Will I ever sleep through the night again??

[goodasnew]

I'm now 11 weeks post RTKR and doing well. Went back to work last week which was a bit of a shock but am managing reasonably well. My only real problem is lack of sleep. I go to sleep easily enough with the help of 2 extra strength panadol, camomile tea a dose of Valerian (and a good book) but am awake again at 3am every morning, restless, uncomfortable and sleepless! I'm not really in any pain but just can't get back to sleep. I have to get up at 6 so by the time I eventually get back to sleep it's almost time for the dreaded alarm.

Has anyone found a solution to this sort of insomnia?? I know if I could just sleep better, my day would be a lot easier! I knew I would have several weeks of sleep problems but how long does it generally take to get back to normal?

Happy Easter everyone!

 

[Jaycey]

Hi goodasnew! Sorry you are having sleep problems. I am not a medical expert but I would say that at 11 weeks out this is probably not the post-op sleeplessness Smarties sometimes experience.

Are you wearing yourself out at work? Sometimes too much activity can contribute to insomnia. It's a horrid cycle - being too tired, not getting good sleep, then being more tired.

Can you get Melatonin (sometimes called jet lag pills) in UAE? Ask at the pharmacy. I found Melatonin a very good way to break the waking up in the middle of the night habit.

Hope you get some !

 

[kneeworn]

I remember having sleepless nights for quite a while. It stemed from not being able to get in a comfortable position. I'm a side sleeper mostly. A small throw pillow like you would use on the couch was my answer. When I get on my side I put it between my knees. It takes the pressure off the tender knee and puts it in a more comfortable alignment. My cousin shared this trick with me. I still use it.

Donna
LTKR 12/06/2010

 

[goodasnew]

Thanks Jaycey. I'm certainly pretty shattered by the time I get home and then generally try to have a lie down (I don't sleep as I dont want to deplete my night sleep any further!) but just relax for an hour or so and ice my knee if it's sore. I just seem to be in a habit of waking at 3am for some reason. I will try to get some Melatonin, you get most things here OTC.

I'm also a side sleeper andI use cushions to keep the pressure off my knee and they do help. It get light really early here - maybe my curtains are too thin! I have got some of those airline sleep masks - maybe I'll try that tonight - what a sight I'll look!

Thanks for the advice.

 

[Jaycey]

I use blackout roller blinds under my curtains. Really helps!

 

[kneeworn]

I use the blackout shades too. I make sure any window that can shed light in my bedroom is pulled too with blackout shades. I locked my cats out of the bedroom too until I could sleep better. They would come and go and wake me up. I had to put a piece of plexiglass over the lower part of the door with those removable Command strips to keep them from scratching the door up. The strips stick on and later pull off without damage.

Donna
LTKR 12/06/2010

 

[Bees Knees]

I slept fpr a long time with a light blanket and warm socks on my feet. I would wake up if my foot got tangled under the covers so I kept my feet free and warm with socks.

 

[PhoenixS]

Are you sure you don't need to take a stronger pain med at night?
Discomfort leads to restlessness which contributes to sleep problems.
If I don't take a percocet at bedtime, I am up at 3 am too. I know, I'm a year out, but I have RA, and IMO pain is pain, regardless of the cause.
If you have any narcotics around, give it a try! (You will not become addicted. Promise)
Sandy

 

[Coachie]

Have you tried taking some benedryl or something similar? It is non-habit forming and helps me to fall asleep and get a good 4-5 hours a night.

 

[referee54]

If there is any consolation, I went through some terrible sleep issues; in fact, it was a latte-night session on the computer that led me to this forum. I tried everything---bendryl, melatonin, Tylenol PM, everything. I went back to teaching on about 3 hours sleep, and I knew that that was not going to work. It wasn't that I was in terrible pain; it was that I couldn't get comfortable. Pain meds---are you taking enough? I ended up taking Ambien for ten nights---ten only---and that was all needed to get my sleep pattern back.

What you are experiencing is, unfortunately, normal, as many of us had experienced sleep issues. I was like a Diogenes---except I was looking for a good night's sleep instead of one honest man.

This will pass---have you spoken with your ortho or your GP about it?

 

[Jamie]

I think with knees this sleep problem can linger for quite a while. As I remember it was a loooong time before I was really able to rest through the night. You might also try a heating pad on the small of your back. I'm not sure why that works, but it does for me and I still use it to this day when my legs wake me up in the night.

