Has anyone any tips for sleeping comfortably on my back? I think I only got about two hours last night. I found it more comfortable with my legs bent, but worried that I should be flat.
I bought an angled pillow thats 12" tall to lay my legs on, my PT said you can stack 3 or 4 bed pillows.
Hi Stephie
I sympathise as had 2 THR and going for a 3rd one...
bendy legs not approved as it stops things healing properly. So try these things instead:
1. Anti histamine - stops you getting itchy and if you buy the drowsy ones it sure helps put you to sleep
2. A book that requires concentration. I read The Making of the English Language by Bill Bryson until my eyes rolled up to the back of my head
3. Black out blinds
4. Raise your legs just a wee bit - small pillow underneath and experiment where is comfy - I had one just above my heels. So I was tilted but not bent, if you get me
5. If wearing TED stockings make sure they are pulled right over your toes so it doesnt feel odd with toes poking out
6. Hot water bottles around where you are least comfy
7. Pillows down the operated side so you feel nested in
8. I also had a very soft cuddly large flat rabbit that I put under my chin to comfort me.
9. Have one more wee than you think you need before lights out
10. If you wake go and have a wee then snuggle down - so it becomes a pattern of behaviour
Basically treat yourself as if you were a baby that sleeps badly. It does help, I promise.
sweet dreams x
prop yourself up with plenty of pillows and remember to put one under your knees and your heels if you habe enough. Love Gillxx
I am a side sleeper. Always and forever. I find if I must sleep on my back, if I use a plump pillow under my head and turn my cheek to the side into the pillow it seems to fool the rest of my body that I am on my back and I am able to sleep. (this is pre-op; I have to sleep on my back now due to pain so I am not addressing what has to be going on with legs. They seem okaay flat or with a tiny pillow behind the knees.)
Oohhhhhh i hated the ba.ck sleeping. In the end pllows pillows pillows. Lega bent with pillows under the knees. I didn't last 6 weeks. At 4 weeks i woke and found myself on my side...from there i found on my side with pillows. ...thank the lord for pillows
Hi Steph
I have had 2 hip replacements this year 4 months apart and have never been able to sleep on my back. However I have managed it now but only with the assistance of head raise. I bought a triangle wedge its on all the mobility sites.
It lifts the head high and goes down tothe waist. It just means you are slightly higher up and it does help. I put my pillows on top. I also have a foam leg raise at the bottom of the bed and just raises my knees by about 6 inches or so and my feet then fall on to bottom of the bed. without these I wouldnt get any sleep.
know exactly where you are coming on but these do help.
maggiex
Wine especiall Red helps a lot, but you may wake up on your side or front or on the floor.........
Hi Stephhie...It IS hard sleeping on your back..I agree bending knees helps as takes pressure off the base of the back. I was worried about doing that tho but physio says it is fine. How far on are you? I was told I could sleep on my side at 7 weeks...when I did found I was reverting back to lying on my back.!!.The sleeping for only a couple of hours at a time seems a general gripe on this site so is par for the course. I am now almost 9 weeks and never thought I would get here...sleep is still difficult but is better.
Ali 2
Nurses shocked to find me sleeping on my side 28 hours after my surgery. well not entirely on my side, I have a habit of turning over half between my side and my front, with pillows tucked in to make myself comfortable, also pillow tucked in under my surgery knee. Not on the surgery side, not easy to get into that postion, slowly and it did cause some pain, but once I got there I could sleep. They didn't growl and say get back on your back, they said whatever works for you, although they did check I wasn't breaking precautions rules.
Hi Stephie,
I was lucky, I think, that they were more relaxed at my hospital with sleeping on back - Day following surgery (1st THR) I was shown how to use the pillow between my legs and turn over on non-operated side while still in hospital - making sure the 90 degree rule is not broken - another pillow was put underneath the knee to keep the angle ... same happened 2nd THR - however, 30 minutes at least 3 x a day I had to lay on my back and keep my legs stretched - even with sleeping on side, I didn't sleep more than 2 - 3hours uninterrupted - now at 8 weeks I am happy to do 4 hours straight ....
warm hug
renee
It is curious isn't it? How different medics give different advice re sleeping. I was told NOT to sleep on my side till week 7 and then it had to be on operated side and NOT the good side..the reason being you could cross your operated leg ( and new hip) in your sleep despite pillow and if on the operated side you would be crossing your 'good' leg and not causing any problems...I was told to sleep on operated side which was painful so deliberate from medics I suspect but now do and sleep as you say now for about 4 hours instead of 2. I revert back to my back which I never thought I would but things are getting better hippies..
Ali 2
Thanks gillcat, tried this and it was much more comfortable.
Love Steph
Really didn't think it would be this hard to sleep on my back! I'm averaging about 4 (interrupted) hours a night. More pillows is definitely the answer.
Steph
Yes, my surgeon said the same thing. Sleep on the operated side after 6 weeks and not the unoperated one. Strange how things differ around the country.
Thank goodness..I thought I had understood incorrectly!!
ALi 2
After wk 4 i woke up on the unoperated side despite all the pillows etc. Did it in my sleep. After that i thought... oh well ...whatever. ive been lucky ... no adverse affects.
Try using a spare duvet rolled to help you, you can use it to support you where you feel uncomfortable - and plenty of pillows - this helped me
Thank you. Yes realise I need loads of pillows.
Steph