Sleeping patterns

[Jr Jones]

Maybe one of the reasons you drink is because you can't sleep. It does get
better. I couldn't sleep when I was drinking. Of course, I would pass out,
sleep a few hours, wake up and would get no more sleep at all. Bags under my
eyes, shakes and could never go back to sleep until I got the booze out of
my system. I started taking Zanax at this point to be able to sleep during
the terriffic hangovers. I could never sleep during the day at all (unless I
took Zanax). Now, I can lay down and take a nap, no problem (no Zanax). If
you were a heavy drinker it will take awhile to get it out of your system.
Personally, for me, being tired the next day was a lot better than the
hangover. Good luck.



"catsruleok" <catsruleok@bigfoot.com> wrote in message
news:bdig8v$tdg$1@newsg4.svr.pol.co.uk...
> Hi guys,
>
> I'm now into my third week of not drinking :^). As my resolve not to
drink often weakened during
> this period, I thought I would not make it this far. I hope you will
all join me in celebrating
> my success.
>
> Now, to the main topic.
>
> One of the things I have noticed since giving up drinking is that it is
difficult for me to get to
> sleep at night. When I drank, I had no problem falling asleep anytime
after 10.00 pm, usually,
> before getting into bed :^)) Now, my brain doesn't seem to want to shut
down most nights until the
> early hours of the morning (I am usually still wide awake at 2.00 am). As
a result of this, the
> next day, I feel exhausted and am often crabby..
>
> I'm wondering whether you experienced changes in your sleeping pattern
when you first gave up
> drinking and if you did. if you can remember how long it took you to
develop a sleeping pattern that
> was acceptable to you.
>
> JB
>
>

[rosie readandpost]

> > I'm wondering whether you experienced changes in your sleeping pattern
> when you first gave up
> > drinking and if you did.


yes, my sleeping patterns definitely changed after i stopped drinking at night and "passing out"!

a change in my diet, stopping caffeine, getting some regular exercise, and eating properly were all necessary to get
back to some normal type sleep.

the interrupted sleep patterns did reappear after a few years of sobriety. this was due to my depression/chemical
imbalance/mental illness.
once that was treated properly, i was returned to a normal sleep pattern.

rosie

[catsruleok]

Hi guys,

I'm now into my third week of not drinking :^). As my resolve not to drink often weakened during
this period, I thought I would not make it this far. I hope you will all join me in celebrating
my success.

Now, to the main topic.

One of the things I have noticed since giving up drinking is that it is difficult for me to get to
sleep at night. When I drank, I had no problem falling asleep anytime after 10.00 pm, usually,
before getting into bed :^)) Now, my brain doesn't seem to want to shut down most nights until the
early hours of the morning (I am usually still wide awake at 2.00 am). As a result of this, the
next day, I feel exhausted and am often crabby..

I'm wondering whether you experienced changes in your sleeping pattern when you first gave up
drinking and if you did. if you can remember how long it took you to develop a sleeping pattern that
was acceptable to you.

JB

[Plug]

> I'm wondering whether you experienced changes in your sleeping pattern
when you first gave up
> drinking and if you did. if you can remember how long it took you to
develop a sleeping pattern that
> was acceptable to you.
>
Hi there,
I used to sleep like a baby when I drank; I found sleeping harder when I
became sober. The best thing for me was to try to relax and not get upset
or concerned because I was not sleeping - I reckoned resting my body was
almost as good as sleeping. In the very early days I used to go on this ng
for half an hour or so - then go back to bed. Gradually I slept better and
better. I suppose I settled down after a month or so, I can't really
remember.
Deb/Bubba

[Gail]

catsruleok wrote:
> Hi guys,
>
> I'm now into my third week of not drinking :^). As my resolve not to
> drink often weakened during this period, I thought I would not make
> it this far. I hope you will all join me in celebrating my success.
>
> Now, to the main topic.
>
> One of the things I have noticed since giving up drinking is that it
> is difficult for me to get to sleep at night. When I drank, I had
> no problem falling asleep anytime after 10.00 pm, usually, before
> getting into bed :^)) Now, my brain doesn't seem to want to shut
> down most nights until the early hours of the morning (I am usually
> still wide awake at 2.00 am). As a result of this, the next day, I
> feel exhausted and am often crabby..
>
> I'm wondering whether you experienced changes in your sleeping
> pattern when you first gave up drinking and if you did. if you can
> remember how long it took you to develop a sleeping pattern that was
> acceptable to you.
>
> JB

Hello JB. These sites might help you understand some of what to expect after
stopping drinking. You are experiencing Post Acute Withdrawal Symptoms
(PAWS). You might find more info on the web than this. Hope it helps.
All the best and congrats on two weeks!
Gail

http://www.essaymill.com/free_essays/inmers/m895.htm

http://deb.arneson.net/recpaws.html

[catsruleok]

> "catsruleok" <catsruleok@bigfoot.com> wrote in message
> news:bdig8v$tdg$1@newsg4.svr.pol.co.uk...

<snip>

> > One of the things I have noticed since giving up drinking is that it is
> difficult for me to get to
> > sleep at night.

<snip>

> > JB


"Jr Jones" <jj@jj.com> wrote in message news:FP3La.36860$Bg.16797@rwcrnsc54...
> Maybe one of the reasons you drink is because you can't sleep. It does get
> better.

<snip>

That's very welcome news :^)) Many thanks Jr Jones.

JB

[Blue Moon]

On Fri, 27 Jun 2003 23:56:43 +0100, "catsruleok"
<catsruleok@bigfoot.com> wrote:

>I'm now into my third week of not drinking :^). As my resolve not to drink often weakened during
>this period, I thought I would not make it this far. I hope you will all join me in celebrating
>my success.

Celebrate away! How about a bar of chocolate?

