To ask how long it took for sleep to become normal when sober?

[Cryingbutstilltrying]

It’s taken me a good few years to accept I have a problem with alcohol.
I would drink half a bottle of wine every night, sometimes more, sometimes with spirits after. This was every night for at least 5 years.
I would go to bed at midnight and drop into a dead sleep immediately. I know it wasn’t a good healthy sleep but it meant I would be up at 7am no problem and deal with the kids, school run, then work.
I was gradually feeling more and more crappy in the day so decided to try not drinking.
After a few false starts where I would go a few days, then slide back into it, finally I had a moment where I was drinking what should have been a nice white wine, and I didn’t really like it, and then the next day I felt like shit and wasted my one day off that weekend. It was a wake up.

Here’s the thing. I’ve not had a drink for 2 weeks but my sleep is awful. It takes forever for me to drop off, I wake at the slightest noise and I’m groggy as hell when the alarm goes off at 7am. I’m tired all day though resisting naps or anything like that.
I’ve stopped drinking caffeine after lunch to see if it helps but so far nothing.
I’ve been exercising earlier in the evening and making sure I am tired and my room is dark, cosy, etc etc.
I’m at a loss.
If you’ve given up drinking, how long did it take to sort your sleep out? I’m absolutely not wanting to go back there but right now the lack of sleep making me feel like drinking tbh. If I’m still feeling this shit what’s the point?

Oh dear. I need to put it in bold. No problem. If that is how you comprehend.

Keep going, OP! You ask what the point is - I was using alcohol as a crutch to help me sleep, so logically, when I stopped drinking, I became more hypervigilant & had a pattern like yours.

I’ve had to change my whole bedtime routine. Rewrite it completely. I found some bath salts & lavender oil that really knock me out, and now I have a fixed time to start my bath, wash face, apply face oil and body lotion, really look after myself. Sometimes I do my nails, then read a chapter of a book that I really, really look forward to. All the while sipping chamomile with honey. All these overly, soothing things give me new cues for bedtime & although I sleep shorter times than before, it’s lovely and restful and free from that guilt I used to get after wine. I love waking up without any dehydration now!

@Cryingbutstilltrying - I would suggest you post on this thread.

www.mumsnet.com/Talk/alcohol_support/4364798-The-Freedom-Thread-Enjoying-the-positives-of-an-alcohol-free-life?msgid=112554240.

These are all people who are battling and mainly succeeding with their own journeys with alcohol. There are lots of references to sleep problems. I hope they can help you and good luck.

100 days here and I promise you one night something will click and you will get the best sleep! I think for me it was actually around 2 weeks. I bought some Melatonin that was recommended on a Fb page I belong to. I didn’t use it as sleep kicked in but might be worth trying.
Try and get some good quit lit to read each night: Glorious Rock Bottom and The Unexplained Joys of Being Sober were two of my favourites. The Naked Mind Fb page is very inspiring too.
Good luck!

@Unreasonabubble

Oh dear. I need to put it in bold. No problem. If that is how you comprehend.

Thank you

Well done for stopping drinking
Your sleep will settle down. It will all be ok. No need to drink, just be kind to yourself

I don't think pills are a great idea in your situation. I have also stopped drinking but I'm a few weeks ahead of you. I felt worse for what was probably 2.5 weeks.

Now I am starting to feel better. I'm 6 weeks on now.

I remember for a while wondering why I was bothering as being alcohol free really felt so so much worse. But hang in there

Well done OP. You did the best thing for your health. Brilliant well done

@Oftenithinkaboutit - I am genuinely sorry to read of your Mother's problems.

I am not uptight, I promise you. I just sometimes (tonight) am frustrated when someone is really reaching out for help and some posters do not read the OP thread properly.

I think there is nothing worse then trying to beat an addiction and especially if you have taken the decision yourself. Shows courage.

Thank you all so much for your kind words and suggestions. It does help to know that it’s not unusual and that it’s likely to be an issue for the short rather than long term. I can live with that.
Having other things to try helps too, like I’m not left feeling I’ve done all I can. I’ve found the Headspace app and will charge my earbuds now, then I’m ready and won’t disturb DH. It doesn’t help that he drops off easily but he is still drinking, different drinks to me though. So while not a ‘risk’ as such he’s also not a massive help around it at present.

I hear you about this being the worst time. If I crack now I will have to start over. I know that there are many other health benefits when I’m thinking logically, that this is a good thing, that I couldn’t go on as I was. The devil likes to hang around and jump on any weakness though.

And thanks @Unreasonabubble for wading in there, though you are not me! I will look at that thread.

Part of the reason it has taken me so long to realise is that I never have hit the bottom, I’m not drinking all day every day, I’ve never not made it to work or failed to look after the kids, I appear healthy, happy, can afford things etc etc. I had a few weeks of drinking less and 4 days a week first so it wasn’t a total stop, but that was the point I then realised I wasn’t actually enjoying it anymore and that was a lightbulb moment.
I have read some of the books mentioned and blogs online but haven’t really connected with any of them. I will keep reading though, I’m feeling better about this evening already.

Oh and very well done to the other quitters on here. You all give me hope, thank you for sharing your stories. It means so much x

Not alcohol related, but when I've struggled to sleep I find an eye mask and something talky on a podcast really helps. Something about shutting out the senses and distracting my anxious brain.

Oh dear. I need to put it in bold. No problem. If that is how you comprehend. Stop derailing.
Your non highlighted posts are confusing.

I use an app called Relax Melodies (just the free version) and the low tune with rain noises keeps me from thinking when I ought to be sleeping.

The alcohol support threads on here are excellent. Find your new crew.

Headspace bedtime sleep stories!

When lots of us here do dry January, Epsom
Salt baths are a bit of a thing.

I don’t know what’s in that stuff (and you have to use it properly!) but you add a good dose to a warm Bath and stay in for a minimum of 20 mins. It has drawing properties which is really helpful for detoxing after alcohol, plus it does something - we could never work out what - but it’s totally soporific.

We became quite hooked on them!

I often take to an Epsom bath with my kindle and I have to get out as I’m falling asleep…. And it’s a good sleep too. Deep and lovely.

Also in dry Jan it’s often only after week 2 we really get better sleep so hang on in there!

Weird suggestion but if you have an OH could you get them to give you a massage? That makes me instantly drop off

Other things...
Bubble baths
Putting your phone on night mode
Not stressing out about being awake, just accepting it and getting up at the same time regardless in the morning

It won't last forever. Good luck x

Congratulations on two weeks, OP! Thats a massive achievement.
No advice I am afraid, but you could try your GP? Maybe they will be able to prescribe something just to get you over this initial patch?

Are you going to bed too early? You say it was midnight before? Is your body used to calories late at night?

It could be that you have sleep issues quite apart from the drinking. I have a friend who gave up drinking 5 years ago, rarely gets more than 5 hours sleep a night so that's a seperate issue to look into

I stand in awe of you.

I'm - shall we say - over-reliant on alcohol. Sort of two days on and two days off. And my sleep on the first night of not drinking is hell (but I still keep drinking ). I would like to think my sleep would get easier quite quickly if I could stop drinking.

The very best of luck to you, stay strong and be proud of yourself. You deserve it.

Well done OP, 5 years here and sleep is still a bit hit and miss but it for better after about a month. When I organise my life to have a decent sleep, I sleep Properly and oh, I feel amazing.

If you’ve had some form of “over enchantment” with a substance I’d be wary of trying sleeping tablets as a solution. It would likely be switching one problem for another.

Well done and stick with it.

@Unreasonabubble
I understood you and wasn’t confused