Can't stop sleeping?

[PBgirl]

Has there been anyone who has quit that has had a hard time staying awake? I literally am getting 8 or 9 hours a night, get up for an hour, have to go back to sleep for an hour or so, spend a few more awake hours, then urge to sleep yet AGAIN. I know the body is healing itself from the smoking but this seems extreme (and inconvenient). Has anyone else experienced this??

Also, I gave up coffee (too much of a smoke trigger) so I don't know if that has anything to do with it. Please tell me I am not alone and this gets better.

[TwinCity]

sleeping has been a big problem for me as well.. intermittently and even before my quit. i know what I need to do to get a normal sleep etc but i just don't but...

You need to make yourself tired enough to get a full nights sleep everynight.. you should be doing 40 minutes of some kind of exercising a day.. at least.

You need to eat a healthy well-balanced diet.. sweets always in moderation

You should have a clean uncluttered place where you sleep thats very dark/quiet and cool


epsom salts.. yada yada yada....

Sometimes I get to the point where I need to reset my internal clock(i forget the scientific name for it...circadian i think?) but... I will stay up for nearly 24 hours and go to bed at a normal time.. usually around 11pm or so. Sometimes I will fast during that period so that I am hungry when I wake up in the morning.. then I can start a regular cycle again with breakfast in the morning (very important)...

if none of the above works you probably have some severe depression or some other problem that you should go to the doctor for... you most likely know what to do to fix your problem, you just have to listen to your body

good luck

[sharksandwich]

I like TC's advice. I didn't know about restarting the internal clock thing.

The coffee thing may be your problem. It is with me, and it is why I can't quit the stuff. I've tried and I am always drop dead tired when I do.

[Mortiman]

I agree, don't under estimate the caffeine withdrawl.. especially combined with nicotine withdrawl, which are two heavyweight stimulants.

[PBgirl]

Thanks you guys. This is getting a little better day by day. Days one, three, and four were absolute killers. Day six wasn't exactly a walk in the park. Today, no need for a nap or no tiredness...thank goodness...and it's day seven. My cough is going away and I'm starting to feel some positive benefits rather than just wanting to smoke all the time. It's still hard but less torturous. Thanks so much. I'll be taking this day by day...your support means a lot to me.

[MeToo]

pb, i am only on day two and cant believe how tired i am..i took a nap today, accidently. i was just so tired(and i slept for 8 hours last nite) and i just stretched out for awhile and boom. asleep. i can guarantee you that i will be in bed asleep by 10.... what is this crazy thing? at least you are ahead of me and you say it does get easier. that is good to know. i dont want to be a zombie. otherwise, all is well.

[PBgirl]

TC...thanks. You have a lot of super common sense reminders that I intend to incorporate into my lifestyle....except for staying up for 24 hours. I'm pretty in-tune with my body and know this is something to do with withdrawal of some kind...caffiene, nicotine, maybe both....maybe how I'm spending my time....can that be a withdrawal too?

Shark and Mort....I had not considered in the past that the caffiene withdrawal would hit me so hard. I don't know how much caffiene y'all drink but I definitely was letting in start my engine in the morning and keep me going....it was all unnatural and I paid "hard" for it this week. Ariel posted a great post in my diary (thanks Ariel...I haven't been back long enough for proper response yet) about the effects of caffiene withdrawal. I don't know if my case was extreme or not but if I was working full-time, I would not have made it. If you ever do decide to go off of it cold-turkey, I recommend scheduling some down time for yourselves. Really. Thanks for your support.

Andrew, I never even knew you smoked. Congratulations on 56 days. You rock!

MeToo....how are you doing? Are you using the patch or anything? I am! And still going through this. I realize everyone is different but day three was the hardest for me....keep hanging in there. I can't believe I'm on day eight. We can do this. Somehow I keep on making it through another day....so I know it can be done. (MeToo)

