is there a medical reason for the lack of sleep

i am just wondering if there is actual a medical reason why so many people (myself included) are not being able to sleep good after coming off opiates? i have been sleeping ok, but it has only been because i have been using xanax.  I have been slowly tapering off the xanax now, and the less i take, the more i start worrying about not being able to sleep again.  Not sleeping has to be the worst part of all this because it affects me so much the next day.  Before I completely let go of the xanax, i have decided that i need to stop using so much caffiene and i need to be more physically active during the day, but i was just wondering is there a medical reason why sleep is so screwed up during and after u stop taking opiates?  Sleep aids really don't work for me, I have a medicine cabinet full of OTC sleep stuff.  I even have a few prescribed sleep medications that don't work.  The only thing that has worked has been the xanax.  But that has to stop because i know it is causing me depression and of course another addiction.  Is there a timeframe for when sleep returns to normal?  My main problem has been I will lay in bed for hours and just cannot shut my mind off.  Or I wake up and can't fall back asleep.    

[Map1944]

Have you tried alteril?  It's an all natural sleep aid.  Works pretty good.  

[steve1220]

Hey there Gurl......were about the same time frame off the opiates and you know the sleep thing has been or the lack of i should say has been a big thing for me i've tried everything too and still no sleep !!! well it's better now than it was but still i long to be able to lay my head down and go right to sleep !!!! so i hope somebody has a medical anwser ......good to see ya still hangin in there Gurl........your friend steve

[IBKleen]

Hi Hun, ANYTIME you introduce a mind or mood altering substance then you change your body's chemistry. I am fairly certain that is the reason why you feel these changes and rightly so. Please talk to your prescribing physician and ask for help with this. The internet is great for a lot things but does not substitute goo old fashioned medical care up close and personal. Hang in there girl. I will pray for you.

[Fireby29]

I am unsure about sleep.  I seem to be fairly up on why the other anatomy stuff gets so messed up, but sleep is a good question.  Like the others, I assume a brain needing healing.  I am doing really well on sleep since day 20 or so, and I really think the protein shakes and daily gym activity has been the key.  I am trying to eat well, but that's a little more hit and miss for me.  Hard to give up all ice cream AND the pills....lol.

I bet sleep is gonna get better for you soon, hang in there.

Bryan

[killmypain]

I believe that your brain releases chemicals that helps you fall asleep and stay asleep. When you take narcotics (and benzos for that matter), it affects your natural ability to produce these neurochemicals because it doesn't have to.... Your body becomes "lazy" and lets the pills do all the work. Now your brain and body have to recover and start producing these chemicals again and unfortunately, this takes quite a bit of time. You will start to feel better and better but an entire night of sleep is not going to happen without drugs until you stop taking them. When you stop taking the xanax (and you should as soon as possible, with doc's help) I understand that your level of anxiety will go way up for a few days but then get better. (Nothing like detoxing off narcotics though.) I recommend trying the sleepy time teas and maybe some valarian root (might be spelled wrong) or melatonin to start. These won't get you a full night of sleep but they will get you a few hours and it's a start- to get you off the benzos. I used benadryl and melatonin while I was detoxing and I found that after the first week or so, they helped me to sleep about 4 hours straight. Unfortunately, I am almost a year out and I only get a full night of sleep when I am completely exhausted physically. But I hear that by 18 months or so, your brain is producing enough of these chemicals on its own again. Im not a doctor or even a nurse so don't do anything without talking to your doctor first. Don't forget, you are strong enough to beat the narcotics.... that was an awesome thing! You can handle this! Keep swimming!

[jaystr]

When you take opiates for a long period of time, your brain stops producing DMT which is the chemical in your brain that makes you sleep and also dream.