Problems with sleep

[nick1972]

Since coming out of ICU I've suffered badly with being able to get a decent nights sleep, I was in an induced coma during my stay. There seems to be a link between this and sleeping problems. Has anyone else had a similar problem sleeping ? Has anyone been able to find a solution ? I only seem to get about 3 hours of actual sleep a night, the rest is cap napping really

[Luckyone]

Hi Nick,

I've had problems sleeping ever since I came out of ICU six years ago, and can probably count on one hand the number of times I've had a decent nights sleep since discharge, it usually 3-4 hours then my brain starts racing away often about irrelevant things also now I'm a very light sleeper with the slightest noise waking me up, I've tried most things like milky drinks before bed, listening to music at a low volume & herbal sleeping tablets (I avoid prescribed sleeping pills) but nothing works for me.

I believe it is a common problem trying to get a normal sleep pattern back, but by avoiding sleeping during the day or drinking any stimulants after 7pm is supposed to help, also having the bedroom slightly cooler can help, I think it's just a case of what works for one may not work for another.

Bill

[nick1972 in reply to Luckyone]

Hi Bill,

Listening to audio books can help sometimes, sleeping pills render me completely useless the followind day and sometimes dont work at all, so I steer clear of pills.

Yes my mind is over running but my boy is exhausted, sometimes I find having a dim light on can help as well.

I keep my window ajara all the time as it helps with my breathing anyway. I actually sleep better on the train in the morning, I must look a right mess by the time I get to work, no one says anything though !

Nick

[mike999]

Nick

I think this is very common. It was explained to me that whilst you appear to be asleep in a coma, you are not. Your body is constantly awake and undergoing invasive treatment, so once out of the coma your sleep pattern needs a major reset. Add to this catheterisation and your bladder needs to re-expand which means getting up a lot in the middle of the night to go to the loo. I spent 5 weeks in ICU and it was a good 3 - 4 months before I had my first full night's sleep during recovery. But I sleep fine now. So there is hope! But like everything, it takes time. I agree with others that you should look to good sleep "practice" to help. No coffee or tea in the afternoon / evening, try to stop watching TV an hour before bed etc. And if you can, no alcohol! On the plus side, I got through a lot of books ....

[comadreams]

In ICU, and hospital generally, the normal human circadian rythm is completely disrupted by the nursing shift system (staff changeovers at 4.00am) and the general noise, alarm beepers, etc., on the ward. Turning out or lowering the lights at midnight just to turn them back on at 4.00 or 6.00am isn't helpful. Its no wonder patients sleep patterns are disturbed. There doesn't seem to be a solution, sleep when you can. Good luck and best wishes for a full recovery. David.

[LesAnne]

Hi Nick In February 2016 I was in an induced coma for 3 weeks. Since then I have had sleep problems mainly due to nightmares which focus around the morgue. I also sometimes awake with a start as if there has been a loud noise but there hasn't been. I recently got a fitness tracker to help with my recovery and it logs my restful sleep at around 3/3.5 hours a night.

I put lavender oil on my pillow, read from my kindle, don't drink anything after 8pm and try to stay calm. If I worry about my sleep it doesn't help. It seems to be a common issue for a lot of people after a stay in ICU so I would try not to stress about it as this will only make matters worse. I would try different helpers e.g. reading, a bath, lavender oil etc and see if anything helps. If something helps even a little stick with it and hopefully your sleep will gradually improve.

Although I'm still having problems sleeping it is better than it was initially. I think we underestimate the trauma we have been through and unfortunately all aspects of our recovery take time.

