Sleeping on my sides!

Bones, joints and muscles
1

Hi have had THR five weeks today I'm so fed up with sleeping on my back if you can call it sleep ! Does anyone no when you can sleep on your sides i just need a good nights sleep.

2

Jennifer

Try lots of pillow arrangements around and down the outside of the affected leg and different levels of pillows behind your head. My THR has not gone well and 7 months on sleeping on my back is easy now - the pillow on the outside of your thigh tends to stop you rolling onto it and is a bit like giving your poor sore leg a teddy bear to cuddle . The rate of recovery of your scar will also impact the time before you are comfortable on your side. I was a fantatical right side sleeper til my op...

3

Jennifer, I know it is difficult to sleep on your back (the snoring, the back ache etc etc) But I found if I had a cascade of pillows starting highest first  to lowest and laid on them (imagine 3  steps - small  pillow, larger and larger still - you can add more on top as required) you can actually become more comfortable (or splash out for a couple of cheap duvets to make a nest to lay on) as you still have a few months to go before sleeping on your sides is again the norm. A recliner also helped me get sufficient sleep.

4

Have you tried a pillow under your knees - I found that helpful. You can sleep on your operated side with a pillow between your knees about now and on the other side in a week or so providing you don't let your operated leg cross the mid-line - more pillows.  I now spend half the night on one side and half on the other split by a necessary visit to the loo!  I might be a bit over-cautious, I'm 19 weeks on, but actually it is more comfortable using a pillow between to knees.

Good luck.

5

This is me exactly the same as you five weeks ago yesterday. I need some sleep 😕 too 

6

Hi Jennifer

I was told that as soon a the 6 weeks were up I could sleep on my side

It had to be my operated side with a pillow behind me to stop me rolling on to my other side. The reason it had to be the op side......if it was the other side {op leg on top} it could slip over and that  is  another way the hip could pop out

It was sore on the op side but better than my   back

Eleen

 

7

I used to out pillows in a 'V' shape then out another one across the bottom of the V to support my back and then another of top to level things out.  

I can now sleep in my non operated side but still have the pillow between my legs.  As hard as it is, it is really important to stick to the rules!  I find afternoon naps help as well :0)

Good luck x 

8

Hi Chrstine

                 Thanks for the info have got lots of pillow but just keep waking as i sleep normal on my sides and front before the op will just have to be more patient my scar is good have been putting bio oil on it twice a day and have been exercising well and now do lots more then i did the first two weeks i go back to hospital a week Wednesday so maybe they will tell me abit more.

9

Thanks for that info a great help

10

Hi ros have tried it all will just have to be more patient thanks.

11

Hi claire

               Hope your recovery is going well and i no how you feel more sleep 😴

12

You should be ok to sleep on the non operated side but with a pillow between your knees.  You will eventually be able to sleep on the operated side for me it was about six months

13

I know it is so annying, right? I was like a pasha with so many pillows.

My advise is that you need to take some pain killers at night to help you sleep through the night. I would take either 50mg of codeine or 2 mg of codeine. What I found is, once I took a sufficient dose of pain killer to allow me to get a lONG good nights uninterruped sleep, that that lasted me for a few days. In ther words on the next night or two just took napraxon (or for you perhaps paracetamol). Just getting one or TWO really good nights rest in via pain killers was really really helpful to my recovery. You heal when you sleep and yu really need the sleep.

14

comment below- make that 25mg of codeine not 2mg

15

byteme is right about the douvet. I had only been using pillow, but it got so hot here I removed the top blanket and folded it up rather thick, and that night decided to use the blanket between my legs instead of pillows, and it was a lot better. A plump dovet would be just the ticket, but my plump blanet works also.

16

I have no idea if I am supposed to be sleeping on my side without the pillows or not, but I am. Just this week I am back to sleeping like normal, kind of half stomach half side. Hope it is not to soon but my hip feels healed enough to me. I had my THR 2 months ago. So far so good have not noticed anything feeling risky in my hip at all.

17

Hi jennifer...we all went thru this and hated it.  Cheer up, it will get easier ipromise.

18

Hi Jodi

Thats the way I like to sleep.

6 weeks is supposed to be the time on your back {according to my consultant} than after that for a while on your operated leg...On the other side the operated leg might cross the mid line.....its horrible isnt it

Eileen

19

OMG sleeping on my back was the worse part. I never could sleep on my back.. I asked my PC doc for meds to help me thru. Like u I could only sleep on my stomach or side as we know that's a no on until the bones sets with the implant. 

There r some me sleep aids OTC may help. UR almost thru just a few more weeks and u will be out walking thru ythe mall like a kid again..

LOL SHOPPING.....get well soon & healing prayers sent UR way..

((hugs))

 

20

Hi 

      Thank for all the info you wonderful people will take it all on board it's so good to no that we are all in this together 😊