It is apparently very common after open heart surgery to have problems sleeping. What a curse it is too. Even now a little over a year down the road from my quadruple by pass I rarely sleep through a full night.
In the first weeks after coming home from the hospital sleeping was an ordeal. Just getting into bed involved some careful planning. As painful as it was to get into bed, getting back up was worse.
As time went by, it was easier getting up and down but sleep was still more of a doze interrupted by crazy, vivid dreams. As the house quieted in the night I would hear my own heart beat or feel it. Again, a very normal after affect but still a bit creepy.
When the breast bone healed it was easier to get into comfortable positions and sleep improved. I would still sometimes be uncomfortably aware of my own heart beat but not as often. I would still awaken every couple of hours. When I say awaken I mean wide awake. Glance at the clock to see if it is time to get up wide awake.
So it has gone, first awakening every hour or two, then after three hours and so on. For a month or more I would drift off and sleep well only to bolt into wakefulness at precisely 4:30 AM. Then I would I lay there thinking in circles, listening to my heart beating and reliving all of those moments of my life that seemingly only have the power to haunt in the dark watches of the night.
You know, it wouldn't be so bad if I remembered happy things, triumphs or great fishing trips while I lay there waiting to sleep again but it doesn't seem to work that way.
As I say, it is a common after effect of open heart surgery and should fade away with time. It is something that a doctor could likely help with but I have an aversion to the thought of taking more drugs. I reckon that now that I'm more fit and getting lots of exercise it should soon be getting a lot better.
Sunday 21 February 2010
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My quad surgery was five months ago. I slept in the recliner for three weeks. I still wake up at about midnight and 3-4 am. I don't want to take sleeping drugs. It has gotten better but still there.
ReplyDeleteThanks for your post. I’ve been thinking about writing a very comparable post over the last couple of weeks, I’ll probably keep it short and sweet and link to this instead if thats cool. Thanks. Sleep disorders
DeleteHello Bob;
ReplyDeleteIt is an insult to add to our injuries but it does get better. I'm a little over a year from my quad and I am finding that the more fit I become the better other things like sleep, state of mind and mood are becoming.
Hope you are recovering well and please let me know if you figure out any tips or techniques to lick the sleep thing.
Cheers,
Steve
Thanks Steve
ReplyDeleteI am exercising regularly so I hope that helps.
Hi all you night hawks! I had surgery for a replacement aortic valve in November 2009. I still wake up at various times and have only had a few nights when I have slept through 7-8 hrs.
ReplyDeleteMy main problem is a steady heavy heart beat that feels as though it is going to make an escape! Does anyone else have or had this experience? I go to doctors for ecg and every thing seems fine, so seems as though I must get used to living with it.
J.B.
This is not good news.
DeleteHi J.B.;
ReplyDeleteI think I know what you mean. In the weeks following my surgery I was hyper aware of my heart beating. It was worst at night when the house was quiet and I was laying there hoping to sleep. It has faded away as time goes by although every now and then I will awaken from sleep and not be able to ignore it. I think it is normal, after what we have been through but it is a bit unnerving nonetheless. Do you remember that Edgar Allen Poe story, "The Tell-Tale Heart"? It was like that. For me now, about a year and a bit from the surgery it is not much of an an issue anymore.
Hang in there.
The only thing I have figured out about the sleeping thing is that the more regularly I exercise the better chance I have of getting more than 3 or 4 consecutive hours of sleep.
Also, I notice that if I don't eat anything after say 8:30 or 9:00 o'clock in the evening I have a better chance of drifting off as well.
I can't bear the thought of yet more medication so am fighting my way through it.
Can't say that I'm winning but I'm still fighting.
Cheers,
Steve
Wow, This is the best site I have found. Had quad by pass 3 weeks ago and sleeping at night is a real adventure. I'm still in the recliner because it is so much more comfortable and easier to get in and out of.Waking up about every 2 to 3 hours and when I do it's totally wide awake. The dreams are even more interesting. Dreaming about friends that I havent seen for 50 years. Thought it was just me but reading all your experiences make me understand the situation much better.
ReplyDeleteThank all of you very, very much,
Keith
Hello Keith;
ReplyDeleteThree weeks! Hang in there, those first few weeks are kind of tough. Glad you are finding the site useful. For me, just knowing that what I am experiencing is normal for what we have been through is kind of reassuring. Don't hesitate to let us know how you are making out and anything interesting you find along the way.
All the best and do your daily walks, they will really help.
