Can’t get enough sleep
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Join Date: Jan 2014
Location: Georgia
Posts: 1,366
Can’t get enough sleep
What was everyone’s experience with tiredness/sleep during early sobriety? I sleep fine and go to bed around 9pm. But when 7am comes around I just can’t get up! I slept til 8:30am this morning. I just feel like I can’t get enough sleep. 9pm-7am is 10 hours! I do wake up a few times during the night but sleep pretty well overall.
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Join Date: Dec 2019
Posts: 2,426
Ride that sweet wave Jillian. So many in early sobriety and even in long-term sobriety struggle with the opposite sleep issues. If you are able to sleep 10 hours a night and your schedule permits it, get all the sleep you can.
If you feel like there might be something to talk with a doc about, like possibly depression-caused excess sleep, get into the doc and tell them about that.
If you feel like there might be something to talk with a doc about, like possibly depression-caused excess sleep, get into the doc and tell them about that.
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Join Date: Jan 2014
Location: Georgia
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I don’t think I’m depressed. Have talked to my doctor about it in the past and she can’t diagnose me as having depression unless I tell her I’m depressed…..doesn’t quite make sense to me.
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Yeah, I'm a 4 - 5 hour a night sleeper too. And, yes, sleep-deprivation is not fun and can be dangerous. But, when you can't sleep, you can't sleep. I'm glad you're able to get lots of rest. It will be beneficial for sure.
"Have talked to my doctor about it in the past and she can’t diagnose me as having depression unless I tell her I’m depressed…..doesn’t quite make sense to me." When I first talked to my doctor about depression in my mid-thirties, she scheduled an appointment with a psychologist for me. When I talked to him, he said, 'Oh you're not depressed. You have combed your hair and you have makeup on'??? I didn't drink at all at that point and I can't help wondering what would have happened if I'd been properly diagnosed at that time. Instead, I blamed myself for my feelings and muddled through the next ten years before turning to alcohol in a crisis. All that to say, doctors often don't understand signs of depression.
"Have talked to my doctor about it in the past and she can’t diagnose me as having depression unless I tell her I’m depressed…..doesn’t quite make sense to me." When I first talked to my doctor about depression in my mid-thirties, she scheduled an appointment with a psychologist for me. When I talked to him, he said, 'Oh you're not depressed. You have combed your hair and you have makeup on'??? I didn't drink at all at that point and I can't help wondering what would have happened if I'd been properly diagnosed at that time. Instead, I blamed myself for my feelings and muddled through the next ten years before turning to alcohol in a crisis. All that to say, doctors often don't understand signs of depression.
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Join Date: Jan 2014
Location: Georgia
Posts: 1,366
Anna - yes it seems to make no sense at all.
was just curious about others experience during the first few months sober. I feel tired all the time. All labs and tests are normal. It seems I’m perfectly healthy. Just tired.
I did start working out recently. I’ll see if that helps.
was just curious about others experience during the first few months sober. I feel tired all the time. All labs and tests are normal. It seems I’m perfectly healthy. Just tired.
I did start working out recently. I’ll see if that helps.
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Join Date: Dec 2011
Location: New England
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Jill- I am an excellent sleeper now. I also get 9 hours a night and in early sobriety, I had a very hard time waking up. I wasn't tired during the day, but waking up was a pain. It's better now (5 months) but I'm still pretty psyched for bed by 9:30.
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Join Date: May 2012
Location: Wisconsin, USA
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Sleep was a big challenge for me in the weeks/months after quitting and I think it's quite common Jillian. For me personally some of it was rooted in my anxiety, but certainly the brain chemistry change after quitting was part of it too. Even now that i've overcome most of it I still only sleep around 6 hours or so every night. But at least now it's a pretty solid 6 hours and falling asleep initially isn't a problem.
Some things that helped: Avoiding anything stimulating ( TV, internet, etc ) for at least an hour before bedtime - this was a biggie for me. I also made a habit of trying not to eat anything much for at least an hour or so before bed either. Watching caffiene, sugar intake helped too, and also getting some exercise.