[MeToo]

hey pb. i was like a zombie yesterday. all of this energy that i have had the past month, which was good cause i needed it over the holidays, just evaporated. i read all day. at 4:30, i could not keep my eyes open and took a nap. then i went to the other couch at 9, tried to stay up until ten but fell asleep until 9:45. went to bed, then couldnt sleep. i felt so out of sorts. i have never been a big caffeine drinker, in fact, due to reflux, i switched to decaf, so i cant blame it on caffeine withdrawal, and quite frankly, i find it hard to beleive as little as i smoked that it would cause this reaction....i wasnt a big smoker, in fact this last month of no drinking is when i cranked up the volume, and that was maybe 8-10 cigs a day. tops. so, i cant believe not smoking for two days would cause this lethargia. i dont know. today is day 3 and even though i wasnt a quantitiy smoker, it is still not easy. just get me thru one week and i can handle this. actually, i certainly dont want a repeat of yesterday. i will tell you this though, if it is the withdrawl from cigs, i do not want to go back to smoking as i dont want to have to do this again....i think it may be combination 1 month no drinking and no cigs.

[Sprite1]

MeToo and PBGirl,

I have been smoke quit for a year and at least 5 months. I think I slept the first couple of weeks. The good news is that when the energy comes back, it comes back in big, healthy waves.

Like everyone else said,
hang in there
it's like so totally worth it.

Giving up smoking is the best thing I ever did.

Oh and don't forget to reward yourself in some small way everyday for the first month.... walking, extra ice cream, more time with a favorite book, or tv show.

[MeToo]

what causes this need for sleep???

[PBgirl]

all of this energy that i have had the past month, which was good cause i needed it over the holidays, just evaporated. i read all day. at 4:30,


Me too! (Not trying to joke but seriously, me as well :) ) I think all of my energy that I've had in the a.m. for many years was what Ariel refers to as "false fuel" because the first thing I'd do was hit the coffee. And, of course, the smokes. I think I'm making up for about two years worth of coffee and smoke abuse. I think it's just going to take me some time to catch up. And Me Too, if I were to try and read, I would go right to sleep. As a matter of fact, I'm goign to go to sleep in a few minutes again. Shit. (Sorry, can't help it.) And I don't want to go through this again either. Although a part of me feels it would be easier to just give in and go back, I know eventually one must always pay the piper and I think the fee is increasing :(

Sprite1, thank you, thank you, thank you for that post. Congratulations....that's huge. I'm so impressed. This is hard. I know it's probably not "PC" to compare quitting drinking vs. quitting smoking but this one is harder for me. Your post gives me great hope. The longest I've ever quit was for about five months. Maybe six. I don't remember feeling like this before. But I'm 40 now so I guess that has something to do with it.

I think I slept the first couple of weeks. The good news is that when the energy comes back, it comes back in big, healthy waves.


I'm holding onto this with high hopes. Today is day nine and I have to go back to bed now.

[PBgirl]

what causes this need for sleep???


Doing a little research here:


Poor concentration and focus could also be due to low blood sugar. Nicotine releases huge amounts of fatty sugars into our blood, by triggering the brain to release adrenaline, which in turn causes the body to revert to 'fight or flight mode', releasing the fatty sugars. This is why many smokers skip breakfast or lunch without feeling hungry, they are taxing their bodies into constant 'alert mode'.



This is some information I found on the internet. I think my body was in the "fight" mode for so long that it's taking it awhile to recover...maybe yours too. I couldn't figure out my cravings for sweets either. I had no idea that nicotine released fatty sugars into our blood. Holy crap...no wonder why I was craving sugar....

[sharksandwich]

Tobacco is cured with beet, corn, and cane sugars.

L-Glutamine is an amino acid that is supposed to reduce sugar cravings. I read this somewhere on the internet, so it must be true. I took it when I first quit to control sugar cravings. I don't know if it was a placebo effect or not, but my cravings were reduced.

[TwinCity]

I put L-Glutamine in my protein shakes after i workout.. it's supposed to repair your muscles faster.. not sure about reducing sugar cravings but I actually just read last night in a magazine that it does help regulate your mood and prevent depression?.. I think thats what it said =) It recommended taking it right when you wake up, before and after a good workout and before bed. 5-10mg if i'm not mistaken.. it was in muscle and fitness magazine so look it up I could be wrong

[PBgirl]

L-Glutamine.....I'm interested...very interested. I'm looking into anything that will help. Thanks guys.

[Sprite1]

About 9 or 10 days into my Smoke Quit, I asked the same question in a Stop Smoking forum.

