I had my Stroke; August last year aged 46. I look after my Dad on a voluntary basis, coach sport, again as a volunteer and at the time was busy helping my Daughter who had just given birth - 2 months early.
I woke up thinking I had slept on my right arm as it was numb and I had swallowed some of the pond water the day before - had cleaned my Dads fish pond out. My speech was weird, I couldn’t pronounce ‘Alexa’.A CT scan and high BP confirmed I had suffered a stroke. I spent 5 days in hospital
I’ve made just about a full recovery, I still can’t play sport as my vision goes funny and my ears pop but the thing that gets me the most is my sleep.
I feel it’s holding me back getting back into work. Every night anytime from 3am to 6am I will wake up, visit the toilet and struggle getting back to sleep. When I then wake up at a normal time I feel like I’ve just fallen out of a boxing ring.
I may be awake for 2 full hours, completely wide awake having had 4 hours sleep. I’ve been diagnosed with mild to moderate sleep apnoea but I can’t remember being this bad just after the stroke - those first few weeks are a bit blurry actually.
I’m on the usual cocktail of pills consisting of Clopidogrel, Amlodipine, Rosuvastatin and Ramipril.
I’ve not smoked since, nor vaped and found it easy to quit. I promised the Doctor’s that helped me. I’ve not drank either, not that I did much before.
Coaching sport, Umpiring and being a Grandad along with cooking has helped me massively through my recovery and I feel like the luckiest person having read other peoples stories here and elsewhere.
I’m looking forward to being part of this community and seeking advice on the sleep issues I have.
@MatthewBirch welcome to the forum. Sorry you’ve had a stroke. Sounds like you’re doing really well.
With regards to sleep i know lots of people struggle with sleep post stroke. I’m sure you know all the usual things to try.
No phones / laptops etc for at least half hour before bed.
Have a bedtime routine & stick to it. I go to bed at 10 every night & get up around same time most days.
Try doing something relaxing before bed. Reading used to be my thing.
No caffeine after mid afternoon.
Try not to nap in daytime.
Try writing down anything that might be worrying you so you can clear it out your mind.
Are they doing anything for your sleep apnoea? I’d hope they could. May be worth trying a sleeping tablet for a few days to try and break the cycle.
Some people use lavender on their pillow too.
I’m sure there will be some other suggestions too.
Thank you Loshy for the warm welcome and YES I’d happily join a zoom meeting to say Hello to you all.
I’m looking forward to getting involved in the ‘Cooking’ thread I have already seen along with being able to offer any small help I can.
It seems quite a lot of us leave hospital and get told to ‘get on with it’. I’m lucky in that I am able to just wish others could get that support easier that they need; having read some of the stories here
@MatthewBirch glad the sleep clinic were helpful. I did chuckle at the conker in your PJs but I believe it does work.
Prior to my stroke I only ever had 3 - 4 hrs sleep a night. I used to get by on that but have to say I was permanently tired. Since my stroke I seem to sleep at least 8 hours a night. Seems a stroke was all i needed to sort my sleep suspect more to do with not being at work.
I did try some herbal sleeping tablets a couple of years ago and they did help. I only took them for a week so weren’t addictive.
You could maybe try adjusting your bed time to see if that helps.
My physio told me that day time naps were ok as long as they didn’t stop me sleeping at night. I still have the odd day where i nap but not so much now.
Hi @MatthewBirch welcome to the group, sorry to hear about your stroke, yours was the same time as mine I was 47, a lot of what you’ve said is very familiar. I struggled with sleep after my stroke, they gave me sleeping tablets in hospital I continued on them for a few months when home but decided to stop, I was sleeping far too much and felt out of it. The first few months I napped all the time but now I don’t like doing it, sorry I can’t really give any advice, I also wake through the night, I get a good sleep but it’s either in two or most often three stages with me awake maybe an hour between each stage. The strange things stroke does to us! You sound as if you have mostly recovered really well, hope you get your sleep sorted out
Hi @Pontwander firstly thank you for all the information so much of it makes sense, I’ve been sitting reading saying oh that’s me several times, it is reassuring to know your not the only one.
I nearly always sleep three hours then wake after being absolutely zonked, I laughed at you saying you feel happy when the sun comes up peeking out my eye mask I am always so happy if it’s proper time to get up, I would like to say I jump out the bed but we’ll I move as fast as I can I get the dry mouth as well, I had thought it was meds but I will be sleeping with my mouth open, I have a nose problem had pre stroke. I sleep with a splint on as well, I’m surprised I get any sleep
I too suffered hugely with censory overload, I still do. My own small kitchen has been a place of many meltdowns, my Sons live with me I’ve learned to try and stay out the way when they are home from work cooking etc but it’s not always possible especially when you need to walk through it to get to the bathroom, making it through that kitchen to safety feels like walking through a battleground for me
I will definitely try and challenge my sleep pattern, I’ll start with the water tonight. Good luck with your continued fight, let’s hope we both get better ahead of us.
Prior to my stroke i was someone who only ever got about 3 - 4 hrs sleep a night. I think a lot was down to being so busy I never really switched off properly. From reading everyones posts i think i must be in a minority of people who sleep well since their stroke. I regularly get 7 - 8 hrs a night but can be as much as 10 hrs.
I tried lots of things for my sleepless nights some more successful than others. The one thing that did work for me though was reading for a few minutes when i went to bed. I always put my phone / ipad away at bed time and even if i am wide awake i don’t look at them again until after i get up.
I can completely empathise with the sensory overload. I have this and i avoid the kitchen too when hubby is in there. The noise of cutlery, oven fan etc sends me into meltdown.
Good luck with trying to sort your sleep & to everyone else who struggles too…
Best wishes
Ann x
Thanks for the replies. I’ve enjoyed reading each and every one and can relate to my own sleep struggles in each and every one of them.
I’ve tried so many things over the last year and a bit and question why it’s still like this?
I had a small/minor/light stroke, a lucky escape compared to so many here - I’ve Learned that in my small time.
Since Thursday I have done whatever it takes to stay awake until midnight and for the best part have slept through until 7am onwards and woken up feeling like I’ve slept correctly and I can fully function.
I’ve always been funny with loud noises close to me, never bothered me in my 90s and early 00s driving round with those large speakers and furthermore those even bigger speakers next to the DJ booth in the night club. Now though I can’t tolerate the scream my Grandaughter lets out, it feels like a moth is in my brain flapping it’s wings and I feel like throwing myself to the ground like a scene from any WW2 movie.
In 2019 I worked in the local airport as a baggage handler and my shifts often started at 3 or 4am, if only I had (up till recently) this sleep pattern then for now, it’s one day at a time and I’m so grateful that last few have given me real hope.
Thank You for every reply written, I’m so sorry it’s not just me
@MatthewBirch sounds like you’re making a bit of progress with your sleep. Lets hope that continues long term. I do find a regular bed & getting up time helps a lot.
I’m with you on noise. I really struggle these days. I’m going to order some loop earplugs to try as not coping with noise is stopping me doing things.
keep me off my back. Very helpful
suspect more to do with not being at work.
peeking out my eye mask I am always so happy if it’s proper time to get up, I would like to say I jump out the bed but we’ll I move as fast as I can 
ahead of us.
and furthermore those even bigger speakers next to the DJ booth in the night club. Now though I can’t tolerate the scream my Grandaughter lets out, it feels like a moth is in my brain flapping it’s wings and I feel like throwing myself to the ground like a scene from any WW2 movie.