How do they do it?

Pippa 000 I agree, I was a Nurse in the sixties and worked a lot of nighst while in training, as you said on the Nightingale wards we were always very quiet, and never disturbed the patients, if we wanted to talk, when we had time, we would move into the kitchen and talk quietly there, yes soft shoes made a difference. Also we were always in the ward during the night,and could see and hear all our patients, no need for alarms etc.
These days people dont go to Hospital to have sleep or rest it seems. A motto here is try to stay healthy!

Good news, glad you're home safely bet that sleep was the best ever! Now enjoy a whole night in your own bed ??

Well that's I'm pleased that's all over . Got home at about 5.00 this afternoon, had a cuppa and was in bed before 6.00 for a good, long, undisturbed sleep. Bliss!
All went well, I'm told, no complications or damage caused (phew!). I was in surgery for nearly 3 hours - glad I knew nothing about it .

Last time I was in hospital there was only I night nurse on duty and everyone was ringing their buzzer when they needed a bed pan, there was no response from the nurse for hours, then when she did turn up she was so bad tempered, complaining about the fact that she had so much to do. When she came to my bed and I told her I needed a bed pan she at first refused, saying I was supposed to get up to go to the toilet, and didn't believe me when I said I had been told not to get out of bed as my leg was paralysed through too much anaesthetic. She said it wasn't true, so I told her to read my notes. She did, then stomped away, brought the bed pan, left it on the table at the bottom of the bed where I couldnt reach it. I had just had a knee replacement done the day before on the other leg, so it took me ages to reach the pan and then I had nowhere to put it after I'd used it, so spent ages again trying to get down to the bottom of the bed again.I was so exhausted that I spent the rest of the night lying the wrong way round on the bed. Not a wink of sleep all night. Next morning , 6 o'clock , in came the new shift nurse, asked why I was lying there, told her what had happened, and she said "Oh, she is always like that, she comes in and goes to sleep, doesn't like it when she has to get up to answer the buzzers" So, I hope now that you all understand that it's not just the patients who can't sleep at night....

But if ever i am i will remenber the ear plugs

As a very light sleeper at the best of times i am happy that apart from having children 40 odd years ago i have been lucky enough to have never been in hospital overnight since.

Now that would have been perfect Stella - if I was ever faced with a longer stay in hospital I think I'd invest in them!

The answer must surely be noise cancelling headphones. BOSE are arguably the best, but there are other good makes that are cheaper. You don't have to listen to music or an audiobook (the latter being my preference), you can just have them switched on. There will be a low level hiss, with the noise of the ward being barely audible.

On the few occasions I've had to stay in hospital, I always gratefully accepted the offer of a sleeping tablet. Apologies to anyone I kept awake with my snoring!

sarahellenwhitney, the surgery was obviously NHS but the transfer and care at The Nuffield was paid for privately, (plus I hasten to add a request from the surgeon for superior antibiotics to those initially prescribed).
Quality care should be available to all patients regardless, but sadly there are huge differences.

Last time I was in hospital I took my ear plugs don't leave home without them, especially as the woman in the next bed was redoing her will after midnight and chatting to her friends she was not popular. So I was told!

Cotton wool in the ears cuts out the worst of the noise. Not for everybody I know but desperate times need desperate measures.

Oh dear Indinana .
I wish you all the best and fingers crossed you will be home soon to your own bed.

We only appreciate our comfy bed when we are kipping somewhere else

Lille
Out of interest did DH have to pay for his private room due to sleep deprivation or was this a courtesy on the part of the NHS.

It really is hard to avoid bad nights. If you or other patients are unwell they need care which might disrupt others.
I did an overnight about 3 yrs ago on a surgical ward. It was very busy but the worst thing was the bloody pump on the inflatable antiblood clot stocking machines.

The vibrations of the pump rattling the bed frame made me feel sick. I can't cope with such noises without feeling awful. Key cutting etc rattles my brain. Rocking boats do it as well. No sea legs at all.

Sorry ..... catch up

DH experienced this type of sleep deprivation and asked to be transferred to a private hospital with his own room. The difference in his recovery was amazing, so I agree that all the noise you are experiencing Indinana isn't helping at all. Hope you can up soon on some rest.

My mum lives in fear of being admitted again because of the way it is just like everyone describes. I understand they have to do obs but the nurses don't have to shout to each other down the corridor or laugh hysterically in the middle of the night. I was in for a knee replacement and the first night needed to bleep for toilet assistance at 4am ish. When I returned to bed all the other ladies where awake - I felt terrible but there wasn't an alternative as after being on a drip I was desperate!

I had a foot operation recently and the thing I worried most about was having to stay in overnight - imagine my delight when they said I would be treated as a day patient. Imagine my despair when the (lovely) anaesthetist came before the op and said they'd had a trauma patient and as I was last on the list I might have to be admitted! And my fear was being kept awake all night - for one night! What a wimp. You have all my sympathy Indinana and my very best wishes for a speedy recovery and lots of restoring sleep! I'm with Kim19 and would never complain unless I believed someone was guilty of negligence - in my case I don't think I could have had better care.

I got up and went down to the to lounge! The MAN in the bed opposite didn't use his bell to summon the nurse, he simply ran his walking stick backwards and forwards on the radiator. The beds had been crammed into the small ward so we were out of sinc with the lights above, so instead of shadow had bright lights in my eyes. The woman two beds down insisted on singing hymns most of the night and the nurses hissed at her to be quiet. I just picked up a blanket and went and sat in an armchair. They got excited and said I must sleep. I agreed and asked how to turn the lights out in the lounge. A nurse did it for me but came and got me before sister did her rounds. My mother always said "you don't go into hospital for a rest". Boy, was she right!

I had a similar experience last year. Difficult indeed but I was so grateful to be in a place where I felt safe and that I was being helped that I put up with it in the knowledge (hope?!) that I would be able to redress the balance and do catch up when I got home. Complain? NEVER! At the end of the day I was restored to health and strength in a shortish period. Let the chatterers and other people more poorly than me make their noise. No it's not even remotely pleasant but we are catering for the masses and I think I've been satisfied thus far......warts and all.

I am a snorer and I tried to stay awake when I was in hospital because I dreaded keeping people awake. However the drugs they'd given me, made me sleep anyway. When my daughter in law had her baby there was a snorer in the ward. The nurse went to her bed and gave it a huge shake! The snorer got such a fright and didn't know what happened!

It seems that all hospital wards are like this today and it's not right.
It must be kill or cure! No sleep is torture, and I for one worry that I'll have to go into hospital and endure this torture when I'm ill.
I also worry as I get older that I will be made to stay if my husband is no longer there to support me at home.
Can I add to this that many years ago I was a qualified nurse so feel justified to have theses fears.

Sleep is one of the best healers - which makes it really strange that hospitals are one of the hardest places to get any. This thread has made me determined to get a good set of ear plugs to add to my "emergency" bag. (A bag I keep a nightie, toothbrush etc in case I get admitted unexpectedly. I live alone and my son would never be able to find what I need if he had to pick stuff from my home).

Thank you all for the lovely flowers and good wishes. And for the medal 'thought' harrigran