A guy wrote back this zzzzzzzzzzzZZZZZZ. At that time he was 6 months quit. Don't let that scare you. He is 3 years quit now. What he told me was that he was six months quit and sleeping more than he ever had in his life. He was enjoying it, though. He was becoming very active when awake.

My story was like this.... On about the 21 or 22 day, I really started to feel alive. I mean totally alive. No words can describe this feeling.

Sadly, on the 24 day, my fiance dumped me. That was his only stimpulation for our marriage, that I quit smoking. I knew I was there and so did he so he dropped me like a fat sack of potatos.

I kept going though. I would not let him dumping change the course of my non smoking life style.

I was highly depressed, of course. The thought of quitting drinking had never occured to me, so I went on... eventually, I joined this forum... I have never had as much commitment to not drinking as I have had to not smoking.

Let me tell you, though. I slipped big time with my smoke quit. (because of drinking at a party. I let the other smokers affect me. I snuggled up to their smoke and embreaced the smell.) I lost a 9 month quit. It was horrible trying to make up that time later. In fact so horrid, that it took me 5 months to come back. So I would be almost 3 years quit if not for that slip...slide... relapse...

Now, if I start to thinking that smoking smells inviting, I find an ash tray or try to remember the smell of an ashtray... pew

On my second time quitting smoking, I have to say the effects were much the same... lack of energy... trouble concentrating... etc...

Yet still my body recovered.

I have the energy to exercise. I am now working on the energy to clean my house and be a good home keeper- I am telling you this because I don't want you to think I was totally cured of low metabolism by just quitting smoking. I am going to have to stop drinking forever to be cured of that.

[PBgirl]

Oh I like that alive feeling you speak of. Someone posted to me that they bet I smelled better....I may smell better but my attitude/personality stinks. I mean, don't look at me sideways.....ya know? It's really not "me" it's the addiction and I hate it. Well, I loved smoking but I hate it.

Quitting drinking is also hard. They kinda go hand in hand. I'd never, never, never be able to quit smoking first and continue to drink. If I drink, I smoke. That's that. You can beat the drinking, it's tough...some find it tougher than quitting smoking...but I guess I'm not one of those people. Make no mistake, I didn't find it easy. I still don't at times. But I never got tired, etc., from quitting drinking (with the exception of recovering from a hangover.....)

I'm glad to hear that your body recovered, etc. My cough (I had a pretty good one) has almost completely gone. I was worried about my cough. My voice was also starting to get deeper and it's returned to normal. I didn't want to sound like the bar maid by the truck stop...hack, hack, hack......

Well, off to the shower before bed.

I'm glad you are here. Thank you very much.

[MeToo]

thanks sprite, dont worry, i am going to hang in there. hubby is out smoking on the porch as we speak and will come in stinking to high heaven. i am hopeing with my no drink/smoke, he will be inspired. thanks for the good advise from one who has been there. it's always good to have positive reinforcement and affirmation from someone who has been there, done it and knows exactly what you are going through. HAPPY NEW YEAR.

[MeToo]

uummmm.... thats sounds wonderful.

[uma]

I really like your new avatar.

[PBgirl]

Thanks Uma...Happy New Year!

Day 13 no coffee, no smokes. It's getting better every day.

I want to thank everyone for the support both here and in my journal. It's meant a lot to me....when I was traveling and didn't have it, I really missed it. This place is priceless. Y'all are priceless.

[PBgirl]

Day 14.

[PBgirl]

Well here I am back in the basically same place I was last year...today is day 11 of a smoke quit and it's December 29. Not going to go into details about why I started back smoking last year but I never got up enough gumption to stop again until right before the holidays. This time I'm doing it differently...slightly differently. I did not give up coffee at the same time. I am having one cup (regular sized) in the a.m. of 1/2 caffienated joe and that's it. I don't enjoy it all that much and I don't know if it's something I'll continue or not but it's enough for me to have something to look forward to prior to eating my breakfast. I looked forward to (and hated at the same time) smoking morning cigarettes.

I am also taking an amino acid Lysine in a very small dose just once per day. I started doing that at least a month prior to my quit so it is built up in my system pretty well. I am not experiencing the tiredness and lethargy that I did this time last year. I'm doing everything the same with the exception of the one cup of coffee and the Lysine....so I'm assuming that those differences have enabled me to be awake and functioning during the day.

