Can someone answer a question about sleep after WLS?

Hi, I am having a very, very tough time going to sleep at night, and only sleeping 5-6 hours a night at best. I know for some people this is enough, but I still feel like I need more rest. Can anyone recommend a safe medication that is doctor recommended when you have had WLS? I go backto my PCP in another week. I am trying very hard not to nap at all during the day during my recoop time, but still at 12 or 1 a.m. in the morning, I am wide awake. It is very difficult to function when you feel this way. I would appreciate any help or suggestions. I have no idea which sleeping meds are effective and safe after WLS. I don't want to sleep 12 hours a night, but I need more rest than I am getting. I will be 4 weeks post op this Thursday. Thanks for your help. Sincerely, LMW

Hello. I am a very light sleeper so I have to take something to help me stay asleep or to fall back to sleep if I wake up. I don't want to take prescription medicine so I take 2 Tylenol PM's about 30 minutes before I want to go to sleep and it helps me. I would check with your doctor but since we can take Tylenol products I would think it would be ok. Take care, Bonnie

I will definitely ask my doctor about the Tylenol PM. I am ready to have a full night's rest. Thanks for the advice. I will give it a try.

I went thru the same thing. I wondered if it was hormonal, perhaps. I would sleep like a baby until 2am-then would be awake until 4-5am. I felt like a zombie during the day! My Dr. said to tough it out and my body would get back on track. I admit, I did take tylenol PM on a couple of night, though. He was right, --after a while, I got back on track. Now, I sleep better than I ever have. Good luck--I sympathize with you! Michelle

Thank you for your response. It is tough to go without enough sleep day after day. I am glad to know that someone else experienced this.

Hi! I'm just about to have WLS, so I can't testify for after WLS sleep-aids.... but... whenever I go through periods of sleep problems and feel that I need some help for that, I take Valerian root... very mild, doen't give you groggy feeling aftewards, yet it's effective... it's also Over the counter herb.... hope it helps....

I have an RX for Ambien that I take on occasion. It helps me. However, it's one that you have to have 7-8 hours to sleep to take it. My psychiatrist just gave me an RX for Sonata, which you can take even if you can only sleep about 4-5 hours after taking it (like when you wake up in the middle of the night) because it goes thru your system more quickly. I've only used it once so far, but it seems to work. It is a capsule and the Ambien is a pill. Hang in there!! Hope this helps. Ann in Duluth

Ann, thank you. I will ask about both of these meds when I go to my PCP. I definitely need to get some more sleep. It feels like the lack of it is draining my energy. I also plan to try Tylenol PM. I appreciate it! If you don't mind, can you tell me what strength (like how many miligrams) your prescriptions are for? Do you take the entire pill? I am not sure how familiar my PCP is with medications for WLS patients. Thanks