Why don't nhs night staff want you to sleep?

[ICaughtTonsillitisFromAFriendsKid]

Sleep is a great healer.
So why is everything done to keep ward patients awake all night? (Well it feels that way)

In the day the wonderful staff are very kind, but overnight, why no whispering, at all? Not even stage whispering? I've just staggered out of bed trying not to rip out my cathetera and canula to pull the bible sheet curtain round a bit, but everyone else is left with curtains pushed back to the walls.

Everyone is so kind and happy to help, I don't even want to say anything, but I'm just exhausted, as are all of these very poorly ladies.

It seems the doctors are not too bad at whispering, I must concede.

I got put on a ward with elderly women. The closest in age to me was 64 years older than me. All night they snored, shouted out, one needed the commode, one was almost blind so had a clock that said the time out loud…loud being the operative word. The time now is 3,07am, the time now is 3.16am, the time now is 3.22am….for the full night. I was so exhausted I cried the next day and got moved to a small
annexe room with three nice ladies before being discharged.

Oh gosh the day 3/4 sobbing. My body always knows when it’s this day even if I don’t. Hate it you really have my sympathy.

It doesn’t last and you will look back and laugh at yourself about it wondering wtaf happened. It’s something they never mention and it’s a huge shock to the system.

@stomacharmeleon it's an absolute disgrace. Go well.

To all the HCPs making excuses on this thread, who have no empathy and few standards, perhaps do not go so well. The public are not a pile of scumbags who should be grateful,any of them are net contributors who deserve your respect and the dignity of good manners. No member of the public should be grateful for sub optimal care delivered by the NHS. The NHS is funded by the people for the people. A little respect would go a very long way and might even start a virtuous circle.

I'm with you OP it is like torture.

All this "be grateful you have a bed" talk is nonsense and that is not the standard of care we should be striving for.

@mowly77

"There are reasons for being in a side room
other than you’re about to shuffle off this mortal coil !"

I know - I was just injecting (good word for this thread) a bit of satire....

@Badgirlriri the catering staff absolutely do wake ask you to ask you what you want for lunch at dawn, literal dawn … they come on shift then … when you’ve likely only just got to sleep 5 minutes before. No not 1am like a PP but 6am for me. It’s a terrible system. There is absolutely no reason why you can’t order it the night before or fucking write it down. And the kicker is it’s inedible slop anyway.

Yes you may be in hospital because you need surgery or you’re so ill you can’t be treated at home & I understand it’s not for convalescing in, but sleep and good nutrition are vital for health especially if you’re sick. The H I believe does stand for health.

Sadists is the word I was thinking about. And
glad I’m not the only one who used the word torture.

Had a whole department of twisted fuckers who caused a breakdown.

still won’t go back there years later. People thought maybe I was being dramatic and came with me and left shocked. When I needed urgent care again I went to my next nearest a&e. Best decision ever. The whole department who deal with me have been amazing.

Most day staff start around 7:30 so yes they come round early but that isn’t 1am, which is just pure fiction.

@Thesefeetaremadeforwalking that went whoosh right over my head. Thank god I thought you knew something I didn’t!

I’m sure people die on wards all the time too. Bet that’s nice and noisy what with all the moving the trolleys calling doctors and admin as well

Oh gosh this has certainly triggered some memories for me as well!

Just had an emergency and tricky c section, the night she was born I woke up to the sounds of a baby crying down the corridor (the midwife had taken her to the nursery so I could get some sleep. Good intentions and all that)... hardly able to feel my legs, cannula in and catheter dragged along, I stumbled down the corridor with the hospital gown fully open at the back with all my bloody undies on display , hormone induced tears streaming down my face because I just knew that baby crying was mine. It was. The midwives took one look at me and all rushed out and flapped around me I must say, reassured me and got me and baby dd settled back in bed comfortably.

They were so loud and a bit careless having taken my dd to the nursery and then letting her cry - but they did look after me amazingly well throughout the delivery and post natal and for that I will always be grateful.

Hope you manage to get some rest, op. All the best with your recovery x

Nurses are all sadists? Wonderful

@ofHardey unless you gave birth in the 80s / in a private hospital or in the us they didn't take your baby to the nursery. They took her to the nurses station to be looked after so you could sleep

@MaxHodgeheg ok... if that's what it's called! I always assumed it was called a nursery.

Would like a cup of tea? In the night? I remember one (particularly awful) ward I was on if you were awake in the night they just shouted at you to go to sleep! I do remember on other wards a few staff making a hot drink in the night...they were angels! But yeah, torch in the face or the main light flicked on...I managed to sleep through it in the end!

It’s completely nuts isn’t it! Just got back from hospital here too, I’m utterly exhausted! Playing ‘brown noise’ into earphones and wearing an eye mask helped though. Until it was time to have BP and bloods tested every couple of hours.

Charting not charging my apologies

I think they try and avoid an overnight stay these days so fingers crossed. When I had my hip replacement about 20 years ago, you were expected to stay in for a week. I got to day 5 and couldn't stand it anymore! I'm just happy that when I need it done again it should be a short stay. Good luck.

God I just want to go home.
No tv.
Side room.
And it's like I am not here at all.

I remember this from when I had my DS. It wasn’t the crying babies on the ward that woke me, it was the nurse’s out in the corridors hanging around chatting with the radio on full blast all night. Just why?

@ofHardey but you do you.