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Missed A Night Of Sleep - Need Advice


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My son fell and broke his arm Saturday afternoon which worked it's way into emergency surgery at 4am(yeah, that's Easter morning). I stayed awake the ENTIRE night and through the next day. So I was awake from 8am Sat morning till Sunday evening at 9pm. NO SLEEP at all. I tried several times to sleep but I was so worried I just couldn't shut off my brain.

I did sleep really well last night for 10 hours, but I have a terrible headache(since yesterday afternoon) that ibuprofin doesn't help and my heart rate is much higher than normal. I can live with the racing heart (as we're all kinda used to that), but this headache is a killer.

Any advice? I've tried ibupofin, mild meditation, caffine...I'm hoping if I fix the headache maybe the heart will get back to my normal.

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Sorry I don't have any suggestions. You have done all I would have suggested. Once the adrenaline rush is over-be prepared to crash and sleep for hours. I have had those sleepless nights and it does catch up. My symptoms left once I had a good nights sleep. Good luck.

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Oh my...don't even remind me...I went years without sleep!! It's horrible...wouldn't wish this on a wasp...so sorry :unsure: I'll say a prayer for you...and your son. I broke my arm when I was 8...that's no fun either :( Drink plenty of fluids...remember you loose a lot of fluids with those surges, and more when you are awake, too!!

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What medicine are you taking now? I have taken benedryl to help me sleep, but it wires some people. Like Kim said, the adrenaline rush can keep you up for along time. You probably need to call your doctor if you are either still unable to sleep by Monday afternoon and /or still have a headache with tachycardia. I am so sorry you feel miserable.

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Sorry to hear your son broke his arm. Being a parent is 24/7.

For me it really depends on what kind if headache it is.

If it's from a muscle / neck strain a muscle relaxer, massage, warm epsom salt bath or home traction (lay face down

on bed with head hanging over slightly at first then fully) would help.

If it's a migraine, then a dark room, quiet and full belly help. I never found a med to work for me.

For a regular headache, I'd take tylenol

and rest. Did you know you can take tylenol every 4 hours and advil every four hours ? Just rotate them by 2 hour intervals. Fwiw tho - advil damage gut villi.

If all else failed, I'd crack and take a hydrocodone ..

Hope you and your son feel better. Tc .. D

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Providing it wouldn't interact with anything you're already taking, a nice full-bodied read wine. That usually gets me very relaxed. If I need more "encouragement", I have old college textbooks & recordings from college lectures of classes I detested and are solely useful for putting me to sleep. They put me to sleep back when I was taking them, still do today.

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Thanks for all the tips everyone. Kimbellgirl - I guess I was dehydrated...all the excitement and I forgot to drink all my fluids. That definitely helped the tachycardia. The headache is hanging around. Dizzy- I tried a round of rotating tylenol and ibuprofin and the headache laughed at me. So I'm sending the kids off to bed early and trying the "hang your head off the bed" followed by a glass of wine and lights out.

On a good note, my son is doing great and doesn't even need pain meds even though he has 3 pins set in his arm!

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Keep in mind that for some of us, alcoholic beverages can make us feel worse/bring on symptoms...

A trick that works for me is taking a shower that alternates cool and warm water prior to lying down for sleep. I know that sounds like it would be stimulating but I have read that this is actually relaxing.

I definitely understand the worry and why it would be so hard to rest. Hope your son is now on the mend and you are getting good rest!

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