Insomnia

I'm at 9 weeks out and also find the lack of ability to sleep the most troubling part of this. Unless I'm out and out exhausted sleep is difficult. I think I've tried everything except sleeping pills. Need wisdom from someone who has tamed the beast

This lack of sleep is a symptom however it should be a short term issue because as we heal sleep is easier. If you've always slept well, nothing should change dramatically, once your recovery is well established. I used antihistamines and aromatherapy. There's s product called Green Goddess and I sprinkle the oil on my pillow. Zzzz zone for me. You can buy it from Perfect Potion. X

You did well to sleep the first week as many don't - maybe the pain pills were effective. Mine were not and I soon got to dread nights.

?I tried  lot of things - magnesium spray, lavender oil on pillow, various other lotions and potions, ice on leg, heat pad to hug as the ice made me shiver!

?The doc prescribed amytriptiline med which can help both sleep and nerve pain which I had, but had to chuck them as the side effects were bad for me but these sorts of meds often help others. If you are not in pain as such, there are various sleep meds that might suit if you wish to take that route. I gave up and just started to watch the tv until I dropped to sleep (maybe from the boring night programmes) and in time, sleep got better, though I till have the odd bad night or wake with knee hurting at 17 weeks. I have not had the fastest overall recovery though.

 My knee also hated any touch of bedcovers, it makes the skin and nerves sting, so I got a bed cage to keep the duvet raised off legs and that really helped me sleep better as before I had to stick op leg out of covers and it got chilly and I was not comfortable. But I don't know if anyone else had this issue.

?I hope you will find a solution soon, but like all things TKR, time usually helps, slow though it may be.

 

Very common.  Hope this helps...

https://patient.info/forums/discuss/trouble-sleeping-post-tkr--539591

 

I'm also 9 weeks out and have the same problem.....I suppose sleep will come but the tossing, turning, etc are awful.  I decided tonight I'm trying an antihistamine....hope it works!

Hi Midge - my routine is to be sure to take whatever pain meds I'm on about half an hour before trying to sleep.  If I'm in too much pain sleeping will be too hard.

☺I had a period of several weeks when it was hard to sleep. I put lavender oil on my pillow, and then a bit later on used olabas oil, which helped as I seemed to be a bit congested. I found if got too tired in the day it was harder to sleep. Over tiredness seemed to raise my anxiety level and make it harder to relax. Sounds like you have got in a bit of a cycle. Maybe see GP and continue all the other techniques you are already doing. I always found I could drop back off to sleep very quickly...at worst i probably woke up three times in the night, but that was for just a few weeks. So I was only ever awake for around twenty minutes at the most.

I understand this to be a common issue, and some folk just end up having to accept it for a couple of months. Making sure you are resting as much as you need in the day, and really continuing to put your mind and body to the task of relaxation all the time (even when exercising). I do think the body holds a lot of trauma in it...it has had a major shock to the system. I used to tell my knee not to worry when I woke up in the night. I think it was worried that when my body was out of it, it might get the chop again! It may be a defensive response...i.e., from a sense that it is not safe to stay asleep. Just my little theory, ...that is how I got my head around the why is this happening question, anyway!

Everyones journey is very different but it can be reassuring to read of others trials and tribulations, as well as see progress made...at its own pace, unique to the individual.