Three days with no Alcohol :) Feeling great!

[Scandinavian]

So its day three. I feel very very good. The best days are the first ones when you cherish not being hung over

I had a very good work out yesterday, and my conciousness is very good

Sleep however is another issue. I slept only four or so hours from day one, and even so I did not fall asleep last night before 4 o'clock.

With AL I was sleeping the second I hit the pillow. Which was often late because I did not want to go to bed because that ment no more AL until next afternoon


Any tips for sleeping?

(BTW I will probably drink during the weekend, but I will try my very very best to limit the amounts to about three fourths of what I normally drink. That should take the edge of the negative effects.)

[KundaliniGirl]

Three days with no Alcohol Feeling great!

Scan, your sleep will improve to much beyond what you were getting with Al. That's been the biggest improvement for me. As far as tips, I think you just have to give it a little time - for me it was a quick change. Others - I've seen it said that it took them a couple of weeks.

Congrats on your days!!

KG

[mylife]

Three days with no Alcohol Feeling great!

Hello Scan --

It seems like sleep effects everyone differently. I sleep great when I stop drinking until about the 3rd or 4th night then I have a couple of wakeful nights and then I sleep great ever after. Hopefully this is a temporary thing for you, as really sleep is one of the great benefits of not drinking!!

Hope that helps and good luck!

[jennyneric]

Three days with no Alcohol Feeling great!

I slept horrible when I first stopped and then it got better, much better! However now I can't sleep when I drink, or I don't get restful sleep when I drink. It flipped! Odd huh. The sleeplessness went away around day 4 or 5 for me.

[chartreuse_lily]

Three days with no Alcohol Feeling great!

Congratulations! It's great you've made the decision to be alcohol free. I'm afraid I can't offer any advise on your sleep problems-- all I did was sleep my first couple of days.

[Scandinavian]

Three days with no Alcohol Feeling great!

I actually monitored my sleep with an iPhone app. Seems with AL I was moving around about every three to six minutes. Thats crazy I've heard this from girls too but never believed it. Cannot be so very restfull or rejuvinating that sleep! More like a slow marathon

Will be fun to check again after being sober for some time.

However I need all the support I can get as to not drinking so much this weekend. It will happen, but I will try to limit it.

* Nothing stronger than beer
* Plenty water
* Sleep
* Food

[ATLThrash]

Three days with no Alcohol Feeling great!

I found that the longer I did not have alcohol the better the sleep got. It had gotten to the point where I would fall asleep (pass out) from drinking but then I would wake a few hours later-- frantic and worn out. The first 3 or 4 days I had some issues sleeping after I stopped drinking-- but I kept telling myslef it would get better, not to go for the quick fix of booze. I had a bad concussion years ago and my sleep patterns were really messed up. It had gotten to teh point where nothing, even prescriptions helped. Teh 2 things I changed were I quit drinking and started exercising (though not extreme in it) and now though I don't sleep 8 hours like many do I went from maybe 2 hours a night to 6.

Good luck-- if after my bad sleep history I can sleep-- I know you will too-- alcohol sleep is very restless -- sober is far better!

[Chillgirl]

Three days with no Alcohol Feeling great!

Hi Scandi
Like ATLT when I was drinking Id fall asleep no problem but wake up in the middle of the night with really bad anxiety and toss and turn for ages. When I 1st quit drinking I slept badly for about 6 weeks but waking up in the morning hangover free more than made up for it. After that initial withdrawal period my sleep got better and better and now I sleep 7/8 hours straight which was unheard of in my previous life. Its wonderful!

[Mish]

Three days with no Alcohol Feeling great!

Hi Scan, and congratulations on your AF days. Are you sure you 'need' to drink over the weekend? Or is it just habit? Every time you drink you're going to throw out all the progress you're making toward a good night's sleep and a better AF life. Why put yourself through withdrawls time and time again?
It took me a couple of weeks to get my sleep right after stopping drinking. If I did drink, it was back to square one every time. Now I sleep like the dead and wake up refreshed and unhung every time. I love it!

[RudyB]

Three days with no Alcohol Feeling great!

i've been taking an otc sleep aid lately to avoid the whole issue. one result: i do hate to wake in the am even after 9 hours of sleep - sheesh! but i love the long uninterrupted hours and the escape the pill provides from anxiety over wheter i'll get to sleep or not. for me, it's a temporary solution (i've gone in and out with this crutch, mostly out, and have never been hooked). but i guess it's one way i treat myself for being af, five days now. i'm stressed and scared about life in general as challenges are huge all around right now. i am not recommending it for anyone, just sharing my story. feels like a bit of a confession, but my god, at least i'm not drinking to sleep!