I cant sleep!!!
 

day 4/5 ....my mind is always racing it seems...cravings are really bad.... i hope this phase ends soon........

That early recovery anxiety will dissipate. The anxiety was what always sent me back to the bottle. :( But if you hold on and stay sober, the anxiety and racing thoughts will calm down. Hang on! :hug:

The physical withdrawal taked 5 days.. so you're almost there lonelyfella.. please hold on. The other thing is yeah, no coffee after noon or 2pm. Now that you're not numbing yourself with alcohol, the caffeine will have a greater effect. Sleep might still be a bit wonky for a week or two but caffeine or even sugar can def make it worse. Also exercise saved me.

Just to let you know, you're not alone. I am starting day 3 and have same thing. Overactive mind and can't sleep. The agitation and over the top anxiety of day 1 has gone, just my normal anxiety now lol.
But I haven't gone more than a week without drink in years so don't know what " my normal" anxiety is, if any ,I suppose.
I agree physical withdrawal can take 5 days.
I usually either drink then, when I am feeling better. Or before then, to try to feel better.
This time determined to see what is on the other side of that.
Why don't we compare notes after a month and see what difference we find?

Sleep is important.
But it isn't the most important.
Deep breaths. Herbal tea. Patience. Healing.

Hi. You've got some great replies here so far. It's not hard-core as it's herbal but, Melissa Dream at Holland & Barrett is probably the best natural sleep aid you will find, in my opinion. A bit pricey but a good investment I say!

The herbal teas like Sleepy Time really helped me, even a cup in the morning. Took the edge off the anxiety. There are some teas that will actually help support a sluggish liver.

It will come in time. How long varies per person.
Just stay sober and trust that it will get better. MUCH MUCH Better!

I have never been a great sleeper, even as a teenager. However, drinking made it much worse. When I quit, I somehow thought it would be a massive instant benefit: not only I would stop having the 3 am awake horrors; I would become the great sleeper I never was. It is so hard to quit drinking that I guess I was expecting to find a lot of respite in other forms of escapisms.

With the knowledge I have now I can say my sleeping improved quite fast but I was expecting much more much earlier. The staying awake at 3 full of anxiety, shame and guilt disappeared after one week or so. However, getting into a regular sleeping pattern took months. I am still someone who almost never sleeps more than 5 hours, but it is a good restorative sleep.
You have done the worse by far. It may take you a while to realise how much better you are now than a few days ago because we all seem to be a bit impatient when it comes to what we expect from our sobriety.

Until I finally quit, I never made it past day 3. However, on my first day 5 ever, I quit that evening. Where you are right now were my worst days. It's different for everyone when this happens, but your rough patch right now is highly predictable. Hang in there. You are going through the worst part, and all of us who survive make it through this. There was a saying I heard once about this, "Don't quit before the miracle happens." Well, it's not a miracle. It's just what happens in withdrawal. But it can feel like a miracle when it does happen. You may miss out on some sleep, but it's all worth it. Hang on to your chair, and we will see you on the other side.

When I got sober I had a really hard time sleeping for a bit. Insomnia. Up too early. Bed too early. I knew that I needed to go through whatever it was I was going through until I normalized. Sleep is good now and there are occasional nights where I have a hard time sleeping depending on what I am going through mentally. Drinking is not an option. Keep on walking forward. You don't drink anymore and you will balance out. Trust the process.

How's it going today @lonelyfella?

How are you today lonelyfella? Your first post in this threa was dthe last post you made to SR... hope things are OK?

I was going to suggest that you perhaps try and get a bit of fresh air if you haven't been leaving your house. It doesn't get rid of cravings but can help ease them a bit and the exercise may also help you sleep a bit better.