep now; when I wake up, I'll have 3 days sober under my belt and be starting Day 4. Pretty good feeling.
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