Healing thoughts from Lesley-Anne

[comadreams]

Here's a little get to sleep trick I was taught, it's going to sound silly but bare with me, can't hurt to try. When it's time to go to sleep, (helps if you have good pictorial imagination), first thing is take all your worries and concerns , put them in boxes and set them aside, o a high shelf, you don't need them just now, you have something more important to do. Imagine a door, it's half open and there's a brightly lit street outside. Inside is a little darker but gentle light is coming from somewhere. You look down and the floor of checkered black and white tile is flooded, not deep, just a 1/2", but it makes the tile pattern wobble, the water has to go. So you imagine a broom, one of those soft wide push brooms made specially for sweeping water. When you breath in work your imaginary elbows and withdraw the broom, when you breath out push the broom and the water out the door. Look down, still more water, you want to see the patterned tile straight again. Withdraw the broom on the in breath and push on the out. Repeat as needed, beats counting sheep, sleep well. (y)

[Hutch1972]

Hi Nick, we are so sorry that you are having these troubles. Being sleep deprived is horrible, it makes even the simple tasks seem near imp[ossible.

My wife Ally is having the same problem, cannot sleep. She has been out of her induced coma for almost a month and is yet to have a good nights sleep. Ally is so afraid that if she falls asleep, she won't wake up. Her fear is so strong, that even when the doctors give her sleep medicine or try to sedate her she gets a max of 2 hours. The doctors will say, m" OK, now this should allow her to have a good nights sleep". An hour or 2 later she starts to move around and then within 3 hours her eyes are open.

So Nick, Ally is right there with you in the "No Good Nights Sleep After Induced Coma Club". Like Nick asked. Does anyone have any solutions or tricks that worked for them?

You are not alone Nick!!!

Sincerly,

Ally & Marc

[nick1972]

Thank you all for your kinds words of support, some great suggestions here.

So my new routine, no caffeine after 7pm, limit liquid consumption nearing bedtime, relaxing bath before bed. Window left open a notch for some fresh air. No watching TV in bed.

Well so far no difference to my sleeping patterns but its too early to tell if its helped, but I'll keep at it.

My partner says I during the night I often stop breathing which then wakes me up with a start, so looks lke thats the next thing to ask my Doctors about.

I hope you all have a good day

Nick

[Hutch1972]

Hi Nick,

Ally and Marc again. It sounds like you now have sleep apnea. There are a few different causes with many different treatments. My mom had severe sleep apnea. It caused her to have very poor sleeps at night. Which in turn made her very tired all day and she required naps. She went and did a sleep study and it was recommended she get a CPAP machine. The CPAP is a machine that continually blows air down your throat all night. You wear a small mask that covers your nose and mouth. It took her awhile to get used to, but it had amazing results. She wakes totally energized, has energy all day and no need for naps anymore. There are other options also. Sometimes it can be cured with a simple mouth guard, like some people wear for rugby or hockey.

Good luck and keep us informed please. Thank you for the other tips, Ally will try them.

Ally and Marc

[Offcut]

Just seen the post I was in ICU for 32 days in 2008 and induced coma 12 days I have not slept well since. The first six months I had to get out of bed as soon as I woke. I got a cheap heart monitor watch which also does sleep and I average 3 hours broken sleep a night

[CindyLee]

My coma was due to infection, peritonitis and sepsis 3 X, though. This, my 1st coma, lasted 35 days. I was not expected to live. In fact, I had died twice and twice resuscitated. My kidneys, lungs and heart failed. My children were told to make funeral arrangements for me. Sleep was an issue almost immediately. Naps only.

I assume medication was responsible for my drowsy affect during the next 2-3 weeks. I did sleep, short naps only, day and night. After I had fully gained my facaulties, and finished my vivid coma dreams, real sleep , evaded me.

My last surgery left me in another coma, this one, only 12 days long. My large intestine removal angered me, for 2 days or so, when I cursed, threw things and acted like I had suffered brain damage. I had now, a life long colostomy. A few curse words were reasonable, I later thought. The constant short term memory loss events, certainly were signs of brain damage.

1.3 years into my recovery and I've yet to sleep through the night. Research I conducted shows 42% of coma survivors suffer some form of sleep problems.

