Not drinking/tiredness

[Dearlittleflo]

Hello

I've given up drinking for Lent and as a bit of a trial to think about stopping altogether (was finding that the amount I was drinking in the evenings was creeping up and I was drinking almost every night, which was making me feel quite sub-par in the mornings and also all the calories!)

Anyway, I've been finding that I now need to go to bed REALLY early or I fall asleep on the sofa at about 9.30-10pm. I'm just really, really exhausted at the end of the day. Maybe my 8pm glass of wine was giving me a boost and now I don't have it I can feel how tired I actually am.

Has anyone else experienced this? Does it improve? It's not great as DH doesn't get home from work until 9ish most nights so we don't eat until late- I'm barely managing to eat dinner before I'm asleep and we have no time to talk or just be together.

[goinglocomoto]

Hi there, surprised you haven't had any responses yet! Anyway wanted to jump in to firstly say well done on giving up alcohol for lent and secondly, that feeling like you want to go to bed at 9.30 is probably just your natural body clock rearing it's head and you should embrace it!

I'm a too regular drinker as well and have exactly the same issue as you when on alcohol free nights. Get home, cook food, get stuff ready and ideally am in bed by 8-8.30 and asleep by 9ish. I agree that we use alcohol as a means to stay awake.

BUT, I don't think a 9.30-10pm bedtime is early at all. I think for a lot of people, 9ish is a natural sleeping time and we've been conditioned to think that's almost childish. My body just seems to benefit most from 9 hours of sleep so have learnt to embrace it (my boyfriend is an 11+pmer but he's had to learn to live with it).

There's actually quite a bit of research about 9pm being ideal for a significant proportion of people - basically, our clocks are set more towards before the industrial revolution when people went to bed at sundown etc. That really helped me to let go of the feeling of guilt and weirdness. Am actually proud of it now and feel sorry for people who stay up so late!

But obviously you do have the issue of your DH getting home late. To be honest, me and DP have accepted that on weekdays we're not going to spend evenings eating together and catching up. I get the impression that it's important for you two to do that, but you shouldn't force yourself to stay awake for him - you'll be less happy and healthy as a result, which isn't good for either of you.

Do you think he'd be ok if you had dinner before him, did a quick hello and catch up when he gets in and then go to the heaven that is bed?

[goinglocomoto]

Just to add, as I haven't given up alcohol for long enough to see whether these early sleeping habits change, it really would be interesting to hear from others.

[christmaswreaths]

Hi OP, I've had this too. I have also given up alcohol for Lent but actually started 8 days ago...the last couple of nights I felt really sleepy at around 8:30 and in bed by 9pm! I am sure this isn't a coincidence and it is some sort of side effect/adjustment as I have felt really out of kilter today.

Let's see what the next few days bring! I would definitely say I have slept better since giving up.

[Dearlittleflo]

Hello- thanks for these responses. Interesting that I'm not the only one- I'll let you know whether it improves. Must just accept it for now though as I'm trying to resist and then just fall asleep on the sofa- not good.

[christmaswreaths]

Just as an update, I was yawning my head off at lunchtime today as well.

I am putting it down to the fact that I had months of disrupted sleep, so my body is catching up? People are asking me if I feel better after 9 days off the booze but all I feel is tired!!