The Alcohol & Addiction Podcast

“Dad, I can’t sleep.” And before you even respond, something flashes inside you. Not compassion. Inconvenience. This episode explores the moment most fathers don’t talk about — the quiet resentment that rises at bedtime, when your child needs you and your nervous system wants its time back. Eight o’clock isn’t peaceful. It’s exposing. Inside this episode: • Why bedtime triggers something deeper than tiredness • The inner child that reacts before your adult self arrives • The resentment that has nothing to do with your child • Why alcohol used to blur this moment — and why awareness sharpens it • The shift that changes bedtime from a battle into presence This isn’t about being a perfect father. It’s about noticing what rises when your time isn’t your own. Pause for a second: When your child says, “I can’t sleep,” What rises first — compassion or inconvenience? Don’t judge the answer. Just notice it. If this felt familiar, the deeper work lives at The STRIVE Method.  No urgency. Just somewhere to put the moment