I have gone as long as 5 days and nights without sleep. I've lost lots of weight, I'm 85-90 lbs at 5'7". After more than a year of this torture, my body is falling apart. 6 months ago I was readmitted to the ICU with pneumonia for 2 weeks. I'm sure my pitiful physical state partly was to blame.

My Family Dr. is very reluctant to give me sleeping pills or sedatives. A psychiatrist i was sent to did not help. He wanted me to take the antiphyscotic drug Seroquil , for sleep. First, I CAN NOT TAKE this type of drug due to severe EPS. He tried to insist on me taking it. As my son, a chemist, is studying neuropharmacology, by osmosis, I also have some knowledge in this area. I refused to take this medicine and told this Doctor Seroquil is not to be prescribed for off label use, such as sleep, but only for their intended and regulated use. It has been my experience that most Doctors are suspicious of patients with a better than laypersons knowledge of medicine and pharmacology.

I don't understand why anyone wouldn't study up on their health issues especially prior to meeting with a specialist.

So, no help there. Last chance is my neurologist appt in a month. As insomnia is now accompanied by depression, pain, anxiety and panic now, I can only pray that he can help me sleep. Research says approx 42% of coma survivors suffer from sleep disorders. I believe I deserve a better quality of life than I have now. I fear I shall be doing 1 of 2 sad things to live/sleep. 1. Buy illegal sleeping pills or 2. Die from sleep deprived stresses on my body like my already falling kidneys, weight loss, pneumonia again and maybe suicide. Sleep is necessary to life. We've suffered enough. Help us now so we may enjoy the quality of our lives. Even if sleeping pills have to be used. The consequence of the fear to prescribe help is unacceptable and unnecessary.

Thanks for listening.

Does this sound familiar to anyone else? Let me know please. Good luck.

[shane1189]

me too! i coma for only 4 days last month. got problem of sleeping either im sleepy. day or night . dark cold place its all the same. i wonder why? ive been coma for 4 days only . can anyone give me a reason why and anything else? do contact me ob instagram and let me know the answer.i usuallt sleep lik 4 hours or less per day. n its a 1 time sleeping only. my instagram. shanesharman_

[Hov8468]

Hi There, my husband had the exact same problem after an induced coma in September 2018 but he found a decent magnesium supplement and CBD oil has helped massively, he has just had another bout of pneumonia and blood clots and its happening again, this time he is on blood thinners so the CBD isn't recommended which is tricky as it really helps, are you making sure you take all the vitamins you need , B12 is a brilliant one to get your energy levels up in the day which seems to help the body rest at night. I know from living with someone how hard it is when your sleep pattern goes out of the window, Bach flowers rescue remedy NIGHT is also good and I'm sure you know to stay away from alcohol and caffeine before bed. I don't think there's a miracle cure but it does seem to right itself with time....

[Hidden]

I was in a medically induced coma for about a week due to a bad infection. They used Propofol and Fentanyl and a benzodiazepam. After I came out of the coma I could not sleep. This continued for about a month at home. Even now, though better 3 years later, I have trouble sleeping well enough to feel rested in the morning. I'm wondering if it was the meds they used to induce the coma, or was my sleep patterns so disrupted by lack of REM or deep sleep that I have permanent damage.

[Sepsur in reply to Hidden]

Hi @mykey711 - you’ve responded to quite an old post ( I’m not sure you are aware of this).

If I had any symptoms that persisted way after ICU, it was suggested that I talk to my doctor or seek some professional help to overcome what ever issue I had. There are sleep disorder specialists for instance.

Coincidentally I have intermittent insomnia since ICU.

[nick1972]

Hi everyone, here’s a little update to this post. It’s been 5 years since I was in ICU. Not sure where those years went ! Anyway a couple of years ago I was diagnosed with extreme obstructive sleep apnea and have since been using a C-Pap machine whilst I sleep and wow what a difference this has made to my sleep and also my general health has improved a lot. I sincerely hope you are all well and slowing recovering, take care x