Sleeping but WOW The Quality SUCKS!

Well Since at least Dec 10th I got off the Ativan for a second time after re instating it for like 3 months, I sleep I guess but jeez the quality is TERRIBLE! Maybe I did 5 hours last night but I always wake up feeling like crap and asking myself....WHAT SLEEP?!

 

Then I am Tired all day untill I have to go thru it again!

 

Anyone else have Horrible sleep after WD, even if you do sleep?

My sleep was atrocious after I stopped taking Ativan.  It got somewhat better (I've never been a great sleeper).  Try not to anguish about it when you find yourself awake at 3 am.  Do your best to remain calm and relaxed and you might even fall back to sleep for another 30 minutes.

yeah I assume Im getting stage 1 or 2 sleep only, there is NO deep sleep to be had at all

Yep, this is true for a bunch of us. I'm regularly amazed at how our bodies and minds work. First we learn that we can survive without sleep. Then we get to learn that you can survive on super crappy, grade AAA lousy, light, broken sleep. I haven't woken up feeling rested in several years but I celebrate when the night lasts for a while. When I start to feel deprived and bitter, I reflect back on the very long period of time with no sleep. This is better than that was. At least the time passes more easily and is often pleasant. Some of our brains take a long time to heal. Do all you can to help it heal with exercise, meditation/relaxation exercises, acceptance and coping skills like practicing gratitude.

yeah one other question, you ever get to where you have bad sleep, feel like crap the next day then the next night your anxiety is worse from being fatigued and its harder to sleep that night?

Sleep was almost impossible for me for a while. I went three nights in a row with no sleep, at the worst. Then, for ages, sleep was horrible. Some of that cannot be improved and you just have to wait for your body too heal. But sleep got much better for me when I took some healthy routine steps. Exercising for at least half an hour, with elevated heart rate and sweating, every day early in the day, and then drinking chamomile tea, and shutting down all electronics and dim the lights and focus on relaxation and light reading for an hour before bedtime - and going to bed and setting the alarm for the same wakeup time every night and morning, regardless of how I felt - were all helpful. It takes time to heal. It doesn't get better overnight. But it does get better.

yeah one other question, you ever get to where you have bad sleep, feel like crap the next day then the next night your anxiety is worse from being fatigued and its harder to sleep that night?

 

There's definitely a 'dread the bed' effect that can happen - especially after several nights of no sleep or nearly no sleep.  Of course, that dread only makes sleep worse.

Well Since at least Dec 10th I got off the Ativan for a second time after re instating it for like 3 months, I sleep I guess but jeez the quality is TERRIBLE! Maybe I did 5 hours last night but I always wake up feeling like crap and asking myself....WHAT SLEEP?!

 

Then I am Tired all day untill I have to go thru it again!

 

Anyone else have Horrible sleep after WD, even if you do sleep?

 

haha..... this made me do that sad laugh that turns into a sigh. Ive been like this for months now. I wake up with a feeling like i just went to dream bootcamp and got my ass kicked and wake more tired then I went in. When I wake up I just exhale really loudly and long. This again? Yep!

Well I been sleeping somewhat most nights but quality still sucks, all except last night, thought maybe I was over the no sleep nights but last night I didnt sleep at all not until 8:30am till maybe 11:30am, still feel terrible but I guess 3 hours is better then none

Well I been sleeping somewhat most nights but quality still sucks, all except last night, thought maybe I was over the no sleep nights but last night I didnt sleep at all not until 8:30am till maybe 11:30am, still feel terrible but I guess 3 hours is better then none

 

This was months 3-10 for me.....generally able to sleep but bad nights like that sprinkled in and the quality woeful. month 11 it picked up a bit. Now I sleep pretty much when i want but quality is rubbish

Well I been sleeping somewhat most nights but quality still sucks, all except last night, thought maybe I was over the no sleep nights but last night I didnt sleep at all not until 8:30am till maybe 11:30am, still feel terrible but I guess 3 hours is better then none

 

Mark,

 

The zero nights can last well into your recovery future.  I am over 18 months off and had 3 zero and one near zero night the past 3 weeks, but I also had some very good nights too. That is what we mean when we say it is nonlinear or up and down.  You will have good nights, weeks, or even months followed by poor or bad nights with little or no sleep.  But the fact that you are sleeping proves that you can sleep and you don't have fatal insomnia.  These drugs really do a number on our Gabba receptors and brain chemistry in general.  Since you haven't been off very long after reinstating for 3 months on a high dose of Ativan, I would say you are doing incredibly well even though it doesn't feel like you are making any progress.  Many others on this site, that have been off a lot longer than you have, would love to get the amount of sleep you are currently getting.  Be thankful for what you are getting.  It will only continue to improve.  The more time that passes, the more sleep you will get on average.  Hang in there, you are making progress.

Last night I think I slept 6 hours but man the quality is still terrible, its odd, some days when I only sleep 3-4 hours I feel more rested then 6 hours, today Im yawning and feeling awful all day!

I've had the majority of symptoms and insomnia has by far been the worse. Other symptoms had always been hard to go through but you could escape with sleep. When your sleep goes to shit, not only does every symptom get magnified but you become far more depressed because you cannot escape and rest up each night. Sleep also becomes another added anxiety and each night becomes a tiring exercise in itself.

 

All that said, the biggest obstacle is realising that you CAN survive on so little sleep. I too have gone three days without sleep and so many nights of broken non/light sleep but you learn to manage and function.

 

I look forward to the day everything resets.

I've had the majority of symptoms and insomnia has by far been the worse. Other symptoms had always been hard to go through but you could escape with sleep. When your sleep goes to shit, not only does every symptom get magnified but you become far more depressed because you cannot escape and rest up each night. Sleep also becomes another added anxiety and each night becomes a tiring exercise in itself.

 

All that said, the biggest obstacle is realising that you CAN survive on so little sleep. I too have gone three days without sleep and so many nights of broken non/light sleep but you learn to manage and function.

 

I look forward to the day everything resets.

 

good description......Try to imagine 1 day that is a whole week long. Its torture. Ive had weeks like that early on. Less these days but i shudder to think it could return

I totally agree with JohnnyBoi .Sleep holds the Key .Anxiety and obtrusive thoughts are generally side effects of lack of sleep .

 

I have now lowered down my expectation from sleep .If I get two or three of good sleep I am delighted . Three hours of good sleep is way better than 8 hours of broken sleep.