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Sleep problems with son after hip replacement

Emily098
Emily098 Community member Posts: 4 Listener
edited April 2021 in Cerebral palsy
i all, 

I am hoping that maybe one of you have been in a similar situation and may be able to give some advise. My 18 year old son has cerebral palsy, is non-verbal and a full time wheelchair user.  He underwent hip replacement surgery 6 weeks ago and in all aspects apart from his sleep he has had a really good recovery. 

Since coming home from hospital he is not really sleeping at all. He will sleep for an hour and then will wake and will be upset and require turning many times throughout the night. He is sleeping about 3 hours on and off a night of very unsettled sleep. He is off all pain medication and is in fantastic form during the day and there does not seem to be any pain. 

As he is non verbal he cannot express the cause of being unable to sleep. We have been diagnosed sleep medication for him but this does not seem to work. It seems to make him quiet agitated. I am really confused by this behavior. 

Im hoping that maybe someone in this blog has been through a similar experience and maybe could give me some insight into their experience and anything that helped them. 

I would really appreciate any feedback. 

Thanks 

Comments

  • Richard_Scope
    Richard_Scope Posts: 3,638 Scope online community team
    edited January 2020
    Hi @Emily098
    Thanks for your past and welcome to the community. 

    Did your son's sleep issues begin straight after the surgery? Have there been any changes to his bed or bedding? Does your son use any AAC to communicate?

    After all of my surgeries, I found it incredibly difficult to sleep. We get used to our bodies being in a certain position particularly when lying down. Lots of people CP or not have sleep issues after hip replacement surgery. If your son is laying on his back, I would check the pressure on the back of his heels towards his ankles. That can be really painful and because of the surgery, it might hard for him to move them into a comfortable position.
    Scope
    Specialist Information Officer and Cerebral Palsy Programme Lead

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  • Emily098
    Emily098 Community member Posts: 4 Listener
    Thank you for the prompt reply. 

    They began straight after the surgery but I expected that was down to discomfort after the surgery and thought it would settle after the surgery but it hasn't. 

    His room and bedding are the exact same. He has quiet a profound mental disability as well so he has no real way of communicating apart from moaning and groaning to let us know if he wants something and he uses eye pointing. 

    I don't think its a physical issue by now as he doesn't seem to be in pain and he is back in his normal sleep position so I'm thinking that is psychological but then again he can't explain to us what is going on at night that is disrupting his sleep. 

    I'm the point where I don't really know where to go from here, I just keeping hoping that some night he will just fall back into a sleep pattern but I don't know if that will happen. 

    Thank 

  • Emily098
    Emily098 Community member Posts: 4 Listener
    How long did it take for you to get back to a normal sleep schedule if you don't mind me asking ? 
  • Emily098
    Emily098 Community member Posts: 4 Listener
    Hi all, 

    I am hoping that maybe one of you have been in a similar situation and may be able to give some advise. My 18 year old son has cerebral palsy, is non-verbal and a full time wheelchair user.  He underwent hip replacement surgery 6 weeks ago and in all aspects apart from his sleep he has had a really good recovery. 

    Since coming home from hospital he is not really sleeping at all. He will sleep for an hour and then will wake and will be upset and require turning many times throughout the night. He is sleeping about 3 hours on and off a night of very unsettled sleep. He is off all pain medication and is in fantastic form during the day and there does not seem to be any pain. 

    As he is non verbal he cannot express the cause of being unable to sleep. We have been diagnosed sleep medication for him but this does not seem to work. It seems to make him quiet agitated. I am really confused by this behavior. 

    I'm hoping that maybe someone in this blog has been through a similar experience and maybe could give me some insight into their experience and anything that helped them. 

    I would really appreciate any feedback. 
  • Richard_Scope
    Richard_Scope Posts: 3,638 Scope online community team
    It took me a good 6 to 8 weeks to feel anything like comfortable. My posture had changed and that seemed to have had an effect. 
    Scope
    Specialist Information Officer and Cerebral Palsy Programme Lead

    'Concerned about another member's safety or wellbeing? Flag your concerns with us.

    Want to tell us about your experience in the community? Talk to our chatbot and let us know. 
  • April2018mom
    April2018mom Posts: 2,882 Disability Gamechanger
    edited January 2020
    Hello and welcome!

    I recommend talking to his medical team. Also what about a white noise machine in his bedroom at night? That may also help him to sleep. I find that reading before bed helps me sleep. [Removed by moderator*]

    I am tagging @Richard_Scope as he has cerebral palsy as well and might be able to help. 

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