Hi guys I have been having problems sleeping for about 5 months, I think it seemed to be triggered by prolonged stress and finally it started to effect my sleep. I have nights where I can get to sleep quick but wake up frequently after vivid dreams (before I had sleep problems I rarely remembered my dreams) and other nights I can toss and turn until sunrise and only get an hour or two sleep. I have tried over the counter antihistamines to make me drowsy but they seem to linger in my body even after stopping taking them for a few days. They make me sleep and I don't have the weird dreams either but the groggyness and dry mouth they give me is terrible. They also seem to give me depression which I believe is a common side effect. But the last 3 nights I have been drinking alcohol - about 4 cans of a beer a night seems to be enough to sedate me, I can be asleep in 10 mins after I finish them and sleep between 5 and 7 hours without waking until I need to pee. I feel fine in the morning and not groggy like when I take antihistamines. Is drinking 4 cans a night ok? Some people say yes and others no so I thought I would ask you guys. Like I say I feel fine & have decent energy during the day like I had a good enough sleep at the night.
I think the obvious answer is to deal with whatever is causing you stress so that, when that is gone, you should be able to sleep better without the need for beer.
You tolerance will go up, followed by Increased intake, rinse and repeat. If you don't like the Dry Mouth that tablets give you? Wait and see what the drink does, it will make that side effect look like a Dance with the Daisies.
Exactly like Wogan and his Floral Number!
I would say that you are dependent on alcohol. Four cans a night ! This is 28 cans a week. How strong is this beer? I would be concerned that you are causing a major problem here.
Havr you had any liver function tests done? Sorry to be a wet blanket.
Nope had no liver function tests. The beer is 4.8% volume. Not very strong, nothing compared to a spirit.
If you did a poll on who started their addiction through "Medicinal Use" you will find it to be a huge majority. Whether it be for Depression, Pain, Mental Anguish and indeed insomnia. Be it Meds/Street Drugs or Alcohol, they all take you to the same place. If 4cans (now) is going to be part of your routine, you day will soon revolve around that time for it's Daily injection of dopamine, which it will get when you Drink. As Alex says, Deal with the cause rather that effect.
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Hi Gareth as others have said using alcohol as a sleep aid is how this can in most cases lead to addiction, believe me I'm there and it's s**t. There are many other reasons for me, please try and address the underlying problem. Maybe ask doctor for some sleeping tablets as they will usually only give a few days to try and get a sleep pattern back good luck
Pistal is spot on with his/her reply.
Been there, done that and got the t.shirt!!
With me the wine to help me sleep late evening turned into the wine before dinner, straight after work, eventually over a long period, the wine in the morning.
Please don’t get to that stage, address the problem and btw alcohol induced sleep affects R.E.M. which is the ‘good’ sleep the body needs
Totally agree. After seeing two deaths in my family thru alcohol related liver disease I can safely say that alcohol is definitely a poison.
Gareth I know that some beers are weaker than spirits but that does not mean they are safe.
I have seen too many people turn into heavy drinkers during my life.
. Four pints or cans a night is over the weekly safe level of units. Personally I do not think there is a safe level. Alcohol is a poison. I would advise getting your liver function checked. You can cut down. The fact that you are drinking four cans a night is very telling of a dependency. Do you drink alcohol at any other time during the day?
No, I only drink at night I never have cravings for alcohol when I wake up or through the day.
Hi gareth
I think the point people are trying to get across to you, certainly from my experience, is that you need to address the problem now, rather than it get you later.
Okay you only drink at night now and have no cravings, but like it or not, carry on as you are and you will eventually become alcohol dependant.
Alcohol is clever, it creeps up silently on you. The four cans now will almost certainly become five, then six and so on to get the relief you want. Put bluntly you’ll need more alcohol as you become more tolerant.
I am no medic, but you’re becoming mentally dependant on alcohol and eventually will become physically dependant.
Sorry if you feel I’m being all doom and gloom, but the good thing with you is you know you need to address this otherwise you wouldn’t be on this forum.
I only wish I’d done something sooner, rather than later. It would have saved me and my family from years of heartbreak.
Insomnia is horrible, but I’ve learned to live with it. On a good night I’ll have about four hours sleep. However it’s a million times better than 6/7 hours of alcohol induced sleep.
Good luck
Brilliant reply! It will creep up on you as it normally does..
Gareth You need to stop drinking, you are dependent on alcohol. The others are right please heed them.
How are you getting on Gareth I'm so struggling hope your doing better
I'm still drinking, but I will quit I'm going to get help from my doctor.
Sorry to interject but you are halfway there in making a decision to stop self harming by drinking.
I gave up drinking due to being diagnosed with epilepsy. I did not have a choice. It is a terrible drug and I do not go lobg with the idea thatalcohol is safe at all. Have you ever seen a poor Publican as in landlord, landlady, brewery ?
At some breweries they supply free vitamin tavblets for those unfortunate enough to go along with the so called perks of free drinking! I think that says it all.
The best deterrent is thinking of the damage alcohol does to ones organs. If you google ethanol you will see how dangerous it is yet put into alcohol. Where is the logic?
Resent as msg sent prior to editing.
Sorry to interject but you are halfway there in making a decision to stop self harming by drinking.
I gave up drinking due to being diagnosed with epilepsy. I did not have a choice. It is a terrible drug and I do not go long with the idea that alcohol is safe at all.
On another note these breweries etc are just in it for the vast profits they make out of the punters who they secretly disrespect.
Have you ever seen a poor Publican as in landlord, landlady, brewery ?
At some breweries they supply free vitamin tablets for the workers who generally speaking are unfortunate enough to go along with the so called perks offered to them by the brewery of free drinking!
I think that says it all.I once heard of a landlord who would send a taxi to someone who had nerve damage to his legs and could not get to the pub.
That shows just how much profit these people ae making out of the people they call mugs behind their back of course.
The best deterrent is thinking of the damage alcohol does to ones organs. If you google ethanol you will see how dangerous it is yet put into alcohol. Where is the logic?