I'm taking alcohol for my insomnia and my gf is concerned.

[ironpony]

I've done it for a few days, and she became really concerned, and doesn't like me taking a few shots before bed to get some sleep. I've tried all these other remedies and nothing works. They all make me feel really tired, but don't actually put me to sleep. It seems that alcohol is the only one that's been working.

 

She wanted me to make a promise that I wouldn't do it for a week. So I made her the promise but it the insomnia drove me crazy on the fourth night and I caved, and had some, after giving up after three hours of trying to sleep.

 

Is there a way I can get her to see that I feel terrible about breaking the promise which is why I caved?

 

I went to the doctor before and he perscribed a therapist, but the therapist is a slow working process, and I just feel I need something to get me through some nights, until the therapy works.

 

What do you think?

[Redhead14]

This is something you should address with the therapist . . .

Edited November 20, 2019 by a LoveShack.org Moderator

[elaine567]

It is not to be condoned as sleep experts do no recommend it due to it interfering with natural sleep patterns, and it all adds to what is considered the daily safe limit, but a small alcoholic drink taken before sleep is quite common.

 

BUT a "a few shots" every night is too much, your gf is right to be concerned.

[alphamale]

tsk tsk ironpony, you are making bad choices...again

[ironpony]

Oh okay, well a small drink wasn't working sometimes, but if I take about three shots, then that should be good.

 

When it comes to all the other sleep remedies I have tried what is the alcohol doing differently that they are not? Is there perhaps something else that can do the same thing as alcohol that is working, but it's not alcohol then?

[vla1120]

Have you tried Melatonin? It's a more natural solution.

[ironpony]

Yeah I've tried that, but it makes me tired, but not sleepy. I manage to get some sleep with it, like maybe 4 hours at best, but I could use more than that.

 

I think the reason why I have a lot of insomnia troubles, is I have too much adrenaline. I tried yoga like some people say, but that doesn't seem to have any effect on me though. Melatonin does not seem to reduce adrenaline though, but just make me tired in other ways. But not sleepy so much cause the adrenaline overpowers the melatonin it seems. Is there any herbal remedy or medication that is designed to bring down adrenaline specifically?

 

Do you think that herbal remedies really work though? I keep reading that if you want to bring down anxiety, make sure you are taking your vitamins, etc. However, I have a friend who is on anti-anxiety medication, and if all it took to bring down anxiety, were some vitamins, wouldn't he rather take those?

Edited November 20, 2019 by ironpony

[alphamale]

there is a Rx drug called Trazodone that is an anti-depressant but also makes one sleepy. It is not habit forming.

 

I take it every night. I would recommend it. Ask your medical professional

[ironpony]

I could try that. I feel that the reason why things like melatonin and tryptophan, and other things like that, do not work is cause they make me physically sleepy, but not psychologically sleepy. Is there anything I can get right away, without having to wait to see the doc for a prescription that will make a person psychologically sleepy?

[preraph]

Look, any doctor will tell you that alcohol will make it harder to sleep anyway. Take a benadryl. You can take 2, which is 50 mgs. It only takes one to make me drowsy, but for you it may take two. Much less habit forming.

[Grumpybutfun]

Anything that becomes habit forming can be dangerous. I had horrible insomnia for a bit and figured out it was due to too much screen time before bed. I started only using my bedroom for intimacy and sleep and it improved. Go through a list of things you do before bed and see if there are things you are doing that keeps you awake. Are you an over thinker? Are you only using your bedroom for sex and sleep? Are you watching tv or surfing the web? Are you worrying about not sleeping to the point where you are getting agitated? If you make your bedroom a sleeping/sex room only, your mind starts correlating those activities to that room only.

If it doesn’t improve after that, see a Doc. You may have a sleeping disorder.

Good luck,

G

[alphamale]

You may have a sleeping disorder.

 

he DOES have a sleeping disorder Gbf, it is clearly documented here on LS

[Grumpybutfun]

he DOES have a sleeping disorder Gbf, it is clearly documented here on LS

 

I’ve been on here for less than ten minutes after not visiting for months. Please forgive me for not reading everything provided in that time span!

Best,

G

[d0nnivain]

It's a myth that alcohol makes you sleep. When your drunk wears off you actually get less sleep & it's of poorer quality.

 

https://www.webmd.com/sleep-disorders/news/20130118/alcohol-sleep#1

[elaine567]

Alcohol does not promote sleep it actually knocks you out like an anaesthetic. You do not feel completely rested and your brain is not refreshed. The sleep such as it is is unnatural.

The other issue is that alcohol can increase feelings of anxiety once you wake up. So a vicious circle.

[ironpony]

Oh okay thanks, that makes sense. Well I don't drink enough alcohol for that to last all night, just a bit for the knock out, then it wears off in an hour, and then I stay asleep for what feels like mostly natural sleep after that, if that makes sense?

 

However, I feel the reason why I am having trouble sleeping is because of adrenaline. Is there anything I can take instead, that will lower the adrenaline for now?

