How to sleep

[u/Ma1arkey]

Hello all, fist time posting. I've recently quit drinking at the start of October with the help of Alan carr's stop drinking book, this is the longest I've been sober in about 12 years. I had a habit of getting drunk enough every night that I would easily fall asleep when I laid in bed.

Now that I'm sober I can't sleep. If I lay in bed I lay there awake until the sun comes up and end up getting an hour or two of sleep before I have to start the day. Quick naps have been essential as I am miserable. I try melatonin which helps me initially fall asleep but I'm wide awake a couple hours later and toss and turn until I fall asleep and have to wake up an hour or two later for work, etc. I have tried sleeping pills (antihistamine) which kind of work but I wake up many times during the night and then feel hung over the next day.

What methods have you all had to learn how to become normal sleepers again? It's been so tempting to just grab a drink to ease me into sleep but I don't want to start drinking again. Sorry for the long post.

Tldr: been drunk every night for over a decade. Now sober and don't know how to fall asleep. Help

[u/Spirited_Permit_4066]

I've also been a habitual drinker in order to go to bed person so this is my routine that I found really worked in the beginning. Ambient sounds at half volume really drowns out the thoughts and the slight panic of not being able to sleep, magnesium tincture just two drops before you lay down it definitely helps me stay asleep. I used a ton of sleep guided meditation too just free on youtube or spotify that I find useful during certain spikes of insomnia, but ive also always stuck by if you just do simple tasks in your mind, like boiling water or making a sandwhich then I eventually always drift off.

Hope this helps, im rooting for you!