Question by sleepy: i am fighting an addiction to opiates and i am having trouble sleeping, what sort of sleep aids could i use?
i have always had trouble sleeping but it is even worse now that i am trying to get clean. the lack of sleep is making it very hard for me to stay clean and it is very frustrating!! i know doctors dont like to give people like me sleep aids but i fear if i dont get something to help me i am going to falter. if anyone knows of a non-habit forming sleep aid i would love to know about it. nothing seems to work!
Best answer:
Answer by John D
benedryl
Know better? Leave your own answer in the comments!
{ 7 comments… read them below or add one }
over the counter melatonin. It really helps and non habit forming. Good luck with getting clean will keep you in my prayers. I commend you for your honesty and that is the first step to getting clean. You will make it and you will look back one day and see all that you came thru that will help others in the same situation. Bless you for your honesty. Chow for Now.
Well dont take any sleep aids just take a nap when your tired. you can get addicted to any sort of sleep aid. Its sad my mom is addicted to alot of different sleep aid I hate it. She has skinserfinia That disorder where you see things. and all she likes to do know is sleep.
Been where you are,…& it sucked!
my head would run all night sometimes & it wouldn’t let me sleep well at all.
I took a suggestion from a friend to get into some enjoyable form of excercise (in my case Raquetball) and work myself to a frazzle so i came home completely tired and able to just zonk out when i went to bed.
other suggestions that helped included journal writing and meditation,…but ya gotta be open to trying them and patient because you do not see immediate results.
this is how you are going to be for a while opiate pepped me up and comming off them you will have flu like symtoms headaches ,sick shake and you have to becareful for any withdrawls dts can kill you…i went to rehab i was that bad plus drinking,and sleep was lacking you cant die from not sleeping but it puts you in a frame of mind i am telling you from my mistakes and these effects can last for up to a yr the feeling like crap no motivation so if you r this way id go in .not only these i suffered from but anorexic and bulimia i was 90 pounds and on my death bed
melatonin is something you can get at any vitamin store. your body produces it naturally, you can just get a supplement. It’s not habit forming so you don’t have to worry about getting addicted to it.
You could also try taking benadryl, works like a charm.
I’ve been there too. I had a really hard time sleeping, but it only lasted about 2 weeks. I occasionally took tylenol sleep, but not every night. Sleep aids didn’t help completely during withdrawals. My body would fight them. Some nights I just told myself to deal with it. When you wake up, get some warm milk and a snack. Watch TV, get on the computer. Do something to make you sleepy. Get a journal or read a book. Also, try to not take naps during the day, that way you’ll sleep more at night. Melatonin should help as well.
This is a question I have answered many times in my practice as an addiction counselor, but the sad part is, the best method varies with each individual.
First, I want to tell you that seeking help through ANY source is a positive step, and I commend you for trying to cope with these stressors that you have identified as relapse triggers.
Here’s how I break it down:
1. Understand that your brain chemistry is changing, trying to return to normal. Abstinence from ALL mood altering chemicals, including caffeine and nicotine, will speed that process. (Sorry, benadryl is a mood altering chemical.)
2. Be patient with your body and brain. You’ve put them through hell. They WILL recover, but in their own time.
3. Exercise is good, in moderation. Google Search “John Ratey, M.D.” He recently published a book called “Spark” that has an excellent chapter on addiction. Follow his advice to wear out your body and have it ready for sleep when time comes.
4. Melatonin has worked well for some of my clients, but remember, everyone’s results will vary, and it usually takes at least two weeks of taking the supplement daily before it begins to take effect.
5. If you have access to health care, ask your doctor about Trazodone. I’ve seen recovering alcoholics use it as a sleep aid before, but I AM NOT A DOCTOR. Again, ask your physician. Trazodone is available by prescription only.
6. Meditation can, if practiced consistently, reduce anxiety, increase focus, and make sleeping easier. I have seen the Zen tradition known as Vipassina change lives, including my own.
The last and, in my opinion best advice I can give, is to find a 12-Step group. Narcotics Anonymous has web sites for most major metropolitan areas, and their sites all have lists of meetings.
I hope this helps.