Not Sleeping A Lot

[Jordan64]

It's been a month since my AVR and I find that some nights I just can't get to sleep. I was never a big sleeper, averaging about 6-7 hours a night for a long time but now I find that I'll sleep for no longer than 4 hours and then wake up and not be able to get back to sleep. Some nights I only sleep for 2 hours and then end up taking naps during the day. I used to sleep on my side but I have been sleeping on my back while my breastplate heals. Anyone else have this problem? It's 3:26 in the morning as I am writing this! Figure might as well come to this site and ask the experts!!

 

[JimL]

This is all normal. You will gradually get back to normal. Many people report the same thing.
Three hours sleep seems to be fairly standard at first. I found it very difficult to sleep on my back, since I have always slept on my stomach. Most sleep somewhat sitting up for a while, such as in a recliner, or on a couch. I greatly treasured my nightly darvocet which got me those few hours of blissful sleep before I woke up in the middle of the night. Enjoy the daytime naps, you need them.

 

[neil]

hi.yea i went through that to,took me about 2 months to get back to normal

 

[Superbob]

Oh yes, this is part of our initiation rite. If you want to read a whole bunch of past commentary on this, just do a search of "sleep" or "problems sleeping," "sleepless," or words along those lines, and see all that comes up.

I just napped a few hours at a time 24/7 for a few months. And did that in my recliner because I couldn't get comfortable in bed. Most people begin to return to normal sleeping patterns after a few weeks or months, but I was one who continued to have problems, and still use a sleep aid. If you feel it is becoming an obstacle to return to good health, ask your doctor about it, by all means.

 

[Freddie]

Yes indeed. Do ask your doctor about this.

I had the same problem and was prescribed a mild sleeping aid.

Good Luck

 

[kpearse]

I used to sleep in my recliner, it was easy to get in and out of. I have problems sleeping now. I used to get 8hrs, now I'm lucky to get 3 or 4hrs a day. I've asked my Doctor about it, all he said was try an over the counter sleeping aid. Well no sh** I could have thought of that! I now go three, four days like that, then I crash and sleep for 12 hrs. Like I say, "It is what it is".

 

[Maryka]

Does little sleep at night mean you are also not napping during the day? When I was home from work the luxury of napping was welcome, but it sometimes meant less need for sleep at night.

My question to others is, did anyone get addicted to sleeping with the TV on in the hospital? I did and I often fall asleep with the TV on. I sometimes sleep with the radio on to classical music now. (To me the classical music is better than being jarred awake by an infomercial where they are selling scary looking knives in the middle of the night.)

 

[OldGeezerWNC]

It's strange this time around for me. My AVR was Dec16th. I Finally stayed at home on the 27th. On Jan 1 I figured I'd try the bed instead of the recliner. What a surprise. I slept from 10pm to about 3am. I'm not sure which day it was but I woke up and it was 7:30. First time in maybe 25 yrs I saw the alarm clock saying 7:30 am from in the bed. I do wake several times to de-water. Using the jug. I make sure to take two of my trammadol just before pouncing on the pillow. Everyone is different. You described what I went through the first time. But I don't recommend doing it twice ti sleep better. Rick

 

[catwoman]

I just couldn't get comfortable enough to sleep. We don't have a recliner at home, and my parents do, but I didn't think about the recliner during the two weeks I stayed with them after leaving the hospital.

I just cushioned myself with a lot of pillows and took Extra Strength Tylenol PM, for the discomfort and the sleep aid. You can also buy tablets or capsules of that sleep aid ingredent OTC; I've found it on the same aisle as Tylenol and other like meds. Really helped a lot.

 

[KAJ]

It was months before I could get a decent night's sleep. I also could not sleep on my left side, it was too painful. Now I find it hard to sleep on my left side because my valve makes too much noise. My cardio does not want to prescribe a sleep aide. He told me to use white noise.

Karl

 

[LisaD]

I still have issues with sleep at 1 year out. My regular physician prescribed a mild sleep medication and the cardiologists are fine with that. I would have gone crazy without it, I seem to need more sleep now than I did prior to surgery. Interesting to hear that others have had issues with heart noise/pounding sleeping on their left side too. Though, mine has subsided a bit recently. OTC sleeping meds should not be used long term, so be sure to ask your doc.

 

[Ruth]

Agreed, same here. Severe insomnia where I had been a great sleeper before surgery. I think my sleep issues were partly due to post op AFib and the treatment of it with Amiioterone (made me jittery).

Unfortunately sleep aids didn't help me, they didn't knock me out and just made me feel loopy (ok, loopier than normal but wouldn't knock me out entirely. That left me awake, at 2/3/4/5 am, loopy, miserable and not able to sleep.

I kept a book at a chair near the bed and got in a lot of hours of reading instead of sleep. Thankfully, like all the other post op bumps it faded with time. But I sure hated it while it was happening.

Ruth

 

[Kathy McCain]

I've always had issues with sleeping, on and off. After my surgery though, I HAD to sleep on my back! I am definitely NOT a back sleeper, plus it was too painful to sleep on my side! My cardio prescribed the lowest dose of Alprazolam. I took that every night for a year! It did help my alot.

 

[Doug]

I am still waking up around 3 - 3:30 am. I am still using the recliner, so some of it is just getting uncomfortable as well as waking up. When I first got home I was taking a pain pill around that time, so it looks like my body kind of likes it. I just sit up, do some stretching, pet the dogs or whatever and then go back to sleep for a couple of hours. I think I am off of the pain killer, so I will see how the sleep goes with just tylenol.

 

[Bobwillis]

Same problem happened to me, but after took Over the Counter Medications got better result. OTC medications and supplements used globally for various diseases and conditions and i found in which is available at InternationalDrugMart.com at low cost. can u try it..