Sleeping on side

I'm six wks post op and haven't been able to lie on either side for longer than fifteen mins tops.  Pain forces me to my back with leg on a pillow.  

Wherever, whenever, however.....rest and sleep are the very most important thing you can do. You aren't going to hurt the leg as far as stability. Chances are you won't sleep note than 1-2:hours so just go for it. Here's hoping rest will come soon. I have found sitting up in a recliner with my leg elevated to be the best way to sleep, so that's the route I took for a long time, each time.

It is great to find a new sleeping position. I did exactly as you did in the early days and I have gradually been able to lie on my other side for longer periods. I don't need to use a pillow at all now (8 weeks) but would love to be able to get onto my tummy for a bit, I never was a back sleeper.

If you get uncomfortable you will soon waken up, that heavy leg feeling is horrible, hopefully we will get used to it and eventually not notice it at all.

Hope this might be of help, the only way I've found to get more than an hours sleep is :-  My right knee is new so I lie on my right side, with my right leg as straight as I can get it. Behind that leg I lay a cushion or long pillow this then supports my left leg. This keeps the weight off my right knee and helps to keep the right leg straight-ish. It also helps tent the quilt off my right knee. This helps ease the static shock like nerve pain from the right knee. I tend to find it's this pain that wakes me up. I also find that it sometimes helps to try and sleep with the quilt back off from contact with my knee, if it's warm enough. For the future, in my case I take my meds every 6hrs so my midnight dose takes me through the worst of the night. Then my 6 am prepares me for the start of the day. As for your leg being in one position. As long as you've managed to get some sleep you'll be fine but it will be painfull for a minute or two on first moving after waking. I find he sooner you can move on waking the quicker you get past the pain. Hope this helps and you get some relief soon......

I have always slept lying on my op side with my knee bent. Ive never been able to lie on my back as my knee locks straight & it goes into spasm & is even more painful bending it. In fact to do this I either have to wake hubby(not a good move) or get onto my side and manhandle my knee

Hi, it's awful isn't it,  I'm 10 day pkr, but my nights are horrible, I used to love getting to bed, always slept well, not now, I try sitting up, on back, on both sides with pillow between legs, can't stay in any position very long, and even then, I alway wake stiff as a board all over, apparently it improves, so we just have to stick with it.

Thank you all for replies, nights are so uncomfortable.

I feel so fortunate to be able to grab the iPad and connect to this site at anytime day or night.

How awful a journey this would have been on my own, like everything in life it helps to share a problem with someone who has been in the same position.

I am finding it such a comfort

Well time to drag this body out of bed and be glad to breath the air, and one foot in front of the other !! Lol

Sue x

I am just going to phsyio..not looking forward to iot. Last night I took a tab from my local pharmacy recommended to relax and not to be used for any length of time.  I did sleep deeper though still woke up every two hours but the third time I woke I must have been sleeping or lying wrong and my leg was giving me 'heck'  so not taking any more tabs.  Couldn't seem to get my leg to bend this morning so did a couple of trips up and down stairs, then went on my exercise bike and this freed my knee...I did hear several clicks and a couple were from the back of the knee.

Will see what the physio says in an hour !!!!!

 

Hi Sue

I am 6 weeks post TKR and I am still trying to figure out how to get a good nights sleep. I am only getting 2hr blocks and tossing and turning to get into a comfy position and like you just as you get into a comfy position I get pins and needles and discomfort and need to turn over or lay on my back till that spot recovers and can be used again..lol 

I have my sheets and doona/blanket raised where my knees are as the weight of this Ma keeps me up and sore and this helps..

my fitness smart watch says I'm awake 60% of the night 20% light sleep and 20% deep sleep but total sleep is average 3.5hrs with just over 1hr deep sleep. I am now use to it..but do take nanna naps when I can..

I went back to work yesterday more of a had to was going batty at home and eating into my annual leave which I can't afford to but have discovered my left knee the one not operated on but has to be has flared up again on the side and a bubble behind the knee so I have my good one so to speak that is sore and I'm in bed as I type this with a hot water bottle under it which is soothing and hope maybe this will help me sleep better tonigh??

Gotta try different things I guess.

 

Hopefully your sleep improves but don't get down on yourself as it's very normal, thank god for this forum..

cheers

Tony

Back from physio, I have to massage the back of my knee, calf and thigh to get the soft tissue working, the physio will do the hard  torture work when I go next week.  She put me through it today, I could have cried, walked in fine, left limping but that was because she said it was now sore inside !!! Well blow me down of course it was sore....but I did walk it off eventually.  She told me that the exercise bike was helping so will continue with that and up the time from 5 to 10 mins gradually.

Well I am now week 13 / 14 and feel your pain!

I start off on my back propped up with a couple of pillows then wake up a few hours later (see it does get better) onto stomach which proves a problem getting back on my side as am still half asleep and desperate for the loo!

Back in bed still half asleep on side with cushion between my knees and yes one is still very heavy manage to drift off to sleep until that ruddy alarm clock wakes me up again