Question for vets about sleep

[needtorecover 574]

I'd like to ask folks who have lost a significant amount of weight if their sleep needs have changed from when you were obese to when you reached your goal weight.

I ask because I feel like I have abnormally high sleep needs and I'm wondering if it's related to my obesity - and really hoping these needs will reduce when my weight is reduced. As it is right now, I *need* between 8-9 hours of sleep to feel like a functioning human being during the week, but I prefer to sleep for 12-13 hours at a time. And I hate it. I don't want to sleep literally half my day away but when I'm left to my own devices that's exactly what happens.

Were any of you a heavy, long sleeper pre-weight loss and then found you had more energy from reaching a healthier weight and need less sleep? Just looking for some hope here. I want to be the kind of person who wakes up on a Saturday morning at 8:30 am feeling happy and refreshed and able to ride her bike to the farmer's market. Not the human log who stays in bed until 1:00 pm and misses her whole day!

[JamieLogical 8,684]

I'm at goal and have been maintaining for 6 months and I still need a lot of sleep. I try to get at least 8 hours on week nights, then "catch up" on the weekends by sleeping 12-14 hours. Ideally I'd get about 10 hours a night, but that's just not realistic.

[Katnroyal 225]

I am four years post op and I need about 6-7 hours a night, but the quality of sleep I am getting is awesome these days.

[mollyk26 38]

2+ years post-op here. for three weeks of the month i sleep between 2-5 hours a night. and function just fine. no fatigue, no naps, no exhaustion. the other week of the month i sleep 6-7 hours per night, and feel like garbage. thank you, PMS.

[Rustycreaks 12]

6 years post op and I sleep around 5 hours a night. That works for me.

[amazon 579]

my sleep has totally changed, but I think metal-pause has something to do with it, lol.

Most nights I get 3-4 hours and I'm fine. I never would have survived like that before. No way. I lived to sleep!

Every so often I manage a couple of good nights sleep and get caught up. But I really don't feel sleep deprived or anything. I do appreciate a nap if I get run down and the chance (OMG I sound old!)

But I'd say my actual "need" for sleep is much less, and my energy level is 100X better.

[Miss Mac 6,261]

Pre-op, it would take me 12 hours to get 8 hours of sleep. Once I lost that first 30 pounds, I started to sleep better and had fewer hot flashes. One other advantage was that my bed felt bigger.

Let's say you want to lose 150 pounds. That is like wearing a newborn calf for a belt, a bale of hay for a hat, and two gallons of milk for shoes. No wonder you are exhausted at night.

[James Marusek 5,244]

33 months post-op and sleep is fine. Probably better than fine since the sleep is a better sleep, a deeper sleep. I no longer have sleep apnea. And my frequent urination problem that woke me up every hour or two during the night is gone. So I sleep almost the entire night long now.

[CowgirlJane 14,259]

I have had sleep issues much of my life... so probably not a good representative sample. I am fairly effectively managing my sleep problems now, but in general, I take better care of myself including better "sleep habits". I would love to sleep for 8 hours straight (and not require surgical anesthesia to make it happen!). In truth, i sleep about 3-4 hours, wake up and sleep a bit more. A bad night is when i can't get that bit more....

[needtorecover 574]

Thanks, everyone! I do wonder if I have undiagnosed sleep apnea. I've got a good amount of neck fat but I don't know if it's waking me up. I snore but not excessively (to the point where I wake my partner or anything).

When I was at my ideal weight I slept 7-9 hours a night and felt perfectly happy. I really hope I get back to that again. I'm a natural night owl but I've always envied early birds. I would love to be able to wake up early feeling good, enjoying the sunrise, taking a walk/bike ride, and doing something with my day. I always thought once I got to my 30's it would happen... then I thought once I had a baby I'd be forced into it but my partner (very kindly) enables my sleeping and we take turns catching up on sleep over the weekend.

Yes, part of the problem could be I have a toddler who is just jazzed as can be about life and recently learned how to walk so his little brain is firing on all cylinders which makes it hard for him to stay asleep.

[cdsjjotn 516]

3 months post surgery..I sleep 8 hours a night , always have but now I have a deeper sleep since I exercise everyday it only takes me like 10 minutes to fall asleep and I sleep throu the night ...it's wonderful [emoji2]

[2goldengirl 2,076]

Thanks, everyone! I do wonder if I have undiagnosed sleep apnea. I've got a good amount of neck fat but I don't know if it's waking me up. I snore but not excessively (to the point where I wake my partner or anything).

.

I'd definitely get that sleep study. My surgeon insisted and, to my complete surprise, I DO have sleep apnea. I got my CPAP two days ago and it's a real game changer. My sleep is noticeably better already.

[AnA92212 577]

I have never, ever in my life slept 12 or 13 hours. lol. Before surgery I slept about 5 to 6 and after surgery I sleep about the same amount. I sleep better though.

[OutsideMatchInside 10,166]

@@needtorecover

I have a friend with sleep apnea. They don't wake up, but they sound like they are dying over and over during the night. It is terrible to hear, and every time we go on vacation it keeps me up because they refuse to wear their cpap thing.

So you can have it and it won't wake you up.

sleep is one of those things I fixed before surgery. Because of my work and the fact I have a pretty open schedule, I can pretty much work whenever I want as long as I meet my deadlines, I used to nap in the afternoons often. Once I stopped napping in the afternoons, went to bed at a decent hour, in a completely dark room, with no electronics in it, my sleep greatly improved. I sleep around 8 hours a night and it is a deep sleep, my eyes close and then they open. It is actually freakishly deep for someone that has never slept well at night before. I wake up and hit the floor ready to go. I am so relaxed and refreshed. Make sure you have the nicest most comfortable bed you afford, a dark quiet room, and don't drink before bed. My Dr told me years ago that drink to sleep, actually interrupted your sleep and I didn't believe him but since I gave up alcohol a few years ago, my sleep started improving. If you drink before bed, you never get into deep REM sleep.

Edited February 27, 2016 by OutsideMatchInside

[Ronjohn 84]

@@needtorecover

I have a friend with sleep apnea. They don't wake up, but they sound like they are dying over and over during the night. It is terrible to hear, and every time we go on vacation it keeps me up because they refuse to wear their cpap thing.

So you can have it and it won't wake you up.

sleep is one of those things I fixed before surgery. Because of my work and the fact I have a pretty open schedule, I can pretty much work whenever I want as long as I meet my deadlines, I used to nap in the afternoons often. Once I stopped napping in the afternoons, went to bed at a decent hour, in a completely dark room, with no electronics in it, my sleep greatly improved. I sleep around 8 hours a night and it is a deep sleep, my eyes close and then they open. It is actually freakishly deep for someone that has never slept well at night before. I wake up and hit the floor ready to go. I am so relaxed and refreshed. Make sure you have the nicest most comfortable bed you afford, a dark quiet room, and don't drink before bed. My Dr told me years ago that drink to sleep, actually interrupted your sleep and I didn't believe him but since I gave up alcohol a few years ago, my sleep started improving. If you drink before bed, you never get into deep REM sleep.

I have never heard this, but I think there is some truth to this. Pre surgery I was somewhat of a heavy drinker. When I drank I would sleep around 8:30 a night. Most nights now I sleep around 6:30. Once since surgery (after the first two weeks) have I slept more than 8 hours.

I would love to sleep 12 hours every once in a while...