1 Week Post-Op and can't sleep

I am now 1 week post-op and cannot seem to get any sleep. For the last 3 nights the most sleep I have gotten a night is 3 1/2 hours. Has anyone else experienced this after surgery? What can I take to help me sleep?

I had a horrible time sleeping post-op, I think it's because I couldn't get comfortable. I roll around a lot in my sleep and that wasn't possible when I was still healing.

I would ask your surgeon to be sure, but for me benadryl works for me. With the pills I have, two pills is one dose and I just take one as needed for sleep. I advise against doing this long term because studies show that these types of meds can mess with your Acetylcholine when used regularly, but I tend to do this once or twice a month, so I'm not very worried!

When my insomnia flares up, I find that taking 5-HTP for a month solves the issue and then I'm good for a year or two. But, again, check with your surgeon. Some are wonky about swallowing pills so soon post-op, even though the ASMBS says there's no reason why we can't. (And the benadryl pills I use are super teeny.)

Thank you for your response! ? How did 5-HPT make you feel? I haven't ever taken it before.

The 5-HTP didn't make me feel any differently, it just helped me to sleep.

Can you provide a little info about what you think is making it hard to sleep? For instance is it a matter of not being able to get comfortable? I know initially, that laying flat on my back was very uncomfortable so I would either sleep in my recliner (I've seen a lot of other people post about doing this the first week or two) or my bed actually adjusts so I could raise my head slightly.

Also, are you taking narcotic pain meds still at this point? For most people, narcotics can make you sleepy but for some (like me) they have the opposite effect. So if you are still taking pain meds, you may find it easier to sleep once you able to taper off them.

As for a sleep aid to take, I would really suggest speaking with your doctor/surgeon since you want to make sure you don't take anything that will irritate your healing stomach. Some other options that may help relax you and therefore make it easier to sleep include some meditation exercises and the scent of lavendar.

It's a combination of things I think. I have stopped taking the pain meds they perscribed and have been off them for several days now. I usually toss and turn but always lay on my side/stomach which I'm still unable to do. I'm not used to sleeping on my back or propped up and my back is killing me when I lay down with pillows propping me up. I tried the recliner this morning and was able to get comfortable considering but then it was like my mind was WIDE awake.

Did you get an abdominal binder in the hospital? It let me sleep comfortably sleep on my side since it held everything tight.

No I never got one. All they gave me was a small pillow to hold over my stomach when coughing or to put between me and whatever I'm leaning up against.

yeah I'm a side sleeper too and it was a few weeks before I tried sleeping on my side - since i tend to sleep on my left side and that is where the biggest incision was. I did a lot of napping those first couple weeks as opposed to sleeping through the night. It does get better.

I couldn't sleep without take my Ambin for about three weeks. I did not do any kind of pre up diet or loss weight during my 6 month pre up period. I always have a bit of trouble sleeping when ever I cut calories so I think it was due to the drastic change in my diet.

I am almost 5 months post op now and I sleep about 7-8 hours a night , down from 8-10 hours a night before surgery.