Sleep Problems
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Tue, 10/06/2009 - 16:29
Advice Needed
My lower back makes it very, very hard to find a comfortable sleeping it position it night. I don't fall asleep quickly and it is hard to get back to sleep when I go to the bathroom during the night.
Any advice you have will be greatly appreciated.
Thank You
Amy
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do you sleep on your back?
Banned from Spine-Health
I sleep on my back and my side.
hi!!! i find getting cozy with my pillows all around me make it more comfortable when i have to get up and down... good luck catching some good sleep! Jenny
Double laminectomy L4-L5, bulging discs, DDD, Bone spurs, nerve damage in left leg and hip, DJD, and that to familiar visitor,arthritis
A pillow under your knees when lying on your back takes the stress off your lower back, and if on your side, a pillow between your knees helps keep your hips and spine aligned.
Kelly
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Anterior Foraminotomy in April 09 for:
stenosis C4/C5, protruding disc at C5/C6 with osteophyte complex, herniated disc at C6/C7
OA in neck, hip, knees
PTSD and Anxiety Disorder
**A Proud Canadian Soldier**
BUT NOT A DOCTOR!!! My thoughts are just that... my thoughts based solely on my experiences, so take them for what they're worth (and sometimes they may not be worth much)
I know this sounds crazy, but i still have my big pregnancy pillow from when I was actually pregnant and I still use it at night to help me sleep. It really does help to relieve a bit of the pressure and pain from my back at night. I would recommend you maybe trying one, they are really helpful.
Lower back injury June 2009
X-Rays 06/2009 showed a small fracture
MRI 06/2009 showed 2 herniated discs in L4,5,S1
Diagnosed with severe sciatica
Treated with failed attempts of steriod packs
Discectomy/Laminectomy August 2009
Continued back, hip, and leg pain following surgery
A CAT Scan showed 2 more herniated discs on C4,5,6 and 2 protruding discs and a disc bulge
3rd and 4th set of spinal injections set for November 2009
Current meds: Percocet, Xanax, Skelaxin, Flector Patches
I'm a 23 year old mother to 3 yr old twin girls and WAY to young for back pain!
Hi Amy,
I had years of low back pain--tried different mattresses and sleeping positions. It wasn't until I got an air mattress that I was able to find comfortable sleeping positions. That may be something you could consider. Of course, it depends on your particular back injury, but that's what helped me get some decent sleep. There are long stretches where I have hip pain from my back problems and then I can't sleep on either side (and never on my stomach) but I can at least get comfortable on my back.
Linda
the pillows are a great idea and i use an ipod shuffle--its reasonably priced ($40) and filled it with easy listening music-it had been very helpful and even used it after my fusion and lami's.
good luck!! mugs
Get a few foam wedges,both different heights.
Also a body pillow, works mine is about 3/12"-4" long anywhere from 16"-20" recomend goosedown.
You can ever have enough down pillows, always make sure you have at least 3 of those.
Ask DR for sleepy meds.
Good luck, it works for me...................... WHEN I ACTUALY SLEEP......GGGGGGGGGGGGGRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRR !!!!!!!!
My lower back makes it very, very hard to find a comfortable sleeping it position it night. I don't fall asleep quickly and it is hard to get back to sleep when I go to the bathroom during the night..[http://releasetechnique.com/stress management[/url]
I am a back sleeper too. I stuff 2 old pillows into one pillowcase and put in under my knees.
It really helps and it is CHEAP!
Male, 37 yr old. Wonderful wife. Two AWESOME daughters (9 & 5)
Bilateral Pars defect with grade 1 spondylolisthesis (stable).
No surgeries. 2 ESIs. 8 weeks PT.
Meds: Tramadol, Gabapentin, Vicodin, Elavil, Flexeril and Lisinopril
Still working fulltime but with unpaid intermittent FMLA leave (up to 16hrs per wk)
Hi - I have pain all the time and nights can be really difficult. Generally, I am up 5-8 times in a night, waking to pain and the need to get on my other side to hope to escape it for another 45-90 minutes of sleep. I can not turn in bed so have to hoist myself up and out with my arms then crawl back in an lower on the other side. There are some things that help me at different times.
Important to me, and sad, was having to give up my beloved featherbed that I had slept on for a long time. No plush mattress pad or tempurpedic for me, either. Both brought increased pain when getting up. However, this summer a friend brought me a double long sheepskin to sleep on and it made a big difference with pressure points from say one and the nights when I am troubled by them I remember how much worse they were before this. It is on the sheet and I sleep directly on it. It is washable. I have a shorter one that has gone with me in to car and when we traveled recently for a medical appointment. I can not imagine sleeping without.
I use a large bath towel instead of a pillow between my knees. It can be folded to whatever thickness is needed and I need one level when facing the outside of the bed and a thicker level when facing inner where there is some depression of the mattress toward center from my husband on the other side.
The iPod. I had a pain mmt release that did not help me - bought months ago. But last week found a track at the end called Sleep Hypnosis for Pain Management and tried it. Worked really well for me. Has put me back to sleep repeatedly this week... it's just under 15min and only 2x have I heard it all. Maybe something like that would be helpful for you.
Good luck.