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Sleep is Good

answered 02:16 PM EST, Wed September 12, 2012

-- filed under: Sleep

My boyfriend was addicted to painkillers for over a year, and then found a doctor to put him on Suboxone which he tapered off of for a little over a year. Now that he is completly free of these drugs, he is still having trouble sleeping through the night. He is asleep from about 11 until 3 or 4 most nights. He is getting very stressed from this even though he isnt really tired during the day. He wants to find a doctor to put him on sleeping pills because he thinks he has a sleep disorder, but i think its still from his body not being back to normal after his addiction. He has been off suboxone for about 5 months now. Is this normal, or is there any advice he should know? I really dont think another pill is a solution to his problem.

Jim LaPierre Says...

J. LaPierre

LCSW, CCS

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Kudos to you and your boyfriend for making this journey and becoming drug free. Sleep disturbances in the first 18 months of being clean and sober are very common. I tend to favor simple solutions and I can appreciate your concern that seeking medications as a quick fix might be less than ideal. I would consider how it is that he deals with stress and feelings of nervousness, worry, anxiety as these too are very common in early recovery from addiction. In the past he used opiates to deal with life and his feelings - I would be curious to know how he copes with life on life's terms and how his physical health is. If he has not had a recent check up (physical) or if he is having other symptoms it makes sense to see his doctor. If he is not dealing with stress, life and/or his emotions these will interfere with sleep and I say try natural outlets before meds. Good luck to you both!

Jim

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Page last updated Sep 21, 2012