sleeping

[osubucks]

When were you able to sleep on your non-operative side?I'm not a back sleeper.Any good advice
for attempting side sleeping?
thanks

[JMS]

I think it was about six or seven days after surgery.  By two weeks after surgery I was given the OK to sleep on the operated side (as soon as the staples came out) and I know I had been sleeping on the non-operative side for at least a week by then. 
The rules that my physiotherapist gave me were as follows: Lie on your back with both knees bent. Place a pillow between your knees. Clamp your thighs onto the pillow and roll onto your side.

[osubucks]

thanks JMS

[Tin Soldier]

I got stuck on my belly at about the 3 night home.  I thought I could roll over (with pillow between legs) and go all the way to laying on my stomach.  I needed help from my wife to roll me back to my side or back.

I'd say about 5 days post op, I was able to comfortably lay on non-op side, with pillow between legs.  Probably about 2 weeks or so before doing the same on op side.

[ScubaDuck]

I was about the same as Tin.  It was about 5 nights before I was able to roll on the good side, at least for awhile.  It was hard to get comfortable in any position for too long.  I think I was able to lay on the better side after about 8 days.

Definitely put a LARGE pillow between your legs.  It seemed to hurt too much if I used a small pillow and then rolled.  I also ended up almost on my belly and woke up freaked out.  My gf had to help me and then didn't even recall it the next morning.

Dan

[maxi]

by the 4th nite post op i had had enough of back sleeping, i was still in hospital and got the nurses to pack me up with pillows around me and have a go at non op side .. ,lasted 5 mins  ..     was 4 weeks before i could sleep comfortably on my side .... either side ..   

we are all different in recovery .....     

[Dan L]

With the pneumatic anti clot stockings on for 2 weeks and the desire to help the swelling go down by elevating the leg in bed, I was stuck on my back for 2 weeks, which was rough because I am a side sleeper.  The pump was loud and impacted sleep alot so those 2 weeks were not restful.  After about the 3rd week I started sleeping on my good side and would sleep on the bad (operated) side for short periods of time; I used a small, thin pillow just off the side of the "top" leg (good or bad leg-- when laying on the side) to keep the leg from being at a painful angle.

By late 4th or 5th I could sleep on either side without pillow and on the bad side for an hour or so.  Now in week six I can sleep on either side, operated side for a few hours no problems.

Hope it helps,

Dan

[Cantab]

One week in and I'm still on the recliner, on my back.  Last night was the first time I slept through, 11p-8a, except up twice to pee.  It might have helped that I took 2 tylonol pm at 11.  I am also a side sleeper but the recliner has helped on my back.  I may try tonight to sleep in bed and maybe even on the goood side, see how it goes.  Would strapping a pillow to the inside of the bad leg help?  I would think that this would keep the pillow in place.  Listening to the stories of people getting on their stomach and not being able to roll back, sounds like turtles on their backs , hope i don't end up like that.

[PistolPete]

I was prob. 5 or 6 days post op when I was able to sleep on my side.  If you lay on your back and bring your heels towards your butt you can put the pillow between your knees.  Then slowly pivot to the side of your nonoperative leg and you will be good to go.   You'll be nervous the first time you pull it off but you'll soon be a pro.

[FlbrkMike]

I am also a side sleeper, and it took me about a week before I was able to sleep on my non-operated side and I believe a couple of weeks for the operated side.  Even then I had to roll over after an hour or so.

I found that using a leg wedge really helped when I had to sleep on my back. 



(that's not me!!)

Mine was made from memory foam, and they come in several different thicknesses - from something like 6" to 12".  I think I tried a 10" one at first and felt like my feet were sticking straight up in the air, finally settling on the 6" model.

[Cantab]

cool where'd you get the black TED stockings, they for Saturday nights?

[FlbrkMike]

In my house...every night is Saturday night.

 

[Tin Soldier]

Good point Mike - about the leg wedge, not the stockings, although that is pretty cool.  I used pillows under my knees to lift the legs a bit while on my back.  The hip capsule is tight early on and I found it uncomfortable to lay flat on my back because my legs wanted to be in the slightly bent position. 

[Anniee]

I was able to sleep on my non-operative side, with a pillow between my legs, as soon as I got home from the hospital. I used a regular size bed pillow that is old enough to be a little on the flat side.   I was not required to wear any TED's.  I alternated between laying on my back and my non-operative side for the first 7-10 days.  After that, i could actually lay on the operated side as well for an hour or so at a time.  My biggest issues were 1)  any position I was in got uncomfortable after a while, which made it a little difficult to go to sleep and stay asleep and 2)  the darn pillow kept falling on the floor.  The latter was more of an issue after my first surgery - I think by the time I had my second hip fixed, I had had so much practice with the pillow, it stayed in place most of the time .

One other thing that helped was to wear slippery type night clothes - made it easier to move around in the bed!

[mslendzion]

I slept on my operated side last night for the first time for about an hour. It started hurting pretty bad and is really sore this morning. Not sure why, any thoughts or similar experiences?

[Tin Soldier]

I recall a very similar experience.  It just takes a few times laying that way to get your body used to it.  You're about 3 weeks out?  I think I was about there when I started laying on my op side, but only for short periods.  I think if you keep doing it a little at a time it should get better, may take a week or so.  For now, I'd ice up, take some acetimenophen and maybe wait a night to try again.

[ScubaDuck]

Definitely had the pain you described.  There were really two pains.  One was on the surface around the incision.  The other was the IT band and muscles on the outside of the leg being stretched.

It took weeks to slowly get comfortable sleeping on the operated side.  I would start out with short periods on that side and then longer and longer.

Now I don't have to put a pillow between my legs to sleep comfortably anymore.

Best wishes.

Dan

[lynne123]

I am two weeks post-op today.  It was one week post-op when I began laying on my non-operated side.  I have to use a pillow between my legs to get into that position and keep it there.  When I try to do it without the pillow my knee and thigh will fall inward and my hip joint will hurt like hell. I am still afraid to attempt sleeping on the operated side.  My back is so sore from laying on it that yesterday I sprawled out on my stomach on the living room floor. OMG it felt great! That is until I had to get up.  It was rather funny. Thank goodness my boyfriend is visiting and could help me off the floor. 

[hernanu]

Jennifer - when you lay on your back, do you put a pillow under your knees? That made a real difference and made sleeping on my back tolerable.