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    #1

    day 5 AF and frustrated

    Today is day 5 AF for me and I'm feeling frustrated because I feel as if I have been drinking due to lack of sleep. My eyes are bleary, I have no energy, and I'm spacy. I know this too shall pass but was just wondering if anyone else had this feeling and how long the sleeplessness lasted. I have been taking Alteril, listening to a sleep CD, drinking either Bedtime or Sweet Dreams tea before going to bed and still my sleep pattern consists of dozing off for about 1/2 hour and then waking up. This goes on through out the entire night and has been going on since day 2. Funny thing is the first night I slept fairly well. Would be nice to hear other's experiences.

    Cucks
    Tags: None
    #2
    day 5 AF and frustrated

    Cucks - Congrats on 5 days AF!
    My sleep pattern was a complete mess when I quit but then again it was crap quality of sleep when i was drinking. Usually I would be out cold and wake up at 3am unable to get back to sleep. It did take me 2/3 weeks to get into a better sleep routine but when I did I have to say it was wonderful! I now sleep better than i ever have, usually 7/8 straight hours and wake up feeling fantastic. Stick with it, it is SO worth it! :l
    "In the depths of winter I finally learned there was in me an invincible summer ."
    AF - JAN 1st 2010
    NF - May 1996

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      #3
      day 5 AF and frustrated

      Cuckoo,

      YAY on 5 days!! That is awesome.

      After about 5 days things should get better sleep-wise. However, for some it takes longer.

      In rehab, they gave me Trazadone (sp?) for sleep. If you get desperate, go to your doctor and ask for it. It is non addictive and works very well.

      However, I would first try Melatonin. Try 3 mgs first, if that works then great. If not, try 6 mgs. I find the Melatonin works very well when I have issues. And, we are going into shorter days, Melatonin at night helps with SAD, also.

      I know the sleeplessness is very difficult. However, if you end up drinking over it, you only have to go through it again when you decide to stop again.

      Power through this and it will get better.

      Love,
      Cindi
      AF April 9, 2016

      Comment

        #4
        day 5 AF and frustrated

        Hi Cuckoo, well done on the 5 days. I've been whinging about my sleep (or lack of) for months and blaming the (lack of) drink. Went to doc on Friday and told him and he asked me what was my sleep like before my drinking became a problem and I said Crap and he said QED! Basically, what ever your normal sleep was will come back in time - some longer than others, but if you were never a good sleeper - bummer!
        Molly
        Contentedly sober since 27/12/2011
        contentedly NF since 8/04/14

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          #5
          day 5 AF and frustrated

          Cuckoo - way to go on day 5! I am starting day 1 again today. I can totally relate to chillgirl's pattern of out cold and awake by 3 am when drinking, hardly being able to sleep at all when stopped. Told my doctor I was having trouble sleeping and he recommended the Melatonin as well. I'm going to give it a try cause I definitely don't want to go back to drinking as a means of sleeping most of the night. Good luck!
          Life is not measured by the number of breaths we take, but by the moments that take our breath away.

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            #6
            day 5 AF and frustrated

            I MUST CHIME IN HERE. COO - I'M ON DAY 6 AF AND HAVE HAD A MIRACULOUS CHANGE IN MY SLEEP. I AM GOING 7-8 HOURS AND WAKING UP FEELING TOTALLY DIFFERENT. I HAVE TAKEN ANTI ANXIETY MEDICINE LIKE TRAZADONE BUT IT WILL LEAVE YOU WILL A RESIDUAL FEELING. STICK WITH NOTHING - NO ALCOHOL, NO MEDS, AND YOU WILL HAVE SLEEP YOU NEVER "DREAMED" YOU WOULD HAVE! THIS SLEEP DIFFERENCE IS GOING TO BE WHAT KEEPS ME AF - THAT AND THIS WEBSITE AND THE SUPPORT OF YOU GUYS!

            INCIDENTALLY, I USED TO WAKE UP EVERY DAY AT 2-3 AM AND VIRTUALLY NOT BE ABLE TO GO BACK TO SLEEP. I WOULD FEEL HORRIBLE EVERY DAY -- ALL THAT IS GONE. I CAN'T BELIEVE IT -- THE BEST THING THAT'S HAPPENED FOR ME IN THE LAST DECADE - THIS CHANGE AND REALIZATION!

            Comment

              #7
              day 5 AF and frustrated

              Hi cucks! I had bad sleep problems too when I first quit. I know Melatonin is marvelous for many. It gave me nightmares. Someone on this forum suggested Valerian Root as an alternative and that works for me. If I'm having sleep troubles I have to take the max dose on the label to get the results I want.

              I also figured out after I quit drinking that hormone issues related to menopause were at play too and affecting my sleep. I somehow ended up reading Suzanne Somers book "The Sexy Years" and that gave me all kinds of insight into my hormone balance issues. I found a doctor who tested all the stuff she recommends in her book. Some people's issues are way more complicated than mine. But bio-identical progesterone and estrogen have really helped (with sleep AND night sweats AND hot flashes) and also I found out I was hypothyroid. With treatment for that I am able to manage my weight.

