[wayne]

I gave up alcolhol on the 01/02/2020 i am still very much clean however since giving up i have not been able to sleep very lucky if i sleep once a weeki am here to ask any advice anyone might have that is a natural sleep aid i hope i have come to the right place 🙂

[hiker]

Hi Wayne, I can’t speak to any alcohol withdrawal issues, but I am still confident alcohol is not a factor at this point. As you probably know, intoxication gets in the way of good sleep, but you have been sober for months.

Re natural sleep aids, I did not find any OTC meds which worked. I think some might for short-term insomnia, but that is about it. As for Rx level, the best bet for finding a knowledgeable doc is a sleep medicine specialist. Pharmacists get more specific training on the effects of various meds. And a number of meds do have side effects. Many are antidepressants, and a particular form of insomnia–chronic early morning awakening–is a classic symptom of depression.

Over the long term, though, there is unfortunately no sleep med. which is a guarantee. If there were, you would see blocks-long lines at doc’s offices to get it. Check out Martin’s discussions about the emotional blocks we put up when it comes to sleep, e.g. trying too hard to sleep—in fact, trying at all.

Take care, and know you are not alone in this.

[Martin Reed]

Hello Wayne and welcome to the forum, and congratulations on your ongoing sobriety!

The best natural sleep aid is already within you — it’s your body’s natural ability to sleep. This is an ability that never goes away!

What can happen is that when we become concerned or worried about sleep or put effort into sleep, we create arousal and this can suppress sleep. However, sleep drive always wins in the end — so we will always get, at the very least, the bare minimum amount of sleep we need to get by.

Often the best thing to do to improve sleep quality is to avoid the thoughts and behaviors that perpetuate sleep disruption. This is where the implementation of cognitive behavioral therapy for insomnia (CBT-I) techniques can be so helpful.

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If you are ready to stop struggling with insomnia you can enroll in the online insomnia coaching course right now! If you would prefer ongoing phone or video coaching calls as part of a powerful three month program that will help you reclaim your life from insomnia, consider applying for the Insomnia Mastery program.

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[Author]

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