Has anyone experienced problems with sleep in the first few weeks? Since the surgery, I've only been able to sleep a decent amount on one occasion (about 7 hours total, with one episode of waking up). I spend most of the night tossing and turning, and when I do sleep, it's very shallow sleep - and I'm only getting maybe 3-4 hours of it. I have a predisposition to insomnia, but even so, this is not normal for me. I don't have much pain/discomfort, so I don't think this is what's keeping me up. The only thing I can think of is that I'm weaning off of the sleeping pills they were giving us at the hospital, but I don't know how much longer it will last. Anyone else with sleeping issues out there? I'm hoping this will go away ASAP, as I need adequate sleep to heal faster....

During the first 7-10 days I had trouble lying on my left side. There was some a strong enough discomfort that I had to change sides. I have had trouble sleeping also. Have you ever had a sleep study done? Any problems with sleep apnea?

Have you talked to your doctor about it? I'm afraid of taking some sleeping aids because of the addictive properties. These days I use Tylenol PM except when I have an anxiety/panic episode. Then I take a prescription from my doctor.

I've talked to my doctor about my usual insomnia (the one I had before surgery) - I don't have sleep apnea or any other physical issues, and after exploring my family history, she concluded that this is simply a hereditary issue. I do have some sleeping pills that I can take, but she warned me that they are addictive and produce residual insomnia after, so I've reserved them for times when I've had several nights of insomnia preceding a big event and absolutely HAVE to be rested - I've raised the issue originally because my insomnia got so bad, I was missing mandatory classes after not sleeping for like 70 hours straight and getting into trouble with academics because of it. Right now, I'm off from school, so I don't feel like taking the pills, as I don't have very much stress during the day, so I'm just toughing it out. Plus this feels different from my usual episodes - hard to explain, but it's just not the same insomnia I experienced before the surgery. I mostly just wanted to see how long I should expect to be having this and if it might be simply a matter of getting the hospital sleeping pills out of my system.

During the first 3 weeks post op I did have some issues with sleeping. It wasn't a matter of pain as much as just uneasyness. It slowly resolved itself but was a pain in the hiney until it did.

I am no expert here, but I did have an experience with sleeping pills. After I got my Bi-Pap machine the doc prescribed Ambien to help me relax and get used to the machine. He did not say how long to stay on them.

I pretty much took them for a month. I slowly noticed how I was beginning to have thoughts of paranoia. I would imagine that someone was lurking outside, and that at night he would break in. My husband was working nights. One night I started crying as he was getting ready to leave. I explained to him my crazy fears, he offered to stay home, but I told him to go and I'd deal with it.

I got on the internet and learned how addictive sleeping pills can become and that people have done some crazy things while on Ambien.

I quit that night. It took about 3 nights to be able to get any real sleep. When I told the doc later he said I should have gotten off of them gradually.

Hope this helps you or someone else!

I am no expert here, but I did have an experience with sleeping pills. After I got my Bi-Pap machine the doc prescribed Ambien to help me relax and get used to the machine. He did not say how long to stay on them.

I pretty much took them for a month. I slowly noticed how I was beginning to have thoughts of paranoia. I would imagine that someone was lurking outside, and that at night he would break in. My husband was working nights. One night I started crying as he was getting ready to leave. I explained to him my crazy fears, he offered to stay home, but I told him to go and I'd deal with it.

I got on the internet and learned how addictive sleeping pills can become and that people have done some crazy things while on Ambien.

I quit that night. It took about 3 nights to be able to get any real sleep. When I told the doc later he said I should have gotten off of them gradually.

Hope this helps you or someone else!

Haha, omg, I got Ambien at the hospital and I had the WEIRDEST dreams ever. I mean, I always have strange dreams, but those really took the cake. One night, I dreamt that the doctors and nurses took the 3 of us who had been sleeved on the same day down to some basement in the hospital and then started performing some crazy Rosemary's Baby-style rituals - I dreamt that our hospital beds were made to spin in circles with us in them, to some bizarre music... yeah, I'll pass on the Ambien, thanks!:frown1:

I am about 1 1/2 weeks out and I am having trouble falling and staying asleep. I am still in the recliner chair because when I lay down or on my side I have a "pulling" feeling in my abodomen that bothers me. I started taking 3/4 of a tylenol PM around 8:30 so I am not in a coma in the morning. I sure hopes this passes soon and that I can sleep in my bed.

Blackberryjuice,

I take OTC Simply sleep, suppose to be non-habit forming. At first I dissolved 2 caplets in low calorie grape juice. I had to have some sleep, if nothing else, to heal properly.

Gaby, Dr. Aceves' postop nurse gave me permission to do this.

Patti

I had trouble sleeping until last week. I'm one month out as of yesterday.

I've always had insomnia but this was far worse and similar to what you describe - tossing and turning all night, and feeling restless.

I was told it could be hormones, but I also evaluated my own habits and found that I was consuming a lot of artificial sweeteners - SF syrups, Splenda, Protein shakes and Crystal Light.

I cut back on the ones I couldn't avoid and cut Crystal Light out altogether and two days later I was back to feeling tired around ten or eleven and getting seven to eight hours of sleep again at night.

For me, adding in the artificial sweeteners was a new habit and easy to find, and it was definitely causing me sleep issues. I know that it's not a "proven" thing, but there are people that have cut back their consumption and noticed a difference.

Everyone is different. I hope you find a solution and get some good sleep. A week on a non habit forming sleep aid might reset your sleep schedule again.

Take care,

~Cheri

Thanks....I was actually able to get semi-decent sleep the last 2 nights (about 6 hours total, but actually quality sleep), so I'm getting there. I do have to say, this Supradol stuff definitely messes with my mind. It's supposed to be just an NSAID, but when I took it during the day, I felt really loopy and was even slurring my speech a bit. And at night, I have weird dreams and last night I even had a hallucination - I woke up because of noise on the street, and as I was waking up, I saw this strange man standing right by my bed - it was so real, my heart almost jumped out of my chest. Then as I stared at him, he just kind of dissipated.....TERRIFYING. They totally put something other than just NSAIDs into this stuff in Mexico.:wink0:

Hey lady I'm going through the same thing!! I feel like I'm ready for bed then my legs get the best of me!! I've been waking up at 4am every morning too!! SOO tired & HUNGRY!!!

I'm happy I found this I'm one week post today and I'm outta pain but I'm going on day 3 with hardly any sleep I'll go to bed but it's like I'm still of awake my brain won't go to sleep at all!!!! My body wants to, this isn't normal for me at all, do u think it will pass or shoulda go get a sleep aid , it feel so nice to actually get an 8hr sleep. This normal after surgery?

I had my post op appointment yesterday and mentioned this to my doctor. He said to take 25mg of liquid Benadryl and that should help me sleep.