              I share all this only to point out that sometimes, drinking is the only issue and a little time after quitting will solve it. For some of us, there are other things at play affecting sleep. At least when we are sober, we have a shot at figuring it out.

              DG
              Sobriety Date = 5/22/08
              Nicotine Free Date = 2/27/07

              One day at a time.

              Comment

                #8
                day 5 AF and frustrated

                Thanks everyone for your responses. I will give myself a week or two to see how my sleep pattern plays out and if it is still erractic will talk to my PCP about it. Drinking isn't an option because as Cinders says "I know the sleeplessness is very difficult. However, if you end up drinking over it, you only have to go through it again when you decide to stop again." This is so true because I went AF in January for a while and ended up drinking "because I was tired of being unable to sleep" (at least that was my excuse) and here I am again going through the same issues as I did back in January.

                I figure one of these nights I will get a good night sleep if for no other reason than just sheer exhaustion.

                Cucks

                Comment

                  #9
                  day 5 AF and frustrated

                  Hi again Cucks. This is more a general comment about frustration (over anything in life) and what I have found helpful to do about it. When I find myself in one of those "moods" I find my best antidote is to pull out my gratitude list and review it, add to it. No matter what "bad thing" I think is going on in my day, I really do have much to be thankful for. that list helps me keep perspective when I need it.

                  DG
                  Sobriety Date = 5/22/08
                  Nicotine Free Date = 2/27/07

                  One day at a time.

                  Comment

                    #10
                    day 5 AF and frustrated

                    Thanks, DG. Today when I woke up and felt as if I had been drinking, my mind started the same old, same old "if you feel this crappy not drinking, why not just drink and feel crappy" but I kept my focus on the fact that as bleary-eyed, lethargic, and spacy as I felt this morning it wasn't because I had done harm to my body the night before so I'm thankful for that.

                    I love your idea of a gratitude list and I'm really trying to keep my focus on positives rather than negatives so even though I am frustrated, I know it is a temporary frustration and soon will pass.

                    The way I look at it, if I look this bad not drinking, I can only imagine how I must of looked after a night of bingeing.

                    Comment

                      #11
                      day 5 AF and frustrated

                      Hi Cuckoo, I too have sleep problems. Ihad my last drink 8 days ago, also my last codeine phosphate tablet,which I had been taking regularly after an injury. I didn't realise I was dependent on. My week has been horrendous, withdrawal symptoms from the codeine far worse than booze. I saw my GP who said i was withdrawing from the drug, she offered me diazepam, but knowing that brings it own problems, I declined. I did accept a weeks supply of zopiclone a mild sedative. At least I am getting a few hours sleep now. Good luck to you.
                      .

                      Comment

                        #12
                        day 5 AF and frustrated

                        cuckoosnest83;978554 wrote: The way I look at it, if I look this bad not drinking, I can only imagine how I must of looked after a night of bingeing.
                        OMG I don't even like to think about what I must have looked like. Thank goodness I was very savvy about staying clear of cameras for the most part! I can tell by people's reaction to me now after not seeing me since I got sober that...well....it was bad back then!! :H

                        DG
                        Sobriety Date = 5/22/08
                        Nicotine Free Date = 2/27/07

                        One day at a time.

                        Comment

                          #13
                          day 5 AF and frustrated

                          Hi Cuckoo,

                          I've had problems with the sleeping as well. Today is day 8 AF for me and the last two nights I slept better. Hang in there -- I think it just takes time for our bodies to re-metabloize after being used to alcohol for so long. I did get to a day when I felt tired and grumpy and rotten, but that night I finally fell into a sound sleep (I think day 6) so hang in there!

                          In general, I feel so much better and healthier it is definitely worth missing some sleep to get here!
                          Every day do something that will inch you closer to a better tomorrow.:h

                          Comment

                            #14
                            day 5 AF and frustrated

                            Paula and icandothis, congratulations to both of you on day 8. It's nice to know you are both sleeping somewhat better now because you give me hope that I might only have a couple of more days of this sleeplessness.

                            DG, thanks as always for your input and your humor.

                            Comment

                              #15
                              day 5 AF and frustrated

                              The sleep disorder is part of the withdrawal. Your GABA neurotransmitters and receptors are quite low due to the drinking which made them get low. they should rise with time. It may take several days of relatively severe insomnia. some of us never get over it but it does improve. If you have access to melatonin it may help. I am on baclofen which helped at first but now I am back to my baseline insomnia but I don't seem to need much sleep at any rate just 3-5 hours with an occasional 6. I try not to worry about it but still do take the melatonin if it is getting out of hand. I sometimes wonder if the alcoholism was partly my way of trying to cure my insomnia. I wont do that again.
                              sunny

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