Getting More since Surgery?

Getting More since Surgery? Sleep! What did you suspect? There’s a post below from Tim below…. And I thought I’d put in my 2 cents worth, But throw in a couple of bucks in change more…. Getting more Sleep, or needing more sleep Post-Op? Well, as to "Needing more," Early on when the body Is throwing off the pounds and still healing inside, There is an increased "need" for rest. Later, as the body gets smaller and easier to live in, generally, The ability to get "good sleep" improves dramatically. Besides the "comfort" of not wrestling that weight around On the bed anymore, medically observable changes occur. It’s sort of a given that Overweight people With obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) Have their condition improved by weight reduction. The general medical conclusion is- "… improvement in obstructive sleep apnea after weight loss may be related to improvement in pharyngeal and glottic function." People speak? Your "back of the throat area" has more room To Breath Through. This results in an approximate 20% increase In (resting) blood oxygen levels. The same is true for guys who haven’t been diagnosed With Sleep Apnea. There is just increased air flow, Thus higher blood oxygen levels, For everyone who loses weight. So? Better sleep? Yes! Another Bonus in Sleepy land Comes from the additional daily exercise. Rather than just being tired all the time From carrying extra weight, Most WLS folks add exercise to their routines that specifically Tires the muscles, and releases endorphins and other Brain chemistry tricks, that lead to better sleep. Every "insomnia" solutions / recommendations list Includes "Exercise" as a major contributors To a "good night’s sleep." Since most of us add exercise after WLS, This could very well be Another of the reasons we notice more sleep. Hand in hand with the increased exercise? Lack of caffeinated beverages, Or certainly a reduction of them. Most WLS Post-Ops have been taken off Of caffeine in conjunction with their surgery. Many, never start back or add caffeine back in gradually. For myself? I used to drink enough diet Coke to bath in On a daily basis. Now? None. I do drink coffee again, But mostly De-Caf and no where near as much as before. These things working together allow for better sleep, But Do we all take advantage of it? Maybe not. For many Morbidly Obese, One of the patterns that got them to Such a state (certainly in my case) Is the eating pattern of using food As a comforter. Often the habit of eating late at night so as to get that- "Full as a Puppy" feeling, Is one that many relied on for quite a while In order to "get to sleep" at night. I typically had a Peanut butter and banana sandwich (Thank you Elvis) Or a big bowl of Ice Cream or such, every night. Skip it? And I was up until I did have a "little something." Like a lot of us, I counted on, or used, That blood sugar drop after a Big wave of Carbs, To surf on into dreamland. Post-op? No such "tool" was available to me, And I suffered from insomnia quite a bit for a while. (Thus the "reading the entirety of the internet…) Only after adding enough exercise, and more importantly "Bi-oching" to my Doc about it, did I start getting sleep. My Doc gave me a small prescription of Trazodone. It’s actually an anti-depressant, But doesn’t reach "therapeutic levels Until around 400mgs or higher. At 50 to 75 mgs it’ll put you right to sleep. Probably why it’s a rarely used anti-depressant, Which is probably why It’s cheaper than Dirt! No morning grogginess, Great, Pure Sleep! At 1/25th the price of a Lunesta tablet, You can be off in dreamland. It’s side effect is that at slightly higher dose, Around 100mgs, it works like Cyalis or Viagra. Yes, Trazodone, ask for it by name! That topic on the table- Sex is a Great way, not only to end a perfect day, But it is the "End-All-Be-All" When it comes to producing Great Sleep! All sorts of brain chemistry at work there! "Head ache or not dear, I need to get my sleep! Sorry, Doctor’s orders!" For our young singles? As long as it’s sex with some one you respect, It doesn’t matter if you’re alone or not. One of the reasons that Alcohol addiction/dependence Is so common among WLS Post-Ops Is that "need for sleep aid" thing that used to be met By food. This, according to my Doc. He’s really big on recommending ANYTHING Else to help overcome the insomnia That many Post-Ops are met with Once the comfort foods are gone. Now, if you really want some sleep- There are a couple of articles Specifically addressing the connection of Obesity and sleep- "New studies are showing some fascinating associations between sleep and obesity." By Rachel A. Gifford, R.N., M.N., C.D.E. At- http://www.satevepost.org/issues/2005/0708/7370466.shtml?pag e=1 "Insomnia Can Hinder Your Weight Loss" By Laura Bofinger (swear that’s her real name) At- http://sparkpeople.com/resource/nutrition_articles.asp?id=12 9 If you find your self un-able to nod off, Read these fairly dull articles About it and you’ll be off in no time. That’s everything I know / think concerning Post-Op Sleep. Hope it helps! So Guys? Did you go through a "insomnia period? If so, what did you do? Or no food to sleep correlation for you? Best Wishes- Dx