>One of the things I have noticed since giving up drinking is that it is difficult for me to get to
>sleep at night. When I drank, I had no problem falling asleep anytime after 10.00 pm, usually,
>before getting into bed :^))

I think that's called "passing out". I also did it on a nightly
basis.

> Now, my brain doesn't seem to want to shut down most nights until the
>early hours of the morning (I am usually still wide awake at 2.00 am). As a result of this, the
>next day, I feel exhausted and am often crabby..

I had this problem for quite a while when I quit drinking. The body
has to adjust to all those years of alcohol abuse, and it don't happen
overnight. Here's what I did:

1. Gave myself permission to fall asleep at "odd" times. Although I
was (and still am) a regular AA member, if my body decided to doze off
10 minutes before I was due to go to a meeting, that's obviously what
it needed to do. I didn't cut down meeting attendance, just made it a
little more flexible. My body was quite able to get to those meetings
where I had some commitment to be there (such as secretary).

2. During bouts of insomnia at night, rather than tossing and turning
in a hot bed, I would get up and wash the dishes that had been left
from the night before, whilst my headphones were plugged into an AA
share tape/CD/internet stream.

On one occasion, I worked Step 3 to relax... "am I really supposed to
be lying awake worrying about nothing? If so, I'd like to know what
I'm supposed to DO about it right now." Apparently the answer was
"quit worrying and go to sleep".

I would also sometimes get up and watch a comedy video on TV whilst
munching some snacks. Just need to be careful not to get into too
much of a habit doing that, it can easily become a normal pattern.

--
Blue Moon

[debs]

Many congratulations on three weeks.

As everyone else has said when you were drinking you were not really
sleeping, but passing out. This is not the real sleep that your body needs.

Because I also have a mental health condition that affects my sleep I had to
resort to sleeping tablets, not ideal, but they worked and enabled me to get
the rest I needed which kept my resolve strong enough not to start drinking
again.
After about five months I had cut my sleeping tablets down to a very small
dose and when I felt well and relaxed about life in general I cut out the
dose. I am now sleeping well and in the morning when I wake I feel
refreshed. It took time but I got there.

My tips are......avoid caffine late at night, have a warm bath about an hour
before you go to bed, avoid watching T.V in the bedroom, try not to do
anything which keeps your mind alert just before you go to bed, try to get
into a routine of going to bed at the same time and getting up at the same
time. And last, don't go to bed hungrey.

debs

--
Illegitimi non Carborundum
"catsruleok" <catsruleok@bigfoot.com> wrote in message
news:bdig8v$tdg$1@newsg4.svr.pol.co.uk...
> Hi guys,
>
> I'm now into my third week of not drinking :^). As my resolve not to
drink often weakened during
> this period, I thought I would not make it this far. I hope you will
all join me in celebrating
> my success.
>
> Now, to the main topic.
>
> One of the things I have noticed since giving up drinking is that it is
difficult for me to get to
> sleep at night. When I drank, I had no problem falling asleep anytime
after 10.00 pm, usually,
> before getting into bed :^)) Now, my brain doesn't seem to want to shut
down most nights until the
> early hours of the morning (I am usually still wide awake at 2.00 am). As
a result of this, the
> next day, I feel exhausted and am often crabby..
>
> I'm wondering whether you experienced changes in your sleeping pattern
when you first gave up
> drinking and if you did. if you can remember how long it took you to
develop a sleeping pattern that
> was acceptable to you.
>
> JB
>
>

[Mias]

Dear JB
Congratulations for hanging in there! When I stopped the last time I also
experienced a lot of strange things at first. One of them was
'brainstorming' at night. I personally do not feel that there is a specific
answer or cure to fit all people. What did carry me through those times was
the assurance of my group that said that, yes, strange things do happen,
but that as one goes on it gets better. I was also apparent in their sharing
that they went through similar things to me. It was great to see evidence
that these things that visit us at night can be licked through their
testimony. If we want.
Thinking of you
Kind regards
Mias
14 years clean and sober and enjoying every second!
"catsruleok" <catsruleok@bigfoot.com> wrote in message
news:bdig8v$tdg$1@newsg4.svr.pol.co.uk...
> Hi guys,
>
> I'm now into my third week of not drinking :^). As my resolve not to
drink often weakened during
> this period, I thought I would not make it this far. I hope you will
all join me in celebrating
> my success.
>
> Now, to the main topic.
>
> One of the things I have noticed since giving up drinking is that it is
difficult for me to get to
> sleep at night. When I drank, I had no problem falling asleep anytime
after 10.00 pm, usually,
> before getting into bed :^)) Now, my brain doesn't seem to want to shut
down most nights until the
> early hours of the morning (I am usually still wide awake at 2.00 am). As
a result of this, the
> next day, I feel exhausted and am often crabby..
>
> I'm wondering whether you experienced changes in your sleeping pattern
when you first gave up
> drinking and if you did. if you can remember how long it took you to
develop a sleeping pattern that
> was acceptable to you.
>
> JB
>
>

[George &The Dragon]

Congratulations JB. It's a great achievement, and it feels good, doesn't it?

Alcohol is a sedative, so when you withdraw from the sedative effects your
sleep will be lighter. It does take a while to adjust but I agree with all
the others who say that it will pass.

The sedative effect was so great in my case that I'd snore all night long,
and when I didn't snore I just stopped breathing. My wife ( the *other*
Dragon! ) used to dig me in the ribs, not to stop me snoring, an impossible
task, but to start me breathing again. Not a good situation since at my age
not breathing could quite easily become a permanent habit.

Now I sleep well at night, breathe most of the time, don't snore (really),
wake up without a hangover, remember what I've done the night before....
Just great!

If my wife is reading this, I'm just kidding about the *other* Dragon.

George