Insomnia in early sobriety
 

'nuff said. I hate this insomnia crap. I'm trying to come off benzos (doctor prescribed), weaning slowly, which has a big part in that.

But I hate this, I feel like I am coming off a bender because I am so sleep depived, but I didn't use or drink whatsoever. Very frustrating. My head gets so foggy I don't even feel safe to operate a motor vehicle after not sleeping for a night.

Then my anxiety kicks in - well what if you can't nap later either? what if you can't sleep tonight? What if you can't sleep when you start your new job next week and you get fired as a result of being not functional? What if you never sleep again?

Of course, this anxiety only causes more insomnia. Feeding the cycle.

This too shall pass. This too shall pass. Ugh.

Have you tried having the radio on low, or downloading some relaxing tunes from youtube? I can't sleep if it's too quiet now that I'm in the countryside, as I've always been used to cities. I wouldn't swop back, but it was hard to begin with :)

me too!

in my first year i was going to the midnight meeting then off to dennys for cake/ pie and to bed at 230 am

then right to the 6am meeting the next morning before work

not sleeping much but very sober

great fun and fun memories !

:tyou



:Xmaselfd :Xmasmca :Xmaselfa

Yes it's common.

I'm on day 20 (AGAIN!) and even now sleep is disturbed. Whilst the sleep I get is good sleep it can be 3 hours - wake - two hours - wake - 1 hour - get up kind of cycle.

But at least when you do sleep it is actual sleep and not just being passed out.

As you say - this will pass.

Regards,

JT

Chamomile tea and valerian root helped with my insomnia.

The sleep aids on YouTube can be helpful as mentioned or some calming low music. I draw the line at pan pipes and whale noises though ;)

My sleep was very similar to Tony’s for really the first month except some of it peppered with the most outlandish nightmares.
It does pass given a little time so don’t fret. Your deep rest will come.

White noise helps me to sleep - the white noise of a paddle fan for example or a standing fan.

Hot milk with just a touch of cocoa just at bedtime seems to help, too.

My sleep was all over the place for first three months, getting better though after first week.
Try get up early, the trick is the earlier you get up the earlier you will feel tired. But get up early it's good for routine because if you lay in late you'll go to bed later and it'll feed you anxiety if you have to get up early for this job.
Exersice , it's good for you, also it'll tire you out. Do a good run or a hard work out, if you physically ok to do so. Definitely the best medicine
Valerian and chamomile are great, give great relaxing feeling to me I enjoy having this when I'm feeling tense.
Just keep at it but these things have been the best for me.
Listening to a aa share also on recovery audio.com took my mind off things too and helped me drift off.
Hope it works it's self out for you, I'm sure it will. Stay in today .

Yes :) Every night I turn on this app called 'Rain' which is essentially just 20 different sounds of rain ranging from "Rain on a Tin Roof" to "City Rain" - (City rain is the one I use, sounds like it's raining with faint car sounds in the background. Sounds like you would like this one too.) Maybe I should switch it up and try listening to tunes. Thanks :)

Truth! Would much rather be tossing and turning and sleeping like crap than waking up with a smashing hangover. I am just impatient and anxious right now to get my sleep back!

P.S. Congrats on 20 days :You_Rock_

What is valerian & where do I get it?? I do drink chamomile every night, doesn't seem to make a difference. I also exercise 30 minutes intense cardio per day, doesn't seem to make a difference but hard to know. I might not be sleeping at ALL (instead of 2-3 hours of crappy sleep a night) if I wasn't doing this things.

I've tried melatonin (max dosage), lots of doctor prescribed stuff, pretty much every "calming" vitamin blend I could find at the natural health store, spent hundreds of dollars there.

Thanks for your response:grouphug:

I get the anxiety thing. I would dread how I wasn’t going to sleep that night starting at about 3pm. That used to mean giving up in my way home and getting booze. Eventually I just had to try to stop worrying. Even if I tossed and turned or lied awake for 3 hours in bed, I would get something that resembled sleep and it was always better than waking up super hung over and even more tired during the day. It slowly fades. Even now when I sleep poorly, it’s 10x better than if I used.

Valerian is over the counter available at any vitamin or health store. I've been a lifelong insomniac, no fun! For most the insomnia passes so hang in there!

Have you ever tried a heating pad? I always thought they were silly, until someone gave me one as a gift recently...LIFE changing! ;)

Just a thought, Myrr - if a person is using substances as a result of a history of trauma ( and, many of us have), effective trauma work is really essential to heal the brain. Yoga, EMDR, acudetox, tapping all help to heal.

I HATE the phrase "It too shall pass." I have a sleep disorder. Combine with alcohol? Gotcha, no sleep. I was on sleep aids while drinking and it still messed me up terribly. I do hope you can feel the difference between passing out from alcohol and actual sleep. I can't sleep WHILE drunk. I can get sleep after, but ill-patterned and not deep. Let a few weeks past and then see how it holds. I'm doing the same. I WANT to call my neureollogist, but I'm refraining as I get sober.