sleep....

Anyone have any good ideas for getting some sleep? I had my pm put in Friday and am wearing the sling to bed. I slept pretty good Friday night but I must have woke up 10 times last night.
Thanks, duggie

6 Comments

Pain?

by heckboy - 2008-02-24 10:02:04

Is pain keeping you up?

I slept on my back for the first couple of weeks and frankly , neve rhad a problem sleeping. Maybe I'm lazy at heart. :D Cushy pillow definitely helped and so did an after dinner cocktail.

duggie

by jessie - 2008-02-24 10:02:29

make sure you have like about four cushy pillows you can sink into. that is what i did. of course i slept on the unaffected side for a long time. i found i was very tired at first but later i had issues because the reality hit me much later. i was afraid to sleep for a long time but have worked that thru thank god. that is all for now jessie

Sleep problems

by ElectricFrank - 2008-02-24 11:02:20

Duggie,
You didn't mention any discomfort or pain. Jessie's suggestions about pillows is a good one. If you sleep on the unaffected side and support the pacer side arm on a pillow it will certainly help a lot. You can also take off the sling for sleeping unless you think you will stretch your am over your head inadvertently.
Now for the other possibility. Having the pacemaker will likely increase your energy a lot. You may not need as much sleep. I remember getting up after a few hours sleep the second night and spending several hour getting caught up on some computer programming I had been needing to do. Then I went bck to bed and got in a bit more sleep and felt great the next day. I started walking 3 miles/day which helped me to feel more like sleep.

good luck,
frank

Sling or ?

by janetinak - 2008-02-24 11:02:39

My EP had me wear a Zimmer arm support. It is made of sturdy material & anchors the arm between the shoulder & elbow & also between the elbow & the wrist. I believe its for humerous (upper arm) fractures. Your doc should be able to write you a prescription for it & insurance should pay for it. This worked well for me for 2 PM replacements. The support fits around the waist & can be adjusted with velcro at the waist, wrist & forearm. Pretty comfortable & prevents you putting (read flinging) your arm over your head & possibly pulling lead out. Sleep well with it too.

Good luck,

Janet

comfort

by sistermary7 - 2008-02-25 02:02:55

If you need something to help you sleep try taking it early aournd 9 pm. Drink a bid glass of milk and eat some turkey around the same time. It really helps. Also I don't like taking a lot of anything to help me sleep but if I have too a good dose of ibuprofen or a advil pm helps but you have to take it early enough to kick in with your natural sleep pattern. I think people try to take a measure too late in the night and that just makes it worse. The other people are right about the pillows. They help you get comfortable, My best friend gave me a huge stuffed soft bunny that fits perfectly under my left arm and it keeps me from rolling over on my affected side. Hey what ever works right?
good luck
sistermary7

Duggie

by OIMAPRINCESS2477 - 2008-02-25 12:02:22

I recently had my pm put in also. The first couple of night i found it was easy to rest my left shoulder against the bed but then i had a body pillow behind my back that a let my weight fall on to;. This was very comfotable for me. But you may just have to see what works. Best Of Luck and Fell Better soon.

Britt<3

You know you're wired when...

Your pacemaker interferes with your electronic scale.

Member Quotes

The pacer systems are really very reliable. The main problem is the incompetent programming of them. If yours is working well for you, get on with life and enjoy it. You probably are more at risk of problems with a valve job than the pacer.