| After having either a hip or knee replaced, getting | | | | joint replacement surgery. |
| the required amount of sleep in those first two to | | | | 1. Be sure not to complete your last set of exercises |
| three weeks after the surgery can be a daunting | | | | right before going to be. I suggest you do your last |
| process. You will find that you slept better when you | | | | exercise session roughly two hours before going to |
| were hospitalized then when you return home and | | | | bed. |
| the reasons are many. | | | | 2. Be sure to take your pain medication before going |
| One reason was that you were better medicated. | | | | to sleep. I found this to be helpful in my case and it |
| medication schedules for the most part are better | | | | will help relax you and begin to decrease the pain at |
| regulated then when you arrive home. Many patients | | | | the surgical site. |
| will either postpone taking their medication for pain or | | | | 3. Keep your room cool and comfortable. Have found |
| forget altogether. You are less distracted at the | | | | many patients that have tried to sleep with the room |
| hospital in regards to family and friends you find you | | | | temperature higher then normal due to the fact they |
| will rest better in the hospital then when you arrive | | | | are not active and feel cold to begin with. Having a |
| home. | | | | room temperature that is higher then normal will keep |
| Now there are cases however where this is not | | | | you uneasy and tossing and turning as well. Use a |
| always a fact. It will depend on your experience at | | | | temperature that is comfortable to you. |
| the hospital some of you may feel much better in | | | | 4. Monitor you overall workload during the day. Many |
| your own bed. Something however will change when | | | | people when they get home begin to get involved in |
| you get home causing the replacement to create | | | | to much around the home. Remember these joint |
| more discomfort and in turn reduce your sleep. | | | | replacements will not let you know you have done |
| I find the patient that has had a knee replaced will | | | | too much until later that night and the next day. By |
| suffer more then the hip replacement patient as | | | | over doing things around the home more exercises |
| having the knee replaced is more painful. keeping the | | | | then has been prescribed or household chore will also |
| knee comfortable during the night is something that | | | | cost you a good nights sleep. |
| you have to work at. The knee will wake you up at | | | | After getting home and re-established, you will find |
| night as it starts ache and you will develop muscle | | | | your sleep patterns will begin to get back to normal |
| spasms once it has sat still for awhile. The trick here | | | | within two weeks. The first two weeks will be hit |
| is when you wake up to start moving the knee as | | | | and miss. this is something I have found of course |
| soon as possible and you will find the pain will relieve | | | | that will vary from patient to patient. Sleeping will be |
| itself. | | | | a challenge when you first arrive home so try and |
| Here are several things you can do to help yourself | | | | prepare yourself accordingly. |
| get a good nights sleep after returning home after | | | | |