Edited November 20, 2019 by ironpony

[d0nnivain]

However, I feel the reason why I am having trouble sleeping is because of adrenaline. Is there anything I can take instead, that will lower the adrenaline for now?

 

No. You don't take things. Instead you change the ambiance.

 

What do you do before bed that has you so ramped up? You have to change your routine & do soothing things before bed. You also have to get a routine that signals to your body that it's time for sleep.

 

Try the following steps:

 

1. Clean your sleep space. Get rid of all the clutter. If there is a TV in that room get it out. If you have a clock radio with neon numbers, turn it around. Never bring your cell phone into that room at night.

 

2. Have an electronic detox for an hour before bed: no TV, no internet, no phone, no games. Read. Listen to music. Talk to your SO. Meditate but no electronics of any sort.

 

3. Finish eating & drinking an hour before bed. this includes alcohol, herbal tea, snacks, warm milk etc.

 

4. Reserve you bed for sleeping & sex, not reading, watching TV etc. You want to set the stage that when you climb into bed your body knows this is the signal to go to sleep.

 

5. Avoid caffeine after a certain point in early afternoon.

 

6. Exercise in the morning not right before bed

 

Develop a routine. For example: turn off electronics; read for a bit; brush your teeth & wash your face; put on PJs or whatever you sleep in; climb under the covers. You want your body to have triggers that now it's time for sleep.

[basil67]

You don't take anything to fix the adrenaline. Instead, you change your habits.

 

I think in a previous post, you mentioned that late exercise is the cause of the adrenaline. How about exercising in the morning instead of at night?

[ironpony]

Yep I've been exercising earlier but haven't been able to as much lately. Probably because I am tired. But my knee injury from before is also limiting the amount of exercises I can do, at least ones that involve using the knees.

 

Well there some reasons that have caused the adrenaline which has gotten worse over the months. I was going through a lot of stress, out of spending a lot money on directing and producing a feature film, which I wanted to use to further my career in and break into the business with. That was causing me a lot, since it's a lot of money.

 

Then I found out that my best friend going way back, has cancer, and me worrying about her is causing a lot of adrenaline, especially now more, that she is closer to the end now. My gf says that since this has happened, my insomnia has been far worse. I've also been having memory problems, which she said has increased a lot since this has happened.

 

And I was recently laid off of my job, and am jobless at the moment, which is also adding to it.

 

So it's pretty much been those things I think that have been causing my adrenaline to be way up.

[rjc149]

Yeah taking shots before bedtime is a bad way to go. Aside from the fact that your sleep will be poor quality and not very restorative, you are damaging your liver, dehydrating yourself, thereby making you wrinklier, puffier, and uglier. I know I look like a different (much less handsome) man in the morning after throwing them back the previous night. To the point where one of my girlfriend's would comment on it.

 

All the points have been touched here -- workout (cardio!!) in the morning, no coffee after 12PM, eat a lighter dinner in the evening, cool your bedroom down, no blue light an hour before bed, etc.

 

Have you tried white noise? It knocks me out.

 

All else failing, you could try Unisom. It will take you down even if you've used -- chemical stimulants -- that night. Just make sure you've got a straight 8-hour window to sleep it off, or you'll be groggy the next morning.

[Kitty Tantrum]

I'm not a doctor, but I suspect that all of your various problems have a behavioral basis. You need to focus on changing your daily habits and behaviors and stop looking for pills and patches to make the difference for you. There is nothing you can take that will negate the effects of an unhealthy mode of living. I bet if you spent a month working long days on a rural farm somewhere with no internet or TV, and well away from the typical consumer circus that is modern life, most of your problems would miraculously disappear.

[ironpony]

Okay thanks, but I can't go work on a farm though like that, and change everything around, just to sleep. There are people like me who have the same career path as me, who can sleep just fine, so wouldn't it be psychological, and not what you do for work, and for a living?

 

My doctor tells me it's cause of anxiety so he recommended the therapist, but I feel the therapy is taking a while to kick in, and feel I could use a faster remedy, if anything else is out there.

Edited November 22, 2019 by ironpony

[d0nnivain]

The stress from your recent job loss & all your anxiety about your movie making dream are factors here. But there are environmental considerations that you can address: cut back on the alcohol & caffeine; have a cool uncluttered room; stay off all electronics for at least an hour before bed; don't exercise in the evening; learn to meditate; & develop a bed time routine.

 

People also react to stress differently. So others on your career path might not feel what you feel. It's personal.

[alphamale]

The stress from your recent job loss & all your anxiety about your movie making dream are factors here. But there are environmental considerations that you can address: cut back on the alcohol & caffeine; have a cool uncluttered room; stay off all electronics for at least an hour before bed; don't exercise in the evening; learn to meditate; & develop a bed time routine.

 

People also react to stress differently. So others on your career path might not feel what you feel. It's personal.

 

I find that masturbating before bedtime assists in the quality of sleep

[ironpony]

Oh okay. Actually masturbation was making it worse, and raising my adrenaline higher, so I have been doing that in the mornings, or earlier in the day now, otherwise I will feel even more awake from the adrenaline jolt, in the evening.