Cheers,
Steve
I'm writing on behalf of my dad. He had a triple in 2007 and has had problems sleeping ever since. He is so anxious that he has to pace the floor several times a day/ night.
ReplyDeleteHe only gets 2-3 hours sleep a night.
He's stopped taking all his medicines in hopes that his overall health would improve. But we still have as yet to see the effect.
Has anyone else suffered with problems sleeping for this long?
hi paul ,cant sleep 12 months after quad,wide awake and think off all kinds good, bad work, home.dont now what it is but sounds normal after opp,
ReplyDeleteReading this has made so much sense to me, I had a valve replacement 6 months ago, from the moment following surgery I couldn't sleep, literally I was awake for 3 days. The doctors eventually put me to sleep with drugs. At home and back into the normal routine of day to day life, I still hear and feel my heart and night time I have had to rely on sleeping tablets to knock me out. This gives me 3/4 hours constant sleep before I am wide awake again.
ReplyDeleteI would love to understand this better, and would hope to one day sleep through the night again.
This site has been great to read, 6 months on from valve replacement, and knowing I am not the one who cannot sleep. After surgery, infact 3 days after surgery and no sleep I was given sleeping tablets, with a combination of pain killers and I slept for about 5-6 hours. This as I have found since then is the only way I can sleep. I now sleep for about 3-4 hours at night, but that is on sleeping tablets, I am trying to get myself off them and have halved them, but still wake up 4 or 5 times during the night.
ReplyDeleteDoes it get easier to sleep?
Anonymous in SC
ReplyDeleteRead this site with much interest. Looking for help/answers regarding sleep/bad dreams. Seven weeks past triple by pass. Pain better but can't sleep without Ambien (have tried other pills-natural and prescription to no avail. Am in 3rd week of Cardio Rehab. Exercise hasn't helped with sleep problem yet. Main difficulty for me is the VERY graphic, horrible dreams. Any suggestions?
Pain medication can give seriously vivid dreams. When i had my nephrostomy surgery the pain meds cause horrible nightmares. Just have to say to urself "its just a dream". I was on Morphine 2mg tabs. I am grateful thats over. How r ur dreams now these days?
DeleteTriple by-pass 8 weeks ago...I was always a light sleeper - but now I wake every 2 -3 hours...Sometimes if a don't fall back to sleep I get up and work on a jigsaw puzzle until I am 'dropping.' Then I try again. Sleeping pills didn't help. I started exercise rehab, so I am hoping it helps. Some days I am so tired I want to cry. Other days I try for a nap in the lounger, but this doesn't always work. Maybe in 6 months? I feel too sluggish to really do much.
Deleteambian fucks with your head. i took ativan and zoplicone on seperate occasions and it was worse than a bad lsd trip.
Deletei stopped and expect to wake up. i just keep the house warm and lots of snacks around so when i cant sleep, i get up and make a bite, check my email, sometimes jerk off and i can usually get comfortable back in bed.
i wouldnt recommend going off any meds cold turkey though.
I had my triple bypass about 3 weeks ago, and haven't been able to sleep more that 1.5 or 2 hours at any time. The result is I'm unable to do much. Yester day I was given a prescription for .5 of Xanax. Tried one last night. I still woke up every couple of hours, but then quickly fell back to sleep. The big problem is that I felt drugged in the morning.
DeleteGenerally, I do as you do. I've been afraid of jerking off thining I might get too tense. :)
My dad had open heart surgery about a month ago and has trouble sleeping. He wont take pain meds or sleeping pills because he feels like his skin is "crawling" and he has episodes. At first we thought it could be withdrawals from the morphine they gave him in the hospital so he wont take anything for pain. Recently the doc prescribed a mild sedative. It worked the first night and now he is back at pacing the floors all day and night, up and down again and again. My mom is worried he is gonna fall down the stairs so she gets no sleep and is fatiqued herself. He has urinated in the bedroom everywhere, so I was wondering if this is normal. I am going to stay with them again for a lil while to help out so she gets some sleep and a monitoring &/routine is kept up for his hearts sake. Any helpful suggestions/reasons for him "losing his mind" as my mom put it? (He was normal before surgery)
ReplyDeleteHello 26
DeleteI'm 9 months removed from open heart, not a pill taker, so I too have battled the sleep issues. I exercise daily, yet still struggle to sleep more than 3-4 hours a night. My biggest issue is the "what feels like a pounding of my heart " can not sleep on either side. For me, sleeping on my back, which I never cared for prior has become my only option
. Other then the bathroom issues, I can relate to all you stated.
