I have even considered NyQuil since that will put me to sleep, but that has alcohol so I haven't done that yet.

How is your peace of mind?

The reason I ask is that I am just up with hot chocolate...I took someone elses poison (a resentment) to bed and couldn't rest. They will give me sleepless nights every time.

Hope you work out what keeps you up. Most nights I now sleep like a baby which is very different to when I was drinking :)

Sorry to hear you are having difficulty sleeping, something I remember well from stopping drinking. It got better after a while so I could have a deep and refreshing sleep naturally. Sleep has been good ever since.

I got plenty of exercise and used valerian tabs as a natural sleep aid which helped a bit during the worst of it.

Anything containing alcohol was off limits for me, the same goes for sleeping pills. My doctor was well aware of my alcoholism so would not prescribe them anyway.

Have you tried camomile tea? It alone might not be enough but worth a try. Good luck xx

Yep...took my body some time to 're-adjust'. One way or another I'd been in 'fight-or-flight' for years, hormones chemicals and crazy head on top of no booze, everything was out of whack.

If you ask me, time was the best remedy. Taking anything to artificially adjust would just have been another dependency in waiting and wouldn't have solved the root problem. Meditation gets my vote too...relaxing music or a good guided sleep meditation a nice idea.

P

How about working out? I always found that alcohol disturbed my sleeping process. An evening work out at the gym might do the trick.

I also have suffered from insomnia since I was a teenager.
Trying to deal with it was one of the reasons why I started drinking.

Here is a link to a list of suggestions:
http://www.helpguide.org/life/insomnia_treatment.htm

Some other things you can try:

-- melatonin -- though I think if you take it regularly it can mess with your ability to sleep more.

-- Benadryl -- this is what I occasionally took when I was pregnant with a doctor's permission.

-- Herbal remedies -- I've tried a couple that helped me fall asleep. Can't remember the names. Herbal teas will help too

Make sure you do not have ANY caffeine after noon. Get exercise, have a bedtime ritual -- all the standard stuff in the link

You might try guided meditation -- do a search on Youtube.

Hopefully as your body adjusts you will be able to get into a good sleep rhythm. Try to give yourself at least a few months before looking into meds if you can.

Insomnia is not a disease in itself. It is a sign of something else that is wrong with the body that needs to be diagnosed and treated.

Have you tried melatonin? It is natural (OTC too) herbal sleep remedy.

Lunesta works for me. Without it, I can't go to sleep. It does not matter how long I read in bed, how many sheep I count, exercise or dieting, I am just not able to get to sleep. And I need to get up early for work, so sleep is important even if I use a sleep aid.

I've got an app which I think is free or just pennies (sorry can't remember as I've had it a while) called Just Rain. You can set it to switch off when you want and it's lovely to listen to. I use it when I'm away from home and my own bed as it relaxes me.

I've struggled with insomnia since I was in my teens.

I hear a lot of good things about melatonin.

If it is interfering with you life and your livelihood, I would suggest seeing a doctor explaining that you are sober and see what they suggest.

You are not alone.

Hugs.

Hi and welcome. I too sometimes had issues sleeping. I could fall asleep and always have...but woke up in the middle of the night. Drinking these wake ups were FULL of anxiety. Sober I just wake up, say some prayers, and fall back asleep. Sometimes super quick, sometimes it takes a while. But I don't stress I just am awake....
Anyway, I've found that lots of exercise, no caffeine outside of decaff in the a.m. which has a little, and not eating after 7 p.m. at night all helps. I now sleep mostly soundly and when I wake its not a horror show.

Once I stopped drinking I did find that it was hard to get to sleep some nights ,,I started listening to the following hypnosis on how to stop drinking and it has helped me to relax and get the rest I need ,hope it helps,,,http://www.hypnosis-today.com/Free-Alcohol-Addiction-hypnosis.html