How do you sleep after AVR

[Peachy]

I'm now two weeks post op and I find that I just can't sleep at nights. I'm still sitting up with loads of pillows as I find I can't lie down. When I eventually get comfy I just can't sleep. I then find that I am tired the next day and sometimes sleep during the day which probably makes things worse for sleeping at night. Normally I don't have any problem sleeping. Will my sleeping pattern come back to normal in a few weeks time?

 

[sylviayasgur]

hi peachy!
you poor thing. i remember when joey first came home (and for a few months thereafter), he just find a comfortable position. he would sit in this recliner we have during the day and fight off sleep, hoping that he'd be good and tired at night. that didn't help at all. he finally allowed himself to take those short naps during the day and little by little got more comfortable sleeping in bed at night. it did take awhile, though.
many people here recommended lots of extra pillows (to place around his body)so he could mold into them or lean on them gently while trying to find a good position. in the beginning i remember him sleeping on a mountain of them.
joey still gets uncomfortable every so often.
i hope this helped. atleast you know you're not alone. hope your recovery keeps going smoothly and you get some rest.
be well,
sylvia

 

[JBriau]

Hi Peachy!!

After my surgery I would watch tv, do crosswords or read
a book. They all helped.
Maybe try a a cup of tea to relax you.

Hope these help.

Happy Dreams!!
Judy

 

[Nancy]

Hi Peachy-

It takes a little while to get your regular sleeping pattern back. My own opinion is that it takes a couple of weeks or more for some of the hospital and surgical meds. to get gone from your body, that's an adjustment or several the body has to make, also your body is adjusting to your new heart situation and that takes a little longer, not to mention the aches and pains, plus all the angst that everyone goes through.

It's tough when you can't get into your normal sleeping position.

So all in good time, all in good time.

Take care

 

[Mb]

Hi!

Obviously, at this point you know you are not alone. Prior to my husbands surgery, I read somehwere that a recliner helped alot, when first home for the hospital. I had always been afraid to get one, thinking that I would never get him out of it! But, we went out same day, and bought one. What a life saver! Those 6 weeks or so post op, he really had a problem sleeping. Right after the surgery, once he woke up, he didn't go back to sleep for over 24 hours. And, then I don't think it would have happened if I didn't ask that maybe a mild tranquilizer might help him. He was way overtired, and anxious. Within 15 minutes, sound asleep...... Once home, he really wanted to sleep in bed....but couldn't. Just really could not get comfy, and then when he did fall asleep, he was awak again in just an hour or so. So, onto the recliner, and he was fine....this went on for about a month, and then he "eased" himself slowly back to our bed. The other day, when I left for work, I went to kiss him, and found him sleeping on his left side. Has to be 5 years since he has been able to do that. - Bet of luck - Marybeth

 

[Lorraine]

Hi Peachy,

I understand the feeling completely. It was a month before I could sleep in a bed after I got home. I was in the recliner with lots of pillows for that month. There was no way, shape or form I was able to sleep in a bed, even with all the pillows in the world. Lying down hurt my incision too much. I too had a hard time sleeping. I would wake up within two hours after I fell asleep in the recliner. After a week of that, I tried the bed, thinking maybe I could finally get comfy laying down. I could never get totally comfortable in bed. I would finally drift off for about an hour. Then I'd get back up and go back to the recliner and read until I finally would fall asleep again. I ended up in that recliner for the month. I slept a little better there, than in bed. Not a full nights sleep mind you. I too think it was all the meds I was on in the hospital. A month later I finally graduated to sleeping in the bed. It was six weeks before I could sleep on my side. Within time you will be able to sleep better too. It's all part of the healing process.

 

[maxximom]

Ah Yes ..the old I can't get comfortable and sleep story..Poor Peachy..welcome to the club!! I'm afraid we've all been there!! You are in very good company..this too shall pass!! After finding this board and reading..the first thing we did was go out and by the most comffortable (and uglest) recliner that we could find.It sat there in my bedroom for 2 weeks before surgery..reminding me of things to come. When I came home from the hospital I found that I had a hard time getting out of the darn thing alone..I always needed my husband to help me get out of it..and hated to wake him up. I quickly graduated to my comfy king sized bed and surrounded myself with about 6 very soft down pillows and a few not as soft pillows.. my husband and large greyhound dog.. and slept in a sitting up position..and gradually would slid down and would have to rearange myself many times. I found for the first 3 weeks or so..I would spend half the night in bed and half in the chair. After the third week I tended to spend the night in bed..but I woke up about once an hour. It wasn't until about 6 weeks post op that I tried rolling over onto my side and finally got a decent nights sleep. If you are naturally a stomach or side sleeper..you probably won't get a really good nights sleep untill you can change your posotion comfortably. I am now almost 4 months post op and find that I still wake up a lot at night..but go right back to sleep..I guess these things take a long time..but remember..It will improve!!