Best of luck, let him know, he is not alone.
ive never of urinating in the bedroom but i have heard that it is common for older people and heavy drinkers to suffer from delirium after surg.
Deleteall the best. that sounds rough.
I'm 25 and had my 4th open heart surgery 4 weeks ago. My first 3 were before the age of 5 so this time around I was aware of everything and felt everything. I can lay pretty comfortably on my side and sleep through the night now, but I can't ever seem to fall asleep before 230-3am I just lay here and think and its driving me crazy. I have a low dose of vicodin prescribed for pain which I no longer take because it no longer makes me sleepy and I have no real pain. Ahhh if I could just fall asleep at a decent hour.
ReplyDeleteThis post is for all who have had surgery and have been taking Zolpedem to control their sleeping. If you are taking this prescription and want to get off of the pill, you may want to follow this post.
ReplyDeleteOk, I had a 5X bypass surgery over three years ago (my how time passes). I had so much trouble sleeping that I got a prescription for Zolpedem...a very tiny pill, but works extremely well. Only problem is, it is very addictive. I have been on this drug for over three years as well. Two days ago I decided to kick the habit. The first night I had forgotten to take it and slept all night. I had made this error in taking it before and after the first couple of hours of no sleep, I had realized what I had done. I took the pill and went to sleep...all night. This time was different so I thought I would try day two and skipped the pill and slept continuously for about 4 hours and then off and on for the next 3 hours...but not too bad. This is the third night and I hope all will go well...I will report tomorrow with an update.
Ok, I had a 5X bypass surgery over three years ago (my how time passes). I had so much trouble sleeping that I got a prescription for Zolpedem...a very tiny pill, but works extremely well. Only problem is, it is very addictive. I have been on this drug for over three years as well. Two days ago I decided to kick the habit. The first night I had forgotten to take it and slept all night. I had made this error in taking it before and after the first couple of hours of no sleep, I had realized what I had done. I took the pill and went to sleep...all night. This time was different so I thought I would try day two and skipped the pill and slept continuously for about 4 hours and then off and on for the next 3 hours...but not too bad. This is the third night and I hope all will go well...I will report tomorrow with an update.
ReplyDeleteOk, I had a 5X bypass surgery over three years ago (my how time passes). I had so much trouble sleeping that I got a prescription for Zolpedem...a very tiny pill, but works extremely well. Only problem is, it is very addictive. I have been on this drug for over three years as well. Two days ago I decided to kick the habit. The first night I had forgotten to take it and slept all night. I had made this error in taking it before and after the first couple of hours of no sleep, I had realized what I had done. I took the pill and went to sleep...all night. This time was different so I thought I would try day two and skipped the pill and slept continuously for about 4 hours and then off and on for the next 3 hours...but not too bad. This is the third night and I hope all will go well...I will report tomorrow with an update.
ReplyDeleteWhat I can't handle is the constant pain down the neck, shoulder and spine. I also suffer tinnitus which seems to be amplified since the procedure. I am only a newby, operation 2 weeks ago today, but it feels like a lifetime ago. Tomorrow I will try some light massage therapy. I don't know if I should or not, but the pain is really getting to me.
ReplyDeleteMatti
thank you for the wonderful feedback, I didn't think of the heart rythym issue
ReplyDeleteI slept a little better last night, I only go up X2. but I was up for good at 7
ReplyDeleteI guess i'm trying to use the meds a bit to help more, sleep and pain. I go to bed ok, 12:00am, and up by 3:30am. today I had my first little pain, chest settling?,
ReplyDeleteI had my A valve replaced in Feb 2013. Since then I have dreams and wake up punching the pillow, bed and even my wife. This never happened before, so it has to be related to the surgery. I got a pig valve, so no meds at all. I only take asprin. I suspect it might have something to do with watching action films b4 bed. No more action films for me. Soon after surgery I would get very emotional when watching a tear-jerker movie, which never happened before. I can't find any other reports like this. Any ideas?
