Little sleep

[soh11577]

I am now 16 days into quitting cold turkey and I am still not feeling the positive impact yet. I am struggling immensely to sleep at this point and I still have cravings. My heart rate has gone down though so my physical health is improving. Not sure at what point you start feeling normal again for at least less foggy.

[McMoney]

Surely someone has tips to help with this.   I’ve always been a light sleeper, a slow sleeper, and sometimes a no sleeper 😜 so I’m afraid I’m no help.  
Hang in there though!  Work on a new bedtime routine and if you work it out please share! 

[McMoney]

Also! 16 days is Huge! You are doing awesome! Hopefully if it’s keeping you up at night you’re just laying there thinking about how awesome you’re doing.   Keep going!!  👊🏼

[YoungAtHeart]

Congratulations on 16 days!  That is HUGE!.

It is common to have sleep problems the first month or so of a quit.  Now is the time to pamper yourself; take naps if you can.  Keep your "to-do" list to a minimum for now.   Exercise can help, and you should be drinking plenty of water to flush out the toxins.

Some other tips:  Be sure you stop caffeine (including chocolate) by mid-afternoon (caffeine has a greater effect when you quit), turn off screens at least two hours before bedtime,  keep to a sleep time/routine, have your room cool and dark.  If you awaken during the night, don't stay in bed and fret about it - have a book or crossword to keep your mind occupied until you are sleepy again.  Some folks take melatonin to help; you can get it naturally by heating a bit of milk (adding vanilla and a bit of sugar if you need to).

I find that thinking of US cities/states for each letter of the alphabet is a good way to encourage sleep.  It gets your mind off of everything else!  Most times I need to practice it, I rarely get beyond "L!"

This is perfectly normal and will end.  Hang in there until it does!

Nancy

[ReallyReal]

Congratulations on having 16 days.  Glad to hear your heart rate has lowered.  Do you notice improvement in your breathing?  I ask because for me, after 17 days, I can already tell there is some improvement.  I am using NRT, at a lower amount than suggested, so I didn't go cold turkey, but my sleep has been disturbed as well.  I often am up late into the night reading,  but just last night when I finally fell asleep I slept really well.  One thing I read said that the first three weeks can be pretty rough for a lot of people to get through.  Hang in there, things will get easier.  You are doing this thing!!  16 days is great.  You'll get more info here from experienced Exers, but I wanted to respond to cheer you on and give you some support.

[JonesCarpeDiem]

Can you allow yourself to relax when you can’t sleep. I’ve had some sleepless nights lately and I’ve not slept at all and yet, I haven’t been tired the next day. I attribute it to a state of deep relaxation and the only way I can get there is to allow myself to not get upset when I can’t get to sleep.

I say, allow yourself to sleep whenever you can, day or night until your body adjusts. This typically takes a month.

if you can’t turn your mind off, clear it. Get up and write down everything that is cluttering and repeating over and over and you’ll find this clearing will let you allow yourself to sleep,

wishing you well.

[Giulia]

Our recognition of the changes from which our bodies are benefitting is entirely personal.  There is no one-size-fits-all in how we perceive the health benefits.  When I quit, the most immediate change was the lack of the wad of phlegm I had going down my throat every morning.  I think that went away within three days of quitting.  Having more stamina, sleeping better... couldn't tell you about those.  At my age sleep is hard to come by, quitting or not.

It takes a while to feel "normal" again.  Or to find our 'new normal'.  Because that's really what it is.  ALL of our daily routines are different when we quit smoking.   But from my own experience (as a 17 year quitter)  the thinking has to be  "however long" it takes to get to our new normal, however long it takes to get over cravings - that "however long" is the committment and thus the process, the journey we've agreed to.  And if you haven't agreed to that "however long it takes" mindset, you need to embrace it and re-enforce it every day.

16 days free is a triumph!  Hold onto it.  Pat yourself on the back.  And just stay the course.  Add onto those days.  And don't let the expectations of what you think "should be"  deter you from keeping on.  One of the hidden benefits is in discovering how strong we are.  When we conquer this we find we can conquer just about anything!  Chin up and charge ahead!

[green1611]

Congrats @soh11577 !

I suggest not to worry, sometime you will get sound sleep.

When keep thinking about smoking, brain is over activated ..you cann't sleep.

All the best.. 

[Barbscloud]

@soh11577 Welcome to the Ex and congrats on 16 days of success.   If this is new for you, then it's a common side effect of quitting that some quitters  need more sleep, while others experience temporary insomnia.  Your body is adjusting to the loss of nicotine and a thousands of chemicals.  It takes  time to heal, so listen to what your body needs right now. It will take time to feel normal so be patient with yourself.  I think  we often expect too much too soon in relation to how long we smoked.   It will happen!

I don't always sleep great.  When I saw this discussion it made sense to me and I was doing it without realizing it.  It's called "quiet restfulness"  It's resting with your eyes closed and it can eliminate some of the stress of not falling asleep.   It's a great time to use your deep breathing exercises.

You're doing fabulous, so celebrate each day of success.  If you haven't seen this you might find it helpful.

Stay busy and stay close.

Barb

[maryfreecig]

So it sounds as though you are frustrated at 16 days in of your quit. Congratulations on 16 bty. Often being unhappy with the results of a quit early on is the sneaky work of addiction. Why bother quitting if it's going to be so unpleasant? Personally, I believe that we start feeling better when we accept that we're not going back to the addiction no matter what. 

I'm sorry you are uncomfortable-- most quits start like this but give it time, work your quit!!! It won't always be like this. It takes time to come to terms with saying no, to accept the decision to quitds, but you had your reasons for quitting, those reasons are still good today. 

[champsin97]

I too quit cold turkey 21 days ago.  I'll sleep OK for the first part of the night.  Right about 4 am though I'll wake up and it'll take sometimes 2-3 hours to go back to sleep.  I've just accepted that this is caused by quitting.  In time all will be OK.  

Here are some positive things I've noticed.  I can sleep on my back.  I don't cough all the time.  My blood pressure is better.  I don't stink like smoke.  I am saving a ton of money.  There's more time between cravings and when they do come I can handle them better.  Maybe you can relate to some of these.

I have found that getting outside and doing something physical whether it be walking, riding a bike or just working in the yard helps alot.  Stay strong and stay close.  You got this!

[biscuit9]

I have noticed that some early quitters lack for sleep and some sleep alot, individual ways of coping with quitting, I assume.  Most people will notice a difference and so sorry you are experiencing this.  Be patient as your body undergoes alot of changes while it is not getting its fix of nicotine poison.  It is a transition and your body is healing.  

Outstanding that you are on quit day 17.  Congratulations on choosing life and being the best that you can be.  Celebrate these wins, because I know it takes alot for a nic addict to get this far.  You are winning.

[CommunityAdmin]

@soh11577 CONGRATS on 17 days! That's an amazing accomplishment! And here are some resources that might explain what you're experiencing, which sounds pretty normal: https://excommunity.becomeanex.org/t5/Mayo-Clinic-Blog/Not-sleeping/ba-p/1106911?_gl=1*7ra5dc*_ga*Nj...

https://excommunity.becomeanex.org/t5/Mayo-Clinic-Blog/What-is-Sleep-Hygiene/ba-p/1120911?_gl=1*7ra5...

Remember to hang in there and lean on this community for support!

- Danielle, EX Team