Sleep - post SAH

[Karen]

Would anybody like to tell us what stage they're at with their SAH recovery and how much sleep they still may need during the day? Also, night time sleep problems? Any vivid dreams encountered? Do you have periods where you find night time sleeping difficult? Any tips?

[Skippy]

Hey there

I'm five and a half months post SAH and I still need a sleep most days unless I'm at home. The busier the day for me the worse the headache at the end of it.

I'll sleep for 1 to 2 hours at a time during the day and this sometimes plays havoc with getting to sleep in the evening but I don't worry too much as I know I can catch up the following day if I need to.

I can't remember dreams anymore but if I have a nightmare then I remember a majority of it - whether thats because I have woken suddenly and its still fresh in my mind I'm not sure.

Sleep, I'd say, is a big help in recovery - its the only time the brain gets to rest as much as it can.

Hope this helps

Sami xx

[rince]

Hi all,

Almost four years in and still having broken sleep problems.....taking one Zopiclone a night to sleep. Even now I can't have a "lie in" and this from a man who used to be able to sleep for England!

Scott

[ninja]

Hi All

I have great difficulty sleeping waking every 2 hours, I dream every night and they are very vivid, however the nightmares are diminshing. I always liked a lie in but they are a thing of the past, I am up and walking the dog by 7am. I sometimes have an hour in the day but then feel washed out.

With regards to the other things you mention Karen. Exhaustion is a big problem with me in fact the other day I didn't know how I would walk home but fortunately I met someone to talk to so rested awhile.

I did have a hectic lifestyle being very fond of a few pints, I can't drink one now, fortunately I don't smoke although I did 15 years ago.

As far as flying is concerned no way, I wouldn't have the patience to hang about in airports let alone fly anymore, theres plenty to see in this country.

I am now 12 months post SAH

[Guest Tracey]

Hi all,

Im 10 months on now and Ive never slept a full night through in all that time. I have very vivid dreams most nights now I didnt dream much if at all pre SAH. I used to find it stressful if I couldnt sleep before but strangely enough it doesnt seem to have that effect now. The consultant neuro I saw suggested taking some kind of mild sedative but I declined. Will save that until I am desperate.

Tracey.

[Joan]

The first month post-SAH I seemed to sleep a lot during the day, and had several broken nights in consequence. I'd get suddenly tired and there was nothing I could do but close my eyes. Since January, and month two, I rarely sleep during the daytime and find I sleep much better, and much later, than i have ever done before. Used to suffer terrible insomnia, but although Robert's snoring wakes me, for the first time in my life I drop off again without too much trouble. If I try to force myself to wake up early, I just can't....

[Karen]

I'm 18 months post SAH and still have nights of broken sleep. It's quite a joy to have 6 hours non-stop sleep and that doesn't happen very regularly. Often, I will wake up at least 2 or 3 times during sleep....I'm still very sensitive to noise and it doesn't take much for me to wake up.

Some nights I have trouble getting off to sleep.....almost like a child that gets overtired and I can have a second wind. I'm lucky that I don't have to work, so therefore it doesn't stress me out too much if I don't get a decent nights sleep.

I still get very vivid dreams.....sometimes I'm not sure whether I'm awake or I'm actually dreaming......they aren't normally nightmares, they just feel extremely real and a bit unsettling.

I don't tend to need a sleep during the daytime now, but will sometimes have to put my feet up, shut my eyes and re-charge the batteries. My 12 month SAH anniversary, was the turning point, when I didn't need quite as much sleep during the daytime.

[theresew]

Hi

looks like I am the odd one out. 5 years post SAH and only problem sleeping is that I never get enough. I was always a good sleeper but now I am even better. I sleep much sounder. I used to have very vivid dreams but since SAH very rarely dream.

Take care

Therese

[bogbrush]

Hi

5 months post SAH and I don't sleep at all during the day as I work full time. During the first 2 months I slept for a couple of hours on most days and my night time sleep was always broken. When I returned to work at 3.5 months I took a big step backwards and slept for a couple of hours when I got home each day.

Regards

Keith

[Slim]

I'm 3months post SAH in the first month I slept continuously. Now I have real problems with insominia but I didn't before I could have slept on a line! I've started taking a natural supplement natrasleep. I wouldn't say its fantastic but it does seem to help.

my days vary I'll generally have a nap in the afternoon and sometimes early evening but I've started to set alarm to prevent me sleeping too long. I need at least an hour.

[Louise]

At the start of all this I would sleep 18 hours a day if I'd been alloud to..wasnt.

I was on Sodium Valporate of seizures so that was the reason, now my sleep pattern varies depending on what's going on I usually sleep righ away on getting to bed & once I've had 2/3 hours I wake & sometimes that's me till 5/5.30 then I sleep right though I dont use an alarm most of the time I wake around 7.30.

Dont remember my dreams but I know that I do have vivid one's, they were very, very vivid in hospital & I still remember it clearly...

I only sleep in the afternoon when there is something happening in the evening, otherwise its only when I'm not feeling well, I had to get myself out the habbit of afternoon naps it was the only way to sleep during the night, I was convinced that I needed a nap in the afternoon but once I broke that it was fine, took a while to brake it though I just hung in there.

Louise.