Quitting is hard. Smoking is harder. And expensive. I moved this year and I moved from a state where cigarettes were not that expensive....now they are and it is providing extra incentive to quit. I know that I've already saved approximately $70 just since I quit. This is, of course in addition to the health and social benefits of being a non-smoker.

Just glad to be back in the swing of things. I'd love to hear from anyone else who is newly quit, getting ready to quit, has been quit....

[PBgirl]

Well...it seems the sleep bug has caught up to me today, on day 15. I just want to sleep and rest all day and can't seem to do much more. Going back for another nap. I guess this is a good thing and means my lungs are healing?

[going my own way]

Hi I was so concerned about my tiredness I found this link. Good to know it seems normal when you quit to feel like falling asleep all the time . Day 3 for me with no cigs . And I am so so tired ....sleeping right through the night , having an afternoon nap , falling asleep about 7 in the evening then going to bed around 10. Feel like I am sleeping my life away.
I have not been eating the right foods all the time , eating too many sweets (from Christmas) and drinking too much coke , but thought I would give myself 5 or 6 days of eating what I like as I am quitting with willpower. Then I will go on a healthier eating regime . As for exercise - I was going to the gym up till one week ago , even the thinking about it wears me out now.

Keep strong with your quit .

[PBgirl]

Hi Going Your Own Way.....keep the course. It IS natural. I was just saying to my husband how I couldn't believe this didn't hit me sooner like it did last year.

I wish you strength in your quit as well.

Don't we smell swell?

[Stubborn Canuck]

PBgirl:

I have not been a smoker so have no perspective on the nicotine thing.

I did go through a horrible spell of fatigue. (Novemberish - it is all in my journal)

The short dark days most certainly are effecting me.

At that time I gave up caffeine. Since then I have allowed myself 2 cups in the morning - c'est tout. And this has made a great difference. I was a Diet Cokealholic and have completely cut that out.

I have low blood pressure and I think the caffeine actually helps keep it up a bit. (I run lots and the low BP is a result of that)

Hope the energy level rises soon. I know how tought it was for me.

Take care.

[marie99]

wow, i can't believe you gave up coffee and smoking at the same time! to me, that is just amazing! Drinking and smoking go together for me as well and i had to quit one before the other. but coffee? you gave up coffee!?!? good for you!! no wonder you are tired!! i am afraid i would be exhausted. I really want to look into the benefits of quitting my last real "vice" but I'm not sure i could handle it.

I reward myself for almost everything with an ice coffee. altho i am "healthy" about it by having skim milk and no sugar, the cost really adds up. And i'm sure it doesn't help my anxiety... but still, I'm not so sure I could quit.

did you get headaches? do you have more energy now?

[PBgirl]

I was a Diet Cokealholic and have completely cut that out.

Wow! Good job. Thanks for the post. November is usually some kind of turning point for me in mood as well. My energy today was very good and is improving. Although at one point I did want to smoke (I did but I didn't...you know how that goes...like drinking) so I laid down and took a 40 minute "almost" nap and it worked. It's nice to see you.

Hey Marie 99. Last year I gave up both coffee and cigarettes at the same time and it did a real number on me. This year I gave up cigarettes and allow myself one small cup of 1/2 decaf-1/2 regular coffee in the a.m. after breakfast. I don't really enjoy it that much but I'm more afraid of what will happen if I don't have it. I didn't have it today and it worked out. I did, however, have a diet Dr. Pepper at lunch. If it gets me through right now, it gets me through. One thing at a time. I have never had ice coffee....afraid to try it because I think I'll like it! :) Same reason I've never had Starbucks. As far as the smoking, I am starting to get more energy back and not looking to get it from a nicotine break. Good to see you.

[Buckley]

I noticed the tiredness thing too. First two weeks and some this week (week 3.) First two weeks all I wanted to do was sleep. I was getting like 8-10 a night and wanted to nap every afternoon.

Some crazy ass dreams too.

I'm still trying to break the afternoon want to nap pattern. More excercise and a better diet are the panacea of all things methinks.

B

[PBgirl]

How goes it now Buckley?