You could ask your GP for a sleep aid like Ambien. Some people find that helps get you back into the right sleep rhythm.

 

[Tykey]

A small throw pillow like you would use on the couch was my answer. When I get on my side I put it between my knees. It takes the pressure off the tender knee and puts it in a more comfortable alignment. My cousin shared this trick with me. I still use it.

Donna
LTKR 12/06/2010

So did I for a while

 

[goodasnew]

Thanks everyone for all your helpful advice - I feel less alone now! I considered something like Benadryl but I think it contains ephedrine which I cant tolerate (palpitations).

I could try Ambien - is it a sleeping medication? As I say I'm luckily not really in any pain in the night so I don't want to keep taking pain meds unnecessarily.

As luck would have it I actually slept reasonably well last night and only awoke for about 1 hour - that I can deal with - but it was probably only because I was more tired than I ever remember being in my life!!

 

[maryo52]

Everyone I know seems to be having sleep problems, even my kids.

Benadryl is diphenhydramine. It does not contain ephedrine unless you buy a syrup that contains both. But sometimes benadryl revs people up and could possibly cause palpitations.

There's also a phenomenon I will warn you about as a female 10 years older than you, and that's hormone-related sleep issues. Just something to tuck away in the back of your mind. It's possible that during your TKA experience you've had some decline in hormones that could possibly be factoring in.

The trouble with sleep aids is they help on a temporary basis. Do a little reading up on sleep hygiene and try to let nature take its course, or perhaps use referee54's method of a short course of ambien to remind your body what it's supposed to be doing at night.

But I'm not a professional, just someone who's suffered similarly. One thing not to do is to take a benzo type drug because that's what I did and got dependent on it, and they're no fun getting off!

 

[janlyn48]

Hi goodasnew,

I can't take benadryl either. It causes "agitation" for me. I've tried Ambien and it causes me to hallucinate and makes me unable to sleep.

Most nights I don't have actual "pain" but I do have discomfort: Stiffness and still some tingling in the knee. Also, my knee feels heavy when I turn over. That can wake me up.

I take 100mg of neuronton at night. I started taking it for nerve pain and it was much more effective than the standard narcotics. I have tried going without the neurontin but I wake up with discomfort about 3am and can't get back to sleep.

Another thing I do to help myself get to sleep after waking up is deep breathing from the diaphragm until I fall asleep again. It's surprising how effective that can be.

 

[referee54]

I tried to sleep in my bed; I tried to sleep in our guest bed. I tried to sleep on the sofa; I tried to sleep on the futon---I even took the futon mattress off of the futon and threw it onto the floor and tried to sleep there! I had issues and it was very, very frustrating. I had enough pillows to keep the HMS Titanic afloat! It wasn't painful---it just wasn't, for some reason, comfortable.

I will also tell you that when I was taking the Ambien, one night I had to get up to go to the bathroom, and I was wobbling around like a drunken sailor!

I also agree with maryo52---too many people use sleep meds too long ---ten days worked fine for me.

Please do not worry---it can be frustrating, but it will soon dissolve into a memory.

 

[brs0660]

I too have sleeping issues. They were worse right after surgery. One thing I tried that worked pretty well was to sleep in a recliner. I could prop my entire leg and it would keep me from moving around...and hurting.

I took sleep meds. Some folks suggest magnesium supplements and some suggest melatonin supplements.

Glad you slept well last night!

 

[goodasnew]

I think I found the answer - quite by accident! Now the temperatures here are up in the 40's the nights are pretty uncomfortable without air conditioning. The problem is the aircon makes my nose run! Went to the pharmacy to get something to dry it up and she gave me Atarax which dries it up and, wait for it, makes me sleep like a baby!! Only taking the minimum dose too.

I feel so much better now after 3 good nights sleep! I've been back at work for 5 weeks now and was finding it pretty hard without good sleep but now feel hopeful that the worst is behind me (until the other knee is done of course!)

 

[sashayinglady]

Goodasnew, so happy for you ! A good nights sleep is wonderful & makes you feel like a new woman. Insomnia seems to be a problem post surgery..? anesthesia, pain or even our hormones can cause havoc with REM sleep.
You take care!
Darlene

 

[Jamie]

Hey.....TWO for ONE!!! What a deal!!! I'm happy this is working for you. There is nothing like a good night's sleep.