Re: Sleeping at an incline

[Guest guest]

I actually just had the same question - I have not been sleeping

well either - I am one week post op today and after taking the

narcotic pain relief for several nights, was sleeping horrible.

I had 2 bad nights where I was up and down all night, very

frustrating if you like good sleep, like I do. I really was not in

much pain, just alot of discomfort from the swelling and tingling in

my face/chin area's

I am not one to take much medication normally so I agree that the

faster you can get off medication, the better.

Last night, I had my best nights sleep so far no medication - only

one advil, just in case and to take the edge off-only up twice so

got at least 6 or 7 good hours of sleep.

The incline is causing me a problem too so I removed one of the

pillows and put it down to maybe a 30 degree angle - Originally I

had about 5 or 6 pillows and was at maybe 45 degree angle. My

swelling has gone down significantly and I am starting to look like

a person again.

Also for better sleeping, as my doctor told me - your body is used

to being active all day, then sleeping at night. Since the surgery,

and lack of energy, naps during the day - it's no wonder it's hard

to sleep at night. Yesterday I maintained a low level of activity

all day, did approx 30 min of very mild yoga, took about a 10 min

walk outside in the fresh air, walked around the back yard. NO NAPS!

I did sit and knit / read for several times on the sunny deck which

is something I NEVER get to do during the day. Usually I'm slaving

away at my computer and work.

so after last night, I'm going to keep to this new schedule and keep

adding more activities slowly. I think I'm on my way to recovery and

looking forward to more and more sleep.

>

> Just wondering when you guys and girls stopped sleeping at an

incline

> after surgery. I'm still doing it for fear of increased swelling,

but

> I don't get very good sleep, despite the sleeping medication.

>

> Yann

[Guest guest]

For about a week, I slept in a recliner.

ycleroux wrote:

Just wondering when you guys and girls stopped sleeping at an incline

after surgery. I'm still doing it for fear of increased swelling, but

I don't get very good sleep, despite the sleeping medication.

Yann

---------------------------------

[Guest guest]

Hi ,

I spent the last week off all meds and chose to endure the painful

throbbing in my chin. But the pain gets more intense at night, and

like you, I'm a lifetime clencher (due to high anxiety) and recently

started clenching again, which wakes me up pretty quickly with the

sudden pain it causes.

I must wake up around 20 times every night. I tried a dose of T3

for the pain and a small dose of sleep med I bought (Simply Sleep)

to help me sleep last night, which helped a lot, but I've been dizzy

all morning from it. Lower dosages of either one just doesn't do

anything.

Anyway, I have a few Lorazepams left that seem to calm me down a

bit, but I'm running out of those and they don't last all night.

Perhaps a good ole warm chicken noodle soup would do the trick

before bed.

Yann

> >

> > Just wondering when you guys and girls stopped sleeping at an

> incline

> > after surgery. I'm still doing it for fear of increased

swelling,

> but

> > I don't get very good sleep, despite the sleeping medication.

> >

> > Yann

[Guest guest]

Thanks for the tips... I was awake the first 72 hours at home (I

only got to stay in the hospital 1 night), except for the occasional

30 minute nap from exhaustion. The nightmares and hallucinations

kept me up with or without medications.

I've been staying up all day since day 5, but like you said, it

could be due to lack of activity. Perhaps I should exercise a bit

more (a daily 20 minute walk doesn't seem to be enough).

My surgeon told me that slightly increased swelling is the only

potential side effect from sleeping horizontally and that it was up

to me to weigh the consequences, so I chose to sleep inclined.

Seeing that you guys have ceased that very early on, I should give

it a try, although I seem to nearly choke on my own saliva at night

sometimes - so many complications!

Yann

> >

> > Just wondering when you guys and girls stopped sleeping at an

> incline

> > after surgery. I'm still doing it for fear of increased

swelling,

> but

> > I don't get very good sleep, despite the sleeping medication.

> >

> > Yann

[Guest guest]

Hi Yann,

I'm not actually a clencher. I was prescribed the amitryptyline for

what the sleep doc thought was a kind of insomnia (had the overnight

& daytime sleep study complete with medusa-style headgear) although I

didn't think that was it. You might ask your doc about it if you're

concerned about the clenching. It really does allow me to sleep

through the night whereas before I would wake up frequently, and even

started waking earlier in the morning. It's so frustrating, I know,

when you feel that you need sleep to function (I don't do well with

little sleep myself).

Sorry about the throbbing pain. I didn't experience that. I did have

sharp jabbies during the daytime periodically, but they didn't last

long and usually signalled the return of more sensation, so I

welcomed them.

Hot soup sounds good. I recently sampled something a friend made

called chocolate mint tea, and I could easily deal with a cup of that

each night before bedtime : ) Just wish I could squeeze the recipe

out of him.

>

> Hi ,

>

> I spent the last week off all meds and chose to endure the painful

> throbbing in my chin. But the pain gets more intense at night, and

> like you, I'm a lifetime clencher (due to high anxiety) and

recently

> started clenching again, which wakes me up pretty quickly with the

> sudden pain it causes.

>

> I must wake up around 20 times every night. I tried a dose of T3

> for the pain and a small dose of sleep med I bought (Simply Sleep)

> to help me sleep last night, which helped a lot, but I've been

dizzy

> all morning from it. Lower dosages of either one just doesn't do

> anything.

>

> Anyway, I have a few Lorazepams left that seem to calm me down a

> bit, but I'm running out of those and they don't last all night.

> Perhaps a good ole warm chicken noodle soup would do the trick

> before bed.

>

> Yann