trouble sleeping?

Ok; this is semi-rant, semi-question so please bare with me rant portion: I'm SO freaking tired!! Apparently I've got insomnia now and holy crap it's drivng me nuts. I don't nap during the day and yet I have trouble falling asleep at night and I don't sleep very long once I do fall asleep. As it stands right now, I probably fell asleep around 1130-1200 and woke up at 0330. grrrrr!! question portion: anyone else post-op deal with this sort of insomnia type stuff? thanks - Kelly

Kelly, I feel your pain. I had difficulty sleeping. Part of my problem was that I had sleep apnea before surgery and had a CPAP machine. After losing weight the pressure was too high so I could not sleep with the machine but I could not sleep without it either because I still had sleep apnea but it required a lot less pressure. I finally have gotten to a point where I don't have sleep apnea and can sleep pretty much most of the night. I do use a sleeping pill on occassion (it was prescribed by my sleep doctor) but I don't have to use it more that 2 times per week. I actually sleep less well when I take the pill because I'm wide aware at 4 AM but on nights I need it I'd get less sleep cause I wouldn't be able to fall asleep as fast. I'd suggest going to a good sleep doctor if you haven't already done so. They have lots of stuff they can do now a days with sleeping issues. Chip

Thanks for the response Chip. I never even considered my CPAP. Right now, it's at a 6 which is very mild, but when I took a nap earlier to try and recover from not sleeping, I slept without it and feel great - whereas I used to feel exhausted. So maybe I'll try that tonight. Not using CPAP after having it close to two years, and using it everynight faithfully, is an odd thing to consider. - Kelly

I had a hard time sleeping after my surgery; could only manage to go to sleep if I took a Percocet about 30 minutes before I went to bed. I'm don't usually have problems sleeping, so I think the insomnia was just related to my surgery. I got back to my normal sleeping patterns after 4-6 weeks. Good luck getting back to your normal routine! Kellie

Thanks for the response Kellie! I was the same way, I've weened off the percocet without problem. Now it's just a matter of getting my mind to shut up at night LOL. Right now, I'd love to just be able to get more than 3 or 4 hours of sleep. I'm going to try going CPAP-less tonight and see what happens. - Kelly

Getting no sleep was a big problem for me too.... I had to take Ambien for a while.... even this far out.. I still have trouble sleeping.. have learned from others at my support group that they too have sleep issues... seems this is common after WLS.... I still take Ambien or Equate brand sleep aid from Wal-Mart to get some good sleep at times... Hope you find something that works... Take care... Mike C.

Thanks for the response Mike. I'm hoping to avoid taking any pills if I can help it. To be honest, I don't like them and they usually leave me feeling a bit muddled in the mornings. If things get any worse (god forbid) I'll talk to my dr about it, right now its more of an annoyance than anything else. - Kelly

Kelly - I'm post op just shy of two years now. I was diagnosed with insomnia just a few months back. I've never had to use a cpap machine or ever had trouble sleeping until about a year ago. My doctor is advising me to visit a sleep clinic, but I've not done it yet. I took lunesta for about 6 months, but it only worked for about 4 hours a night. I'm off it now and only get a few hours sleep per night. Yeah, it gets old, but whaddaya do??!! If I had answers, I'd gladly share them, but I'm searching too. If you find some, please pass them on. Vick

Thanks for the response Vick. I seriously hope this isn't something I have to look forward to for the next few years or ever LOL. But if it is, I'll deal somehow...maybe it will just mean more time for me to spend on the bike to achieve my goal of doing a long-distance/multi-day ride. As much as I love sleep...and its right up there along with sex in my favorite things category (heh)...I'm finding I'd trade a little less sleep for a lot less body. If I find anything out I'll let you know. - Kelly