Lucky 13 Question

[Ben727]

Hey, On day 13 and have a quick question: I have not taken any type of sleeping aid for last four nights. I don't seem to need more than 6 hours regardless of when I fall asleep (was pleased to fall asleep at 10 last night, not so happy about waking wide awake at 4). For those who have been clean a long time, do sleep patterns eventually revert to pre-use patterns? If yes, how long (approx) did it take 4u? This addict thanks you in advance :)

[Ben727]

Thank you sir. You must enjoy lots of parenthesis (they're just so great for fine-tuning a point). Seriously though, your compliment gave me a very real smile, thanks again!

[Bipolarlady]

Melatonin!  It's non addicting and it resets your sleep patterns.

[Ben727]

Thanks everyone, it's great (ironically) to hear this is a common problem!

[Sonrissa]

Hi Ben, for me, sleep continues to be the biggest issue! I do have other stuff going on inside right now which contributes to my sleep issues! I am happy when I get about 6 straight hours of good sleep! This is usually what I'm getting and I'm about 3 months clean! Some days I get more and some days it's a restless night of tossing and turning! The more active I am during the day, the better I sleep at night! I also take Melatonin and I agree it does help relax me! Also, I try to make a habit of reading even for just a few minutes before turning out the light! The time of year also makes a difference for me, as I tend to sleep better in the Fall and Winter! Take care! You are doing great!

[InNeed88]

I'm only on day 10 but i can tell ya Melatonin is a life saver, I know you say you dont wanna take anything for a sleep aid cause you want your body to revert  back, But our body's heal better when we have more sleep and the Melatonin is something our brain nauturally produces, I'm only take a 3mg tab which is a LOW dose. It's been helping me stay asleep for longer, Although i still have been waking up once a night, which is fine gotta let the stupid puppy out anyways lol Congrats on Day 13!!!
Molly

[akitagurl12]

i think for me, my sleep started getting better when i stopped worrying about it so much.  Making myself pass out at night with pills was what I have been doing for years.  The idea of not taking ANYTHING to fall asleep seemed impossible and not even an option to me.  But then I realized that maybe I could retrain my brain to start falling asleep naturally.  So now I go to bed around the same time at night, have a ritual of shower, reading, ect to calm me down about an hour before going to bed, and then i lay there.  If I dont fall asleep within 15 minutes, i get out of bed, go to a different room and read or just sit in the dark.  THen I try again.  I might not sleep at all but the next night I do because I am so exhausted.  I am still working hard at this but it seems to be starting to work because i am having more restful nights then not now.  Good luck!  You will get there, continue to just take it one day & NIGHT at a time. :)  Congrats on closing in on 2 weeks clean!  You are almost through the worst of detox.

[SunnysideUP27]

Hi Ben, it definitely has alot of factors as to when your sleep will return to normal? But for me it was a little over a month. I am 76 days clean and I sleep 7-8 hours a day. The best part of my sleep is that I can fall asleep and stay asleep. I remember the beginning of the process if I lied down at 10 I may not fall asleep until 2 and then it was broken all night. I can now lie down at 10-11 and fall right asleep. Its a wonderful thing and will return. Also, normal sleep brings about a healthier day. Anxiety, depression and lethargy all have a correlation with sleep. The more you sleep the better youfeel. A few more weeks you should be ok in that area.

[IBKleen]

A lot of members ask this question and it is hard to pinpoint. So much depends on your age, general health, how long you used and how much. All of these things can alter our brain chemistry and throw off that clock.

The first time I got clean many years ago it took a good three months before I started to have regular sleep patterns. It was a year before I was getting seven hours straight. But that was me and may not be your case at all.

Now after getting clean again I don't know what a night's sleep is. I get two hours at a clip if it is a good night. But, it does not have to do entirely with my drug abuse. There are other factors in there for me so you can't go by that.

While 13 days is wonderful and I commend you, it is a bit early for regular sleep patterns to return. The good news is that they will. So hang in there and get it when you can. If you go back to active addiction it will only get harder. Hang in there and don't use!!