sleeping

Patsy I have not had the same problem but I do have a fractured cuff in my left shoulder which keeps me from sleeping. Like you I am awakened by the pain when I move in bed.  Its not easy, but I am trying to train myself to sleep on my right side and not move about. Six weeks is quite a time to go without sleep and perhaps you should ask the doctor for something to help you doze off.  The only other thing I find helps is dozing in an armchair during the afternoon, after lunch. It makes up for lost sleep in bed at night. You need a light sleeping pill and your doctor should know of one you can stop taking as soon as your wrist recovers.  Take care.

Thanks Mayday35, I might well see the doctor for some sleep aids, although last night I actually slept pretty well! Hope your fractured cuff heals swiftly...

When I woke up after the operation to fit a plate in my badly broken wrist, my arm was suspended in a big, foam sling hung from a drip stand - if you search on Google for 'trauma arm elevation sling' you'll see what I mean. I took the foam sling home with me & I set up a coat stand by the side of my bed. I anchored the far side of the coat stand by tying it to a couple of bits of furniture with string & then used the long strap at the hand end of the sling to hang it from one of the high hooks on the stand. This way, I could lie down on the bed with my arm/cast strapped into the sling, suspended from the coat stand, with my elbow resting lightly on the edge of the bed (hand pointing to ceiling). It's an odd idea to have you arm hung up like this but it lets the swelling drain &, if you can put up with sleeping on your back, it keeps your arm out of harms way. When the cast was removed, I replaced it with a carpal tunnel wrist brace to wear inside the sling for support & comfort. It's 4 weeks since my operation & I'm still using the foam sling/brace/hat stand at night & anytime in between when it gets painful because I find hanging up my arm in this fashion is the only way I can get all the muscles to fully relax & become relatively pain free. If you try it, remember to take your arm out of the sling slowly & carefully after resting & be ready for your arm to object to being asked to move again. But, if the time spent 'hanging up your arm' gives you some relief, as it does mine, then it's well worth it.