United Brachial Plexus Network, Inc.

Just wondering how many of us are deep sleepers and need to get our full 8 hours every night? I have always needed my sleep and staying up late was never something I sought even as a child.

Does the fact that our bodies have experienced this injury and have to make daily adjustments translate into a need for deeper rest than most?

I'm sure there is no way of scientifically determining this, too many random variants, but I'm curious about it experientially.

Nancy

Nancy

I get very little sleep. I have always slept so lightly that sometimes the wind would wake me up...

I feel tired all the time yet can't seem to stay asleep for much more then 5 hours straight.... I wish I could just get one night at 8 hours ...

Ops! I did after being forced to take Tylenol PM - I felt great... so I took it for the next 3 nights. I began to notice I did not feel right and realized that for some reason the Tylenol depressed me... So never again...

I love to go to sleep early but if I go too early I am up for the day at 3am... if I go to late I am up for the day at 4am... I wake up after 5/6 hours as if I had slept for a long period... but I run down by 1pm....
Any hints on how to get a good nights sleep would be appreciated. I have tried everything....

Also my sibling have always told me "after you were born no one in the house slept" the only time I slept for long stretches was in my teen years and I was badly anemic...

I have to fight to stay awake in the evening or keep moving just to stay up.

Kath

Actually I'm a sleepaholic, right now im attempting to stave off collapse though because work and school have kept me under 5 hours a night for the past week. one weird thing I just noticed, when i'm nervous, like about to give a presentation, or take a test, my shoulder starts to spasm. This is pretty painful because it's happening around the incision area of my rotator cuff surgery. Any thoughts?
Carrie

Hey Carrie,

I take something for anxiety just so I don't have to go through the spasms when I get tense. It helps a great deal. Does not eliminate all of the tension but enough that I can avoid the really bad spasms. One thing the doctors told me from day one was, "You must stay calm, Joy, no stress, or getting upset or...blah, blah, blah" However, I do have to say the BPI is worse when I am stressed or upset or blah, blah blah! Anyway, something for anxiety might work wonders for you.

Joy

Nancy,

One of the problems I have with my BPI is insomnia. I was told it is common. I wonder if this might be one of the differences between OBPI and TBPI?! Sleep is very hard for me and I LOVE TO SLEEP!! So that adds to the frustration. My husband and son will leave me alone if they see I am actually sleeping because they know how hard it is for me to get to sleep and stay asleep. I wake up several times a night. Some of my waking up is from pain, some is from rolling over on my shoulder, some is moving wrong....I guess everything I listed can be attributed to pain.

Joy

Joy

thanks for the information. I thought I was crazy I can never stay asleep... And my family will never wake me up if I am asleep... it is also from rolling over on the shoulder or arm... or the unaffected arm goes to sleep if I lay on that shoulder... lets not forget the cold arm ...too....

The doctor said that insomnia is related to bpi? WOW.. I just thought I was weird...

Stress is my middle name... I look calm but will stress over everyone in the family...

PS

How is your Dad doing... good I hope....
Are you getting ready for your son going off to College?

Kath

Nancy,

Interesting thought! Ian (obpi) is an extremely deep sleeper...if for any reason I need to wake him up in the night it is almost impossible.

Bridget

Hey Kath,

Yup, the doctor told me insomnia was part of the BPI. Let me see if I can remember some of the things on his list...insomnia, headaches, migraines, blurred vision, hearing problems, ringing in the ear, hypersensitivity ... the last four are related to the side that is BP affected... cold sensitivity, speech problems... I swear there are times I sound like I am drunk when I have not had a drop! LOL The one I HATE when it comes around is what I call "lack of thought process"... it is like I think something and send the message from my brian and it gets lost somewhere between thinking and doing. That is so frustrating!!

My Dad is doing wonderful! He actually mowed his yard today. It was under protest that we let him mind you. But, he wanted to do it and truth be told he needed the activity. Just scary for him to be doing something so strenuous.

Adam graduated from high school Monday night! WAHOOO! He is planning on attending the local Community College this fall. He is going to get his AA and then transfer to University of Central Florida and get his BA. The last week he has been applying for a job at UPS. He had his second interview tonight. We are keeping our fingers crossed. The pay is great, the hours will be perfect with college, they offer complete health benefits PLUS $2,000 a year toward college!

Later,
Joy

Joy

How wonderful!!!! such great news.... now can you send your Dad to mow my lawn too lots of rain (thank God ) here in NY>....LOL

So happy to hear Adam is doing so well...

The thought process... I always seem to be searching for words... and I don't drink...hmmm maybe I should start the bpi excuse is wearing thin ....LOL
Seriously it is so annoying when I am gathering my thought and I can't seem to process it as quickly as I think...grrr... but glad to know its not just me...

Thanks for information

We took our old folks back from Fl. now we have the cold weather again....LOL.. I'll say a prayer that Adam gets the job... great if he can get insurance too..
Kath

BUMPING UP for Chrissie.
Carolyn J