Bottom line, most of us abused our bodies and minds for a long time so it takes some time to get back into unaltered sleeping rhythm I think.
Some things that helped: Avoiding anything stimulating ( TV, internet, etc ) for at least an hour before bedtime - this was a biggie for me. I also made a habit of trying not to eat anything much for at least an hour or so before bed either. Watching caffiene, sugar intake helped too, and also getting some exercise.
Bottom line, most of us abused our bodies and minds for a long time so it takes some time to get back into unaltered sleeping rhythm I think.
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Join Date: May 2012
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I had the opposite of what you are experiencing, Jillian. I did suffer from some longish bouts of insomnia. I think your body is needing more rest and that cant be a bad thing. Just ride the wave and know that you will get stable. There could be some hormonal stuff happening. Not that there is but there could be. You also have a young child. That is exhausting enough. Also......Covid does have fatigue related to it. My symptoms did have severe fatigue. Do you think it could be that? You did have COVID recently, ya? People experience symptoms long after being infected.
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Join Date: Mar 2017
Posts: 349
Jillian,
I had terrible insomnia while drinking, and during my first year of sobriety I could regularly sleep up to 12 hours. It leveled off to a more normal (for me) 7 or 8-ish hours during year two.
I’ve always thought my body was making up for lost time. I did keep a schedule, ate well, and exercised. All part of healing years of abuse.
-bora
I had terrible insomnia while drinking, and during my first year of sobriety I could regularly sleep up to 12 hours. It leveled off to a more normal (for me) 7 or 8-ish hours during year two.
I’ve always thought my body was making up for lost time. I did keep a schedule, ate well, and exercised. All part of healing years of abuse.
-bora
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Join Date: Jan 2014
Location: Georgia
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Mizz - ya, totally could be Covid related. My other symptoms went away so quickly I kind of even forgot I had it lol.
bora - that totally makes sense. I definitely didn’t get near enough sleep when I was drinking and honestly don’t know how I even functioned - good reminder as to why I never want to go back. I suppose my body is just making up for lost time (sleep).
bora - that totally makes sense. I definitely didn’t get near enough sleep when I was drinking and honestly don’t know how I even functioned - good reminder as to why I never want to go back. I suppose my body is just making up for lost time (sleep).
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Join Date: May 2018
Location: Where I’ve longed to be all my life…..here, now.
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Thanks triggered, I’m useless for tech advise.
Its called “Do this for 5 minutes every night before you go to sleep” on You Tube, by a person I admire very much. The best one and the original has a title pic with him in a black shirt with his fingers laced below his chin. Hope you can find it on you tube. I recommend it for everyone. Good for rewashing the brain in the right direction ❤️🤓
Its called “Do this for 5 minutes every night before you go to sleep” on You Tube, by a person I admire very much. The best one and the original has a title pic with him in a black shirt with his fingers laced below his chin. Hope you can find it on you tube. I recommend it for everyone. Good for rewashing the brain in the right direction ❤️🤓
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Originally Posted by Free2bme888 
Thanks triggered, I’m useless for tech advise.
Its called “Do this for 5 minutes every night before you go to sleep” on You Tube, by a person I admire very much. The best one and the original has a title pic with him in a black shirt with his fingers laced below his chin. Hope you can find it on you tube. I recommend it for everyone. Good for rewashing the brain in the right direction ❤️🤓
Its called “Do this for 5 minutes every night before you go to sleep” on You Tube, by a person I admire very much. The best one and the original has a title pic with him in a black shirt with his fingers laced below his chin. Hope you can find it on you tube. I recommend it for everyone. Good for rewashing the brain in the right direction ❤️🤓
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Join Date: Dec 2020
Posts: 234
ive been in a pattern of sleeping from 9-1, getting up for an hour or so, then sleeping from 2:30-3 until 5. I'm finishing an outpatient program right now and I've been getting up early, exercise, program from 9-12, sleep from 1-2:30.
I guess im in the range of 5-7 right now.
I guess im in the range of 5-7 right now.
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