Sleep? Or lack thereof...
 

Hi all :)
Still struggling alot after my fall and my shoulder has been giving me much more bother than usual :(
I cannot find a comfortable position, I don't like sleeping on my back and often wake up due to pain having rOlled on my side for a time...
How do you all manage?
It gets so bad at time
Also, any natural pain relief methods? I may be pregnant so can no longer medicate... :/
Staying positive is difficult at times.

I require Valium to sleep through the night. Sometimes I sleep in the recliner in front of the TV when I can't get comfortable in the bed.

Joanna,

If you are pregnant, congrats! It's exciting but also scary given TOS and your recent fall.

You can still medicate during pregnancy but let the doctor(s) guide you. If the pain isn't controlled, then your blood pressure will shoot up which can impact the pregnancy so if the need is there to medicate, the ob-gyn will balance medications with the risk to the baby. I re-tore my ACL during the 1st week of my 1st pregnancy and pinched a nerve in my neck about 2 months later. Between the knee and the nerves, I think the knee was worse. At least the nerves would respond to the pain meds. All I could do was wait for exhaustion to overtake the pain which was usually around 5 or 6 AM and then I only got a few hours of sleep if I was lucky. My son is excelling in school so there was no impact to him for the pain meds they gave me during the pregnancy.

I also use diazepam/valium.

Also, relaxation/sleep audios have been useful to me.

i take tryptophan im wimpy like that

or melatonin when i dont mind being a zombie the next morning

Thanks all :)
I have a docs appt on the 20th and will talk to them then. I am glad I had at least mostly stopped the oxy, I took one early on before i realised I was pg...

I find it's position a lot of the time, I have never slept on my back before, now it's the only position that doesn't cause pain, but I often wake up in pain on my side... I need an arch of pillows or something. A new matress would probably help too :/

I have valium when it is a tough day. But I sleep in a recliner. That does help so much then the flat bed and the counter pressure.
Wish I could find a topper for the bed, and it raised like a hospital bed.

When lying on your back, you might try putting a pillow or folded blanket underneath your knees. This can be more comfortable.

Bed, Bath & Beyond has some pillows shaped for various purposes that might help you, as well. If you sign up for their emails they'll give you a 20% off coupon, too. Sometimes I get tired of refolding blankets, and it's just nicer to have a dedicated pillow.

I plan on getting this bed after I win the lotto! http://www.relaxtheback.com/sleep/ma...-mattress.html

http://www.relaxtheback.com/media/ca...relax2_600.jpg

Egads the cost...
But, I think I maybe able to construct the memory foam toppers into a lift and rise. I am a side sleeper, curl fetal on the left side. My right side tingles and falls asleep from hip down almost instantly from sacroillac injury.

Thanks for the link.
dianne

That bed looks great! But I know people who have tried similar and not liked them. I think I would... I liked the hospital beds. With it sat up like that I wouldn't end up on my side.
Will probs get a v pillow. We don't have bed bath and beyond over here though :)
My sleeping is a little better now that I think the worst of the meds leaving my system is over. I was only using them at night.
Though once I am heavily pregnant back sleeping will be a no no... Hmmmm. I slept only on my left side last time, there is no chance of that. Eeep, hadn't really thought of that.
Thanks again all :)

That bed can adjust itself to the "Zero Gravity" position (which is why I want one!).

I have a Human Touch Perfect Chair recliner that has been my saving grace. I bought a refurbished model right after my cervical fusion. It allows me to watch TV without pain. This is where I go to sleep when I can't sleep in my bed.

http://www.relaxtheback.com/media/ca...black_1024.jpg

http://www.relaxtheback.com/recliners/zero-gravity.html

ContourSide Pillow by Relax The Back®
 

I found a solution that I believe makes a bed like this unnecessary for me. I was originally a stomach sleeper but have been able to convert to side sleeping. Sleeping on my back has never been comfortable unless I am in the zero gravity chair. I have multiple types of pillow that I can sleep well with on my sides, but I periodically aggravate bursitis in my shoulders. My therapist believes my shoulders were bearing too much weight/pressure when side sleeping.

I browsed the Relax the Back website earlier this week and found these specialty pillows made for side sleeping:

http://www.relaxtheback.com/sidepill...pur-pedic.html
http://www.relaxtheback.com/media/ca...ckage_clip.jpg
http://www.relaxtheback.com/contourside-pillow-974.html
http://www.relaxtheback.com/media/ca...64568_f520.jpg
http://www.relaxtheback.com/media/ca...pillow_600.jpg



I read all of the reviews and found this one in particular:
I went to my local Relax the Back and tried the pillows. I tried the Temper-pedic pilllow first and liked it. However, it only comes in one size (4") and seemed a tad too small for me. The ContourSide pillow felt absolutely amazing. The pillow foam is softer and more luxurious than the Temper-pedic and comes in multiple sizes. The largest (5") size fit me perfectly.

The pillows are not cheap but my wife was on board and I dropped $150 on the Large CounterSide pillow. I just had surgery Thursday and have slept on the pillow Wednesday night and Friday afternoon and night. I don't think i have ever been able to get sleep this restful since my TOS journey started 5 years ago. My wife said I don't move an inch and wake up in the exact same position that I fall asleep in (with our cat Nala parked right next to me). She hasn't observed any tossing, turning, or snoring either. I am sleeping in 4 hour blocks (in between pain med regimen) right now.

If you have a local Relax the Back store I recommend at least giving these pillows a test drive. I'm off for another 4 hours of sleep now!:cool:

I've been sleeping on this pillow for several days now and several of my family members tried it out as well (and are considering getting one). I can definitely say it is the best pillow I have ever owned. The cost is quite exhorbitant but it has been worth it for me.

Unfortunately they don't have a store out here in Tmec/Murtown so I'll have to trek out to the OC. You can order these online but there is no way to know what height to get.

Which exact store did you visit that let you test drive it?

I went to the Irvine store (basically on the border of Irvine & Tustin). They had samples of all the sizes to try). I bought the last L they had in stock at the time so you might have to travel to another store or order if they are out of stock. I'm pretty sure they don't sell the demos.