Help me sleep

[Chocolateismyfavourite]

For about three years I've been a bad sleeper, tried everything but accepted a long time ago that I have good bad nights and bad bad nights and just about manage to cope.
I'm currently six weeks on from open heart surgery. And the last ten days, have been interesting shall we say. It's not that I can't get to sleep, it's that when I wake up I can't stop moving, it feels like a reflex, almost like complussion not just my legs, my whole body, turn turn turn, can't get comfy, once I start I can't stop, on it goes for a few hours until I drop off and wake again.
The last four days since I've seen the cardiac rehab team I've upped walking to twice a day and for longer, so that I'm burning more energy and I've started using magnesium spray again as that use to help me after I use to do long runs, it all helped for a few nights and I am more tired and getting to sleep better it's just the bit where I wake up that's the issue.

Any ideas- I'd be very grateful

I wish I had some advice but I came on to post virtually the same thing.
I'm four weeks on from surgery to remove a brain tumour and virtually every single night since I've woken in the middle of the night for a couple of hours before going back into a deep sleep. I think my body clock needs resetting. Last night I woke multiple times but I wasn't awake for a long period and I'm going to get up now instead of sleeping in till 10am or 10.30 to see if that helps.
I've also googled post up insomnia and it is a common thing. As is PTSD in some patients.
Another thing I've found is that I'm very emotional, possibly related to the tiredness. Dd2 snapped at me last night and I went to sleep crying and woke up crying, which is just not me. I did have a hospital appointment yesterday which shook me up a bit though. All is fine but I learned I'd been leaking brain fluid and also had a borehole drilled into my head, which weirded me out a bit.
Sorry, this is a long winded way of saying that I think major surgery can affect us both physically and psychological in ways we never expected.
Sending an unmumsnetty hug and best wishes for a speedy recovery.

Ah thank you, same for you too. I can see why you'd be unsettled from yesterday too. My situation is probably a bit similar to yours - had a tumour removed from my heart, waiting to find out if it's benign like they said it should be or not.
I guess I hadn't considered the surgery could have this affect. I've had breast cancer and gone into the menopause because of the chemo, so I'm assuming that won't help either. I haven't tried asking them for hrt yet as wasn't sure they'd give it to me and, it's been a bit of a whirlwind since September and all this so haven't had time.
I really hope you're feeling better soon, and manage to get some sleep too.

Blimey, you've had so much going on health wise. I didn't even know tumours could develop in the heart.
My tumour was benign, as expected, and I hope yours is too.
I don't know how to link but I just spotted this on the Daily Mail website.

Thanks will have a read. Yeah it's been a bit full on😂 apparently it was quite rare, incidental finding they called it, found it in one of the early cancer scans, could have been there for years and years.

So glad yours was benign! Fingers crossed mine is as well x

Mine was likely to have been there for years too. Hadn't a clue until I had an absence seizure - stopped speaking mid sentence while on phone to a friend. Luckily she works in healthcare and made me go to the GP.
I got my biopsy results back a week or so after the surgery, after chasing my neurosurgeon's secretary. When will you hear about yours?

Wow that's amazing! Must have been a very scary time for you. I have to wait until I see the heart surgeon at my appointment wich will be 8-10 weeks after the surgery - haven't got a date yet and am taking no news as good news.

Yes, no news definitely suggests good news. Fingers, toes and everything else crossed for you.

My husband was hit by a car over Christmas and had to have significant surgery (so general anaesthetic, but also enforced immobility for a while after), and while he is recovering well, he was badly hit by insomnia very similar to what you both describe. He could fall asleep fine, but was waking up around 2am or so and would be awake for about 2 hours, miserable, and then fall asleep til about 6am. He was absolutely exhausted all the time. He took Valerian which kind of helped, especially with the need to wriggle around, and now, about 10 weeks after the accident, he is more or less sleeping through the night. It's not properly back yet, but he's getting way more hours of sleep and feels a lot better.

Alternatively, if you are in your mid forties, consider HRT! I had crippling insomnia for about a year - it really impacted my life very badly, triggering terrible anxiety and depression, until I connected it with my age, started HRT and BOOM. I'm better. I just feel like an idiot for not connecting the two sooner.

Thanks, Passerillage, that's reassuring to hear. If it doesn't improve soon, I'll get some valerian. I've been resisting taking yet another meducation but I'm happy to try something natural.
I'm 54, and hopefully through the menopause but a friend of the same age is having terrible night sweats which are waking her every night.

Glad to hear your husband is recovering. By the sounds of it maybe the sleep will come back to me, fingers crossed. I have tried valerian before but I'm willing to give it a go again. I am 43 yes, I'm just not sure if they'll give me hrt because of having had breast cancer, but I'm going to ask them anyway. My mum went without it for two years and wished she gone on it sooner too.