ReplyDeleteyes, I had heart valve(pig) done in December 2113 yours could part of that unnmamed depression that is talked about. not that your depressed. it's hard to explain but our emotions seem to be much closer to the surface and we have less control over them. I started to right on my wall on facebook and certain topics or people that I brought up brought me to tears. I sat and cried for 5 minutes for being home and that's not really me. so I just went with it,
DeleteGot my new (bovine) aortic vlv and repaired ascending aorta aneurism Dec 30, 2012. 3rd degree heart blocks within a week lead to a pacemaker as well. I recovered fast (53 athletic male) and returned to fairly rigorous exercise within 2 months. I too had slight issues sleeping and found/still find it easier to do so in a recliner. More recently it has gotten worse though. I wake up after just a short snooze and even though I’m tired I have been having mini “panic attacks” that cause considerable anxiety and make it impossible to sit/lay still and close my eyes. Of course my sensitivity to my loud heartbeat doesn’t help in the quiet night. I feel like I’m suffocating and can’t seem to relax or even know what is causing it as I am not focused on negative thoughts. Occasionally I have a good night where I sleep several hrs without interruption. I too have not gone the route of prescript drugs although I have found mild relief from the liquid OTC sleep aids.
ReplyDeleteThis comment has been removed by the author.
DeleteMeant to ask....has anyone else experianced heart blocks after aortic vlv replacement?
DeleteI did and needed a pacemaker, best thing I could have done, don't find myself passed out anywhere anymore. Pulse was 29
DeleteMy husband had a triple by-pass 17 months ago and is still having trouble sleeping, By extension, so am I. He often either yells in his sleep or moans a lot. And he thrashes around on bad nights. I have literally told our kids that if I end up with a black eye, it wouldn't be intentional on his part. His arms can start flying around. When I know it's a bad night for him, I find I sleep defensively with my pillow bunched by my head. He usually is not aware that any of this happened, as he sleeps through it. He's offered to sleep in another bedroom so he doesn't interfere with my sleep so often, but I would worry about him and probably sleep even less. Any other spouses having this problem?
ReplyDeleteI have actually resorted to sleeping in another room as my husband has broken nights waking at least 2-3 times a night. He had an AVR and CABGx1 in Jan 2016 and he hasn't had a good nights sleep since.He used to roam the streets to start with but now at least he stays in doors.He used to complain that I kept him awake with my snoring so hense sleeping in another room.So at least we don't accuse each other of disturbing each other.
DeleteGlad I found this blog and I know I'm not alone. 4 months out frpm Aortic valve replacement and partial Aortic replacement for Aneurysm. I was in a medically induced coma for 10 days after surgery and thought that may have been the reason for not sleeping but after reading this I realize it is a common problem. The loud heart beat thing drives me crazy at night and sometimes when I am sitting and resting in my recliner. They put a monitor on but I don't have the results back yet. I am in cardiac rehab and don't notice my heart beating during or after exercise. I sleep for about an hour or two and then read for a couple of hours and then sleep for another hour or so. It is really getting tiring. Also I noticed that instead of being depressed, I was almost too happy. Now I'm starting to go down hill with my emotions. Not depressed really but very sensitive to voices etc. Has anyone met or heard from someone who eventually gets over these annoying issues??? I hope this isn't going to be the new norm for me.
ReplyDeleteavr/ascending aorta resection 3 weeks ago.
ReplyDeletecant sleep well but i understand its part of the package and that makes it easier.
if i cant sleep, i get up and have a snack, check my email, jerk off sometime and go back to sleep. i was quite cold up to 2 weeks after surg. i also have a pounding heart (bovine) that suddenly started happening after 3 weeks. apparantly its common. the liquid surrounding the heart transmits the vibrations of the heart more than the tissue. now that i know that it is common, it doesnt freak me out.
my other surgeries were far more painful but less worrisome and the recovery time was a lot quicker.
cheers.
Had triple bypass 20yrs ago, was 39.... not had a dream since
ReplyDeleteBoy Steve you hit the nail on the head. I had double by pass 4 months ago and have not slept more than a couple hours since. Like you I wake up just like clock work and can't fall back to sleep. As I lay awake my mind races in circles and I think of things that happened over 40 years ago. I try not to but I can't stop it. Sometimes I wish I never had the surgery and just had a heart attack and died. It's driving me crazy. I tried going back to work part time thinking it would be a distraction and maybe tire me out some but it has gotten worse. It helps to see I'm not alone and this is a pretty common experience after heart surgery.
ReplyDeleteOk, same problem. 6x in 2008. Still fall asleep for hour or so and then wake until dawn. Have been taking ambien since 2008. I have weaned myself off a couple of times by breaking the pill into 4 pieces, easier said than done, and then take 3 pieces for a couple of weeks and 2 pieces and so on until i can sleep without the aide. All sounds good until the dreams, crazy insane dreams, take over and you awake in a total hyper mess and can remeber every detail. I can sleep without the dreams as long as i take sleep aide. I would love to be that boring guy that fell asleep in the first 2 minutes every night. I am now the words with friends that plays at late hours, or should i say early.