 

[Christina]

Hi there Peachy,

You made it!!!!!!!! Now you can say you belong to the" over the hill" groupies.. LOL!! So much fun huh?
Anyways, yes, it is a "B" to get in and out of bed for a while, and you just will have to play with what is most comfy for you. I have a big leather chair that was my bed for about two weeks. I put my feet up on the hassock, and that was comfy for me. After about two to three weeks I believe I graduated to my king-size bed.
My scar hurt me for a long, long time, as I had (still do) keloids as well. Getting out of bed and trying to stand up straight was the worst, that hurt so much that I thought that the wires were poking me in the skin. I even went back to the surgeon, and he just laughed. No way was he going to open me a third time he said.
Today, I am 17 months post-op and I can still feel the keloids but it got a whole lot better. I am feeling fine, and am doing whatever I want to do. Coumadin no more problem since I fired that idiot doctor and got myself another one. I am also stable since July of 2001.
I hope you continue to heal and before you know it you'll be where I am today.

Hugs.

Christina
Aortic Stenosis
AVR's 8/7/00 & 8/18/00
St. Jude's Mechanical
Coumadin 20mg a day.

 

[Jan]

Sleeping

Sleeping

Hi Peachy,
as you know I am almost three weeks post op
when I was in the hospital I got very little sleep, I think the most I managed was three hours,
The first night home I was so tired and yet I dreaded going to bed
we arranged the pillows so I was sitting almost upright I did go to sleep for about four hours and when I woke I was almost flat as i had slipped down my husband had to help me up I was uncomfortable, I tried the same sleeping position for a few nights
then I decided I was going to lay down with only two good pillows
and it was not too bad, my husband still has to help me to get up but it is getting easier, I still wake after 4 hours but do get back to sleep for another few hours, I take two paracetamol and one tramadol at night maybe that is helping me sleep.

I am still feeling a bit tired but I think that is because I am not getting a full nights sleep, I try to avoid naps during the day, but sometimes i just nod of while reading or watching tv

I had a call from the cardio rehab and am going for an assessment
in the next week or so will you be going to cardio rehab ?

well Peachy I hope your recovery contiues to go well take care

Jan

 

[hensylee]

Spent the first month 'after' at my cousin's house and not being in my own bed didn't help, I was up and down every night. Always rose early, limped to the kitchen and had coffee ready for them when they got up - hours later. Napped during the day to catch up. Since our bodies have been banged around, it takes a while for it to get right again, as with any major trauma. So you just gotta put on your patience cap. God bless

 

[ShanaleT]

Glad to hear someone else is having the same problem as me. I will be 6 weeks post op on Thursday and I am still sleeping on the couch. I used to be such a hard sleeper. Nothing would wake me up. I tried sleeping in my bed the other night, but I woke up everytime my husband moved. Then I was so sore from laying on my back all night the next day, it was just not worth it. I will try again eventually, but for now I am staying on the couch. Good luck with your recovery.

Shana

 

[Peachy]

Thanks all. At least I know now that I'm not the only one who has trouble sleeping. Things can only get better. Apart from this problem I'm doing great and try to get out walking every day, weather permitting. Jan, I'm not going to cardio rehab. They only offer this to by-pass patients. I'm just exercising myself and am starting with walking every day. Hopefully at the weekend if the weather is ok I will be able to go for a longer walk.

 

[Mb]

Peachy:

My husband (double valves in October) goes to cardiac rehab. He is the ONLY valve patient at the clinic, but they welcome him with open arms. I think he has found it helpful, particularly in this cold weather. They monitor his heart rate, and his blood pressure. Because he is thin, and a young looking 55, people are always surprised he is there! Most have had a heart attach, angioplasty or stent performed. Ask your cardio, if you think it might be worth your while! - Marybeth

 

[Jean]

Sleep

Sleep

Peachy, I just could not sleep even in the hospital as the drugs started wearing off, but I didn't want to take anything. Finally just before I went home asked if there was a way I could sleep on my side. They brought me pillows and wedged me in...first night I slept for more than 4 hours. When I got home, we bought one of the big wedge pillows which I would wedge into my side chest area and sort of hug around and I got another one the next day so that I could lean back on it too but still be on my side. This rigamarole supported me so I could be on my side but not cave in on my sternum. I could sleep best this way for weeks. I agree I think it just takes time to get all the drugs out of your system. When you start walking more, you will find yourself getting back to a more normal sleep cycle.

 

[MarkU]

I spent the first couple of weeks propped up on the couch. I then used a wedge pillow in bed for the next month or so to keep my torso propped up. I couldn't lay flat for a long time. Four hours of sleep was a lot for the first month I was home. Patience; it gets a little better every day. Your body has been through big-time trauma and it just takes time.

 

[Gail in Ca]

cervical pillow

cervical pillow

Try a cervical pillow. It really helped me.
I spent the big bucks on a temperpedic one and it really works well. No more back ache.
Gail

 

[Mara]

Peachy-
I slept on the couch, too. Head and back proped up. I had a big "pillow nest' on the bed, but still could not get very good sleep for a few weeks.

I watched a lot of "Game Show" network (old reruns of dumb American game shows). It moved fast and I had a short attention span, plus, it was about the only thing on in the middle of the night that was not an info-mercial for some bun/ab machine!