Question:
Insomnia...what to do?

Has anyone else experienced insomnia following surgery? Can not getting enough protein in daily effect sleep patterns? I used to have sleep apnea...that's gone, but now I wake up and can't get back to sleep! HELP! Patricia    — zoeysgrami (posted on January 21, 2007)

January 21, 2007
I have had weird sleeping patterns since surgery but my sleep apnea has not gone away. How do you know you don't have it anymore??? It takes a long time to get cured of it and you really only know when you do another sleep study...in the meantime, I am still wearing my mask and hope you do too.
   — Sheri A.

January 21, 2007
Hi Patricia! I don't know about protein, but I also had sleep apnea. The sleep study showed that I was only sleeping for a couple of minutes before I stopped breathing and had to wake up enough to remind myself to breathe, so I was constantly sleep deprived, and tried to sack out 24/7 to compensate. Once I got the CPAP, and lost enough weight to breathe properly, I found that I only needed between five and seven hours a night. If I fall asleep early, like 10 PM, I'll be up, bright eyed and bushy tailed, by 5 AM. So, you might not actually have insomnia, but you're just all slept out after a few hours. Also, if you've lost a signifigant amount of weight, your body isn't working as hard as it did, so you won't be as tired as before. If you're not falling asleep during the day, you probably don't need more sleep. Rejoice! You have more hours to watch infomercials, or clean the house, or take up knitting! If you're really not sleeping, or if you're tired during the day, please go see your doctor. If you're on a CPAP, it might need a pressure change. Hope this helps, keep us posted on how you're doing! Hugs! --Mary
   — mwilson523

January 21, 2007
Hi Patricia, I too had trouble sleeping after surgery, but it only lasted about a month or so, I ended up taking tylenol PM liquid to help me sleep and it sort of regulated my sleep pattern after a few nights. I had to get it together because I had to go back to work after 4 weeks.. good luck!!
   — April

January 21, 2007
well 2 yrs post op and I still have to take sleep aids for some weird reason I cant sleep .
   — LongBeachDiva

January 22, 2007
Hi Patricia. Sometimes I have problems sleeping. I am 46 and almost 3 years out. I think for me it is the beginning of menopause symptoms, but no matter where they come from, I deal with them the same. My favorite way to help myself is to read my Bible and pray, spend sometime in my relationship with God and pray for my family and friends. I'm up anyway, and God has a way of making me awake when He wants my attention. I read and pray daily, but some of my best times with The Lord are when everyone else is sleeping. I find other ways to get tired after that, and sometimes I get aches in my legs or hips, and then I just take a tylenol or two and usually within an hour I am ready to go back to bed. Even though I get tired the next day, it is always a blessing to spend time with The Lord. As a Christian, that is key to any day. Best to you, Patricia P
   — Patricia P

January 22, 2007
Yes, but also having low B vites, like B1 or B12 (new "low" is 800, so we want to be up around 1000). Still, this is something we talk about on Grads all the time. Can't figure the common denominator, but we have our standing Ambien jokes & such. That means to me that it is a larger phenomenon than anyone realizes. I have yet to see anything on this at the ASBS conferences, either. http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Graduate-OSSG
   — vitalady

January 22, 2007
oh goodness, im an expert on insomnia, i have tried everything they sell over the counter and prescription and finally found ambien cr. it gets you to sleep fast and helps you stay asleep, im soooo darn excited they invented this medication. i do not know what the heck i would do without it. i would just sit up and cry all night. alot of it has to do with anxiety. sleep apnea, which i had severely pre op, will make you so tired you can fall asleep in the blink of an eye, i never had a problem then. good luck and ask a doc about ambien cr.
   — shellypoe