DeleteHad triple bypass December 2015 and had the sleep problems mentioned above. Recovery was wonderful until 3 weeks ago when I started losing stamina. Was walking over a mile with no problem but recently getting to 3/4 mile is tough. Anyone else losing stamina?
ReplyDeleteI had a pericardiectomy on the 31st of May n my sleeph has buggered right up.couldn't sleep in hospital for longer than an hour or so due to insane pain med induced dreams and now I'm home I'm sleeping even less! It's driving me potty!! It's not pain keeping me awake as apart from sore skin from the incision I'm pretty pain free most of the time,I just can't seem to fall asleep,it's 5.33am and I've pretty much been up all night bar about an hour earlier.
ReplyDeleteGlad i found this site! CABG x 4 9 weeks ago. Just started back to work (night shift) and having horrible insomnia. Was never a great sleeper, but this is incredible! Started ambien but that only gets me a couple hours of sleep at best. I also have the problem that I feel my heart beating every beat when I'm lying in bed - I not only feel it, it creates a slight movement in my torso or head. Stamina is also an intermittent problem, I think associated with too much fluid. It gets better when I take lasix. I'm trying to wean off of it. At least I am not alone...
ReplyDeleteI haven't had surgery myself but I have the heavy heartbeat. I find it is more pronounced if I am laying on my ear and having a fan or some other white noise is extremely helpful.
ReplyDeleteWow, I thought it was just me!!! I had aortic valve replacement (mechanical) on Feb. 15, 2017. Have been having the sleeping issues ever since. I have to take Ambien every night in order to get around 4 hours sleep. Then, I'm wide awake. Returning to work in another week, and that scares me, as I really need to sleep!!
ReplyDeleteI had 5x by pass in Mid May and it is nearly 3 months after. While I always enjoyed the ability to fall asleep and still do, I usually get 3-4 hours and awaken. That was my routine before surgery and unfortunately have returned to the routine post surgery. What's different is that I am now finding myself napping in mid afternoon as I am spent. I didn't nap so much prior to surgery so I find this unusual. I obviously need the sleep but it has the effect of keeping awake longer at night. I get comments from friends and family that this must be a response to the trauma and it should be normal, but is it? I'd like to be able to stay awake through an entire day and not feel so wiped out by 3 pm.
ReplyDeleteHi everybody. Sex, or the hand alternative! You will find the endorphins released will make you sleepy. I don't at least two times a week, wife of not. I'm serious as a heart attack, as they say, in this matter. If you go back to your youth and remember the best sleep you got it was with a healthy sex life. Keeping it that way will be more natural for your body's rhythm too! As we age, we forget that we are primates, with natural cycles. Trust me on this. I sleep better since I forced myself to act like a twenty year old. PS - My doctor agrees!
ReplyDeleteHi I am 79 and had quad 4 years ago and still dreaming tossing ,turning and sometimes fast hart beats when I lay flat. It bothers me to no end. Will this go away. I would give anything to sleep all night long without dreaming.
ReplyDeleteFlorence
.
I had a CABGx1 11 months ago and two stents about 6 months prior to that. I have the same sleep issues as many of you - difficulty falling and staying asleep. I probably average 3-4 hours of sleep each night. I still am uncomfortable sleeping in bed, so I sleep in a recliner most nights. I am also having sternum pains and itching at the surgical site. Is it normal to feel so achy and still have sternum pains from lifting, bending, coughing, etc. this long after surgery? Sometimes I think I feel the wires poking me.
ReplyDeleteHad a double by pass on my main arteries leading to the heart Dec 18 , 2018. before I came out of the hospital I could sleep on my back , now after being home for five weeks seems like I can't sleep on my back. I feel like i'm suffocating. I still have swelling of the ankels and have some fluid in my lungs. I have been given Lazik to get rid of the fluid . I sleep like three or four hours a night , wake up every hour finally four thirty I sleep two and a half hours. I walk a mile every other day and seems like i'm doing better pain wise, but getting some sleep is really and issue. But now I see that's pretty commone on any kind of heart surgery/
ReplyDeleteBig Mike 6/21/2019
ReplyDeleteHad surgery 12/2013. still have sleep problems. tried it all to no help. Have the same complaints as everyone else. Thats the way it is is.
yes, but that isn't the way it should be.
ReplyDelete