how long

[glassguy]

Well I made it to day 6 now!!!!!! :-) never thought it was possible PRAISE GOD!!! but now how long till the sleep comes back or the anxiety goes away????

[Jinx_777]

congrats on day 6.  sleep and anxiety are the last things to get back to normal.  helps to be healthy, good diet and exercise.  eventually it will start to come back.  everyone is so different.  i am on day 8 and cannot get any sleep without xanax and otc sleep aids, even then it is only a few hours, maybe 3

[Sweetness91]

First, congrats on 6 days! That's awesome. :)

Unfortunately, sleep was the last thing to return for me. I thought I'd surely die of sleep deprivation. Lol. But we as humans, can actually get by with little or next to no sleep. I was surprised at how well I actually functioned w/o sleep. I don't remember exactly, it's been over 18 months since my detox, but I think sleep finally came back after about a month or so. The anxiety hit me like a ton of bricks, I'd never dealt with panic attacks so it scared the bejeezus outta me. I ended up having to seek medical treatment to get me through that. And after about a month on medication, I was through with having the attacks and stopped the medication with no issues. I hold a lot of respect for those that get through it on their own without meds. I am definitely not promoting anti anxiety meds though...they're dangerous for some ppl. I know there are supplements and herbs that help with these issues. St Johns Wort is one I believe.

I think when your sleep comes back and the anxiety eases depends on what you were on and how long. Plus everyone is different..some bounce back quick, others take longer. You seem to be doing pretty great so I'm betting you'll be one of the "chosen" ones :)
Congrats again, and the best of luck to you!!

[glassguy]

Thank you all so much!!!! Iam sure I would have not been able to get where iam at w/o you all...May GodBless You All...!!!!!!!

[lulu747]

This is the 900 million dollar question that gets asked on this forum more than ANY other.  The answer is different for everyone- but I do know this- the more you focus on sleep, the less likely it is to happen.
When you can't sleep, don't force it.  Just get up- go to the couch and read a book, go for a late night walk, or swim, or listen to some chill music while sipping chamomile or sleepy time tea.
Also- the addictions doc I saw 3 weeks after I went cold turkey (so this advice was a little late for me) told me that if you take 3 mg of Melatonin when the sun goes down, and then another 3-6 mg at bed time, it will help re-set your sleep/wake schedule.  It also improves the quality of your sleep.
The other thing that makes a huge difference is exercise.  The more you tire out your body during the day (don't do vigorous exercise before bed) then the more likely you are to catch a few hours.
I remember at the beginning of week 2 I finally got four consecutive hours and it felt like a miracle.
So just try not to focus on it (I know easier said than done) and just focus on how far you've come!
Congrats on 6 days- on to a week now (:
Lu

[jugglin]

Woohoo on day 6!  That is awesome and you should be proud.  For me, it was the rls that caused the lack of sleep.  Once I got that under control, I was ok.  Prayers out to u and wishing u the very best.  You have made it this far, keep fighting!

[Amandag78]

Hey, congratulations on day 6 !!!
I was extremely blessed, i slept 12 hours every night from the beginning of my detox.
I got anxiety around the 6 week mark and it finally left me around the 5 month mark.
Its diff for everyone though.
But your clean and thats a great start.
Much luck to you : )

[Amandag78]

Oh i will add, everytime i drank coffee, my anxiety hit the roof, so i switched to tea for a few months and it made a massive differance.
If i had to have coffee, i did limit it to 1 a day when i felt i really needed it in the morning. ( total coffee addict, 15 cups a day, so i withdrew that too lol )

[meegWpaw]

Congratulations on six huge days that is freakin awesome!!!!!  hope you are feeling better by and by

[jifmoc]

Awesome job on day 6. Don't worry, anxiety and insomnia are normal and they take a while to even out. The more you stress about sleep the less likely you are to sleep. A "trick" that I've done is to not even TRY to sleep, or go into the bed until really really late. The worst is going to bed at 12:30am and lying there stressing. So I didn't bother. I just stayed up w/ movies and on the computer until I feel really tired. If you don't, don't worry, you will. It won't kill you even though it feels like it:)

[Sweetness91]

One thing I feel compelled to add..have you tried an electric blanket?? That thing was like a mainstay in my living room. I'd wrap my legs in it late at nite when I couldn't get relief, and it really did give me some of the relief I was longing for. I'd lay in that recliner with that blanket wrapped around half my body. I'm a sure believer in magnesium and the electric blanket.  That's just my opinion though. I hope you find the answers you're looking for sweetheart!