AJ143143

This insomnia is getting to me … I’m only on day 12 of not drinking this time… I have been diagnosed pre drinking days with anxiety and insomnia. Drs think it’s hormone related. I am so happy to not be drinking. Like feel way better and I know at almost 2 weeks it will keep getting better. But this is the 3rd night in a row it’s 2 am and I’m up. Not depressed. Not anxious. Happy actually. But just up. Wide awake. I had to do an evening workout this evening cause I only slept from 3am-7am last night. I have a 5am workout planned with a friend today and I may just not sleep and sleep after the workout …. I don’t work Monday (tomorrow) so it’s possible. I just remember how hard it is to get to sleep. I have been put on 3 different sleep medications by drs in the past and each of them I tried less then a week. I hated them so much. I’ve tried it all. Tylenol PM, melatonin, magnesium, CBD, zquill, advil pm…. I can’t take 2 advil pm , a melatonin and still be wide awake. I know I’m just complaining right now and work is relatively slow right now but busy season hits in march. I really hope I can figure out sleep before then

Dropsie

Best thing for me about not drinking is how well I sleep, real sleep, but it takes time.

We all sleep more than we really need, so sometimes I wonder if doing just what you say, call it a night, get up, have your day, and go to bed early. I would skip the nap if I coudl so I was really tired.

Hang in there!

nmd

I'm sorry you have insomnia, hopefully that will lessen as your body reaches some equilibrium. I felt significantly calmer at 3 and 6 months sober than even 1month. (Never experienced insomnia though)

One thing with sober sleep though is I actually dream. Drunken sleep was more often dreamless and less restful (not to mention the hangovers)

I hope you can find something that works

ToughChoices

Looking back, insomnia pulled the trigger on my addiction. I had loaded the weapon with faulty thought processes and shame patterns for years, but not sleeping was the catalyst for the explosion. The anxiety about sleep was terrible. Drinking/using “helped.”

It sounds trite when you are suffering, but here’s what works for me in recovery:

1.) move a lot during the day (preferably in the am with the sun on your face)
2.) avoid ALL caffeine after 11am or so
3.) put electronics away 2 hours prior to desired bedtime (initially I had to charge my cell in another room to keep me away from it)
4.) get ready for bed (shower, PJs, facial care) at appropriate time, then lay down and read for 20 minutes
5.) lights out - pray/meditate - attempt sleep for 30 minutes. If sleep doesn’t come, GET UP. Move to couch and read for 30 minutes (or until tired).
6.) Repeat. Move locations each time until you are ready to head back to bed.

I don’t always read. Sometimes I’ll work on sticker art or write a bit, or bake cookies, but I don’t turn on tv or look at my phone.

The location changes mentally help keep bed reserved for sleep instead of frustrated tossing.

I had NO idea how toxic it was to drink in order to find sleep. The withdrawal induces the exact anxiety I was trying so hard to overcome. I was poisoning my mind and my sleep cycle and convincing myself it was the only consistent solution (I could drink enough to induce sleep, just not maintain it or benefit from it).

Drugs (prescription meds included), can do this, too, and withdrawal from the drug can mean DAYS of insomnia. To me, meds are not the long term answer.

At 14 days in, you should be past the worst of this soon. Find your own pattern for success. I still have occasional nights of sleep issues, but I am better able to appreciate the quiet, use the time restoratively, and rid myself of sleep anxiety.

It gets better. Alcohol and drugs hijack the process for me and put me right back at square one. Not worth it.

Alpine

I 100% understand and can relate to insomnia. I have had it for many years and it started well before my drinking days and the Drs. couldn't figure it out. Heck, I even went on a sleep study and it said I wake up 19 times an hour and never achieve REM sleep. I am not trying to hijack your thread, just know I understand. I used to get anxious before I would go to sleep just know I wouldn't sleep. When I was having my issues with drinking I would drink to the point where I had to go to sleep and to be honest, for me, that was not restful at all.

originalname

last night i tried 220mg of magnesium glycinate and slept quite soundly. normally i have difficulty sleeping (one of the reasons i used to drink nightly)

if you decide you want to take some, you should be very careful to get the glycinate form because the other forms will have a laxative effect.

talk to your doctor etc etc

Cityboy

Just another of the lies I told myself about drinking was that it helped me sleep. The truth was that I never got a decent night's sleep, ever. Now, I can't keep my eyes open much passed 9 PM and doing good to sleep passed 5 AM or so. I go to sleep while reading my kindle most nights unless I go to sleep in my chair and stagger off to bed barely awake.

Your system will settle out with a little time. If you have trouble sleeping, at least you will know that it's not because of the alcohol in your system.

advbike

Milk and cookies?

And avoiding caffeine after noon. It hangs around a long time.

And lots of aerobic exercise..