I celebrate today nine weeks of not smoking. I'm on my last box of patches, level 3 and I am weaning myself from them as well. They've been very helpful, in case anyone is curious.

The sleepiness subsided and then in it's place came some incredible energy. I also started taking vitamins regularly and drinking plenty of water to flush out all the toxins from the cigarettes. I'm still getting nicotine, obviously, but not all the chemicals that go along with what's in a cigarette. I work out regularly and my cardiovascular health has vastly improved.

It's all been worth it.

I'd be interested in any updates from anyone else.

[marie99]

I quit cold turkey 100 days ago today :-)

Despite currently being sick with the flu, I feel awesome. I started taking vitamins (multi vitamin, Super B and St. John's Wort) and went back to the gym. I've lost over 13 pounds since I've quit smoking, so anyone who tells you that you will definitely gain weight is lying. :-) Overall, I feel great. Smoking smells so disgusting to me now I don't know how I could have ever put those things in my mouth!

Anyone who thinks they can't quit smoking should consider reading Carr's book. It really did help.

[marie99]

I noticed the tiredness thing too. First two weeks and some this week (week 3.) First two weeks all I wanted to do was sleep. I was getting like 8-10 a night and wanted to nap every afternoon.

Some crazy ass dreams too.

I'm still trying to break the afternoon want to nap pattern. More excercise and a better diet are the panacea of all things methinks.

B

I still want to take naps most days!

[marie99]

How goes it now Buckley?

I celebrate today nine weeks of not smoking. I'm on my last box of patches, level 3 and I am weaning myself from them as well. They've been very helpful, in case anyone is curious.

The sleepiness subsided and then in it's place came some incredible energy. I also started taking vitamins regularly and drinking plenty of water to flush out all the toxins from the cigarettes. I'm still getting nicotine, obviously, but not all the chemicals that go along with what's in a cigarette. I work out regularly and my cardiovascular health has vastly improved.

It's all been worth it.

I'd be interested in any updates from anyone else.

Congrats on the nine weeks by the way!

[PBgirl]

Congrats to you, too Marie. I have also lost weight and started working out after I quit. I agree with you that quitting does not necessitate weight gain.

[Buckley]

Congrats to both of you. I think it helps to come here periodically and read up on other's experiences. It helps me stay charged up.

I have 5 weeks today. Cold turkey. Not that it really matters... how ever someone quits... that's all that matters.

It's been tough. The first 72 were really tough. The rest has just been mental. I worked out the first week, but haven't lately... that changes tomorrow. I start a plan tomorrow to lose 25 pounds. I'm going to take my time doing it. I want to pick up some habits on the way so that it sticks.... I'm shooting for 1.5-2.0 pounds lost per week. So I'll be at it for at least 12 weeks or so.

I'm fired up. It's gonna be a great year. And I love being smoke free. Not to mention that at my previous rate of smoking of 1.5 packs per day I've saved myself at least $262.00. That's freaking cool.

B

By the way, I've gained weight... but that's because I've eaten a lot and haven't been working out. It's not magic, weight gain is simply more calories consumed than burned... so gaining weight shouldn't be a myth that keeps people from quitting. I'm going to start losing weight this week!

[PBgirl]

I think it helps to come here periodically and read up on other's experiences. It helps me stay charged up.



VERY COOL!


I have 5 weeks today.
That's awesome. Seriously, congratulations.


that changes tomorrow. I start a plan tomorrow to lose 25 pounds. I'm going to take my time doing it. I want to pick up some habits on the way so that it sticks.... I'm shooting for 1.5-2.0 pounds lost per week. So I'll be at it for at least 12 weeks or so.

Hey there...good again. I started just getting physical too. My goal has been between 1.0 and 1.50 pounds per week. I have worked my ass off for every one of them. But it's been providing more benefits (the physical acticity, etc) than I had anticipated as well. I think it's a good decision that you are doing this for yourself and I look forward to hearing more about it. In the Chat section, there is a thread that I recently discovered called "Turkey Trot Challenge". There are a few of us who are posting our activities. It's not a competition or anything like that...it's just whatever we've done. I would love to have you join us and also it would be a cool way to stay motivated and connected. Both people who are posting there right now seem like really nice people.

Anyway, have a good way. Keep the stinky cancer sticks away! Doing great.