How long till I can sleep properly again?

[needpropersleep]

Hi. After drinking a bottle of wine 7 days a week for way too long I recently started having 2 nights alcohol free every week and cutting down on the other 5 days. I’m aiming to build up to 4 nights booze free during 2024. 🤞

All great except on my alcohol free nights it takes me up to an hour to fall asleep then I wake at least twice for 30 minutes each time. Oddly I don’t fell too tired in the morning but I’d love a proper deep uninterrupted sleep. Does it take a long time for my body to acclimatise? Any advice or other tips much appreciated. Thank you

Your brain is able to rely on alcohol to make it sleepy, so doesn’t produce the usual chemicals that would make you feel sleepy naturally.

If you give up alcohol completely, eventually your brain rebalances itself - I’m afraid I don’t have useful advice on how it works if you’re cutting down.

@Onewildandpreciouslife thank you for answering. Yes I feel I’ve become so reliant my body doesn’t know how to respond. A friend recommended night nurse but I’d rather not do that.

plus I now realise that despite HRT I have night sweats which I was completely oblivious to but they are all too real when I don’t drink. No wonder I was so dehydrated in the mornings.

if I could get to 3-4 nights booze free hopefully my body would adjust?

Unfortunately 2 nights alcohol free, whilst a great thing to do for yourself, is not enough to get the booze out of your system enough to sleep. To have a proper, alcohol free sleep, you need to have 7 days to 10 days without drink.

It is worth it to try to do that. I know you feel like you can't now, but it is the alcohol making you feel grumpy and exhausted. Once that's gone, everything feels better.

If you absolutely can't then take sleeping tablets. I also find CBD oil helps me sleep, many are unregulated but TRIP oil is good and safe for you.

Good luck

Try listening to the Calm sleep stories on You Tube.

As others have said, it takes a longer time. You can check withdrawal timelines online. I slept better after a week or so when I was doing detoxes(pregnant now so long detox).
That said a long hike, trip to beach/sauna used to help me. Or going away for a few days(if you can).
A month long reset is probably the best bet though. Take advantage of dry January!

@Allthatglittersisntart@Shinyandnew1 @Allthatglittersisntart

thank you very much for replying. I felt a bit teary out of no-where reading that, because I know you are right. I just can’t face it but maybe I can. I thought one night a week would be awful but it was ok now I’ve done a few weeks of 2 nights. Maybe I could take 2 weeks off but it really feels much more unmanageable compared to a 2 nights a week schedule. I don’t know why it’s so hard, when I was pregnant 20 years ago stopping felt like a pleasure not a sentence

PS I also stopped smoking mid way through this year so feel like I’ve lost my comfort blankets (not a bad thing!)

You might find it interesting to read something like This Naked Mind by Annie Grace - she’s very good on how our brains work and may help you understand why it’s so hard

The night sweats are the booze op.

A bottle of wine a night would be incredibly dehydrating

@MyLadyTheKingsMother but the night sweats are on the nights when I am not drinking

@Onewildandpreciouslife thank you I will look that book up

Withdrawal symptoms

Drinkaware website

I think you might find this website helpful op