One time when I was detoxing under the supervision of my parents I went 11 days with no sleep. I started to see things and become delirious after day 7. Which for heroin withdrawls is semi-standard. On the morning of day 11 my dad brought me a fifth of bananna flavored rum. I drank the whole bottle sitting in the hot tub, not feeling drunk at all it was time for my father to go to work, I sat on his bed while he got ready and took 5 seroquel when he wasn't looking. I finally passed out and slept for 20 hours. During an opiate detox once you sleep, you know the worst is over.
When I really finally got sober sleep was the most difficult thing to deal with. I would walk my dog for miles between the hours of 3 and 5 a.m. my dog thought it was such an adventure but the aches and pains of sleepless nights made me miserable. At times in sobriety I have found ways to sleep well for periods of time, regular meals, regular sex, good books, fly fishing, if all these activitis were maintained I was able to sleep somewhat normally. In the last two years my sleep patterns have become increasingly unhealthy again. I am afraid I'll lose this job over it. I am up till 5 a.m. most weeknights tossing and turning eyes wide open. I get up for work at 8a.m. and work till 5p.m. I come home and eat dinner and then go to a meeting or play cards or whatever. Somewhere between 5 and 10 p.m. I get wired again. Saturday or Sunday I usually crash at like 3 or 4 a.m. and sleep till the late afternoon which starts the whole cycle over again for the next work week. I need help, I stopped drinking coffee after 3p.m. but no change. I have talked to my sponsor and I am going to see a dr. and discuss SAFE options for me. I can't take it anymore!!!!! I've tried almost everything, you name it, I've tried it. I've had a hard time being able to function at work. So now I'll be researching safe sleep aids for a couple weeks probably.
