Sleeping after THR

Hi Mark, so sorry to hear of your sleepless nights. I'm pre op but this aspect of recovery really worries me as I'm like a bear with a sore head if I don't get my eight hours each night.  I've bought one of those vee shaped pillows and I've been trying to use this with other pillows and cushions etc one or two nights each week in a vain attempt at getting used to sleeping on my back before I really have no other choice.  It is not too bad but so far I haven't managed a full night.  What I find is that my neck is in such an unnatural position it gives me a rotten headache the next day.  From reading this forum I know many folks try sleeping on the non operated side with pillow between legs method.  Could you phone your surgeon and ask if this is ok?  Or ask your GP?  If you are still working I guess you are under sixty?  If you were reasonablely fit pre op both of these factors will help your recovery.  I do hope so.  Best of luck to you, hope you find a solution very soon.jx

Hi Mark,

I had a special pillow given to me, which came too late for me to use.   It is called a slumber support cushion. It has never ebbn used.   If you google it, you can see what it looks like.  Where do you live?  If you are able to pick it up, you can have it.

I live in Rickmansworth, Hertfordshire,

Olive

 

ok ,

come back to me if it's any good.

At six and a half weeks, my sleep pattern is shot, sleep for one hour awake for two

now allowed to sleep on either side, only to find that my shoulders hurt, no idea why, never had trouble before.

Hiya Marc,

I slept purely on my back the first week, then decided that that was not ever going to work. As most say, asleep for minutes, awake for hours. 

After a week, I slipped a thick pillow between my legs while still on my back, then gently rolled to my unoperated side. That way I could at least fall asleep. 

Only once in that week did I roll on to my stomach. Took me a while to get rolled back from that one. But by week four, I was sleeping without the pillow and find myself waking up in various positions, either side, back, belly and none of them pose issues anymore. 

I'm in IT as well, going into the office daily by now (6 weeks post-op today) and sleeping better helps me through at least half days. Worth a shot in my opinion!

That worked for me at about the 5 week point and sleep vastly improved

Hi Mark, yes I sleep in my unoperated side with a fat pillow between my legs to separate them and on a slight wedge of pillows, yes I am back on the wedge again after 6 weeks now, and also get the odd shoulder pain as has been mentioned as well,but the secret is to take your painkiller/s just as you get into bed, and count back slowely from 50, like a mantra, it works most of the time for me, and I also use Amytriptilen 5mg tabs, one is ususally enough but if I stay awake than I use another, and that works within 20mins, its like a meditation technique to try to still the mind, dont think of anything, and therein lies the excersise, it is not easy, once you are thinking again, you have got it wrong, and need to start again, but dont forget to breath in through the nose and out through the mouth, sounds a bit sage like, but it works for me now for many years, I am 55 in september.  Hope that helps, and if it does please post here that it does, as sleeping poorley effects many people here who have hip replacements. 

Kind regards Ian.

Hi Mark

I'm 5weeks post op and am still occassionally having sleepless nights too, I don't have to work tough so can put my feet up in an afternoon for a snooze. I never have more than an hour though aas this spoils it for the night. xx

Thanks all - going to try the pillow tonight and if I still struggle I will look into the suggestions for the pregnancy type pillows.

Good luck Mark - Please keep us posted ... try to relax and keep breathing - big hug