Sleep is one of those things that most of us take for granted until we can’t do it. Breaking your shoulder or recovering from shoulder surgery can significantly impact your sleep. This article will give you tips and tricks that might just help you get a better night’s sleep.

How much sleep should you get each night?

As a junior doctor in the 1990s, I trained in cardiothoracic surgery. We were expected to do a weekend on-call that would start on a Friday morning and finish on Monday evening. We would have to grab any sleep we could during this time and just hope that the intensive care unit was quiet. Sometimes this could mean just a few hours here and there over the whole weekend.

Being able to cope with little sleep was seen as a ‘badge of honour,’ and if you struggled, it was considered a weakness.

Fortunately, times have changed, and there is increasing evidence and acceptance that good sleep is essential.

The average adult should aim for 8 hours of continuous sleep every night.

When you have sustained an injury to the body either by accident or planned through surgery, the body needs more time to rest and recover.

Why is sleep important?

Sleep has numerous benefits, including

  1. Optimising your immune system
  2. Decreasing inflammation
  3. Improved mental wellbeing
  4. Restoration and repair of the body

Not getting enough sleep can lead to low mood, irritability, poor concentration, and depression. This can lead to mistakes in thinking and poor coordination, which can seriously affect your work and personal relationships.

What are the different stages of sleep?

How well you sleep is just as important as the number of hours you spend sleeping.
There are 4 stages of sleep that occur in cycles of approximately 90 minutes each.

Stage 1
  • Lasts 5-10 minutes
  • Your eyes are closed, but you are rousable as you are just entering into sleep
Stage 2
  • Lasts for 10-25 minutes
  • Light sleep
  • The heart slows down, and you become more relaxed
Stage 3
  • Deep sleep
  • You are most relaxed and most difficult to rouse
  • Tissue growth and repair occur in this phase
Stage 4
  • REM – Rapid eye movement phase
  • Your eyes move quickly, but you are temporarily paralysed.
  • Dreaming occurs in this phase.

If your sleep is disturbed or restless, and you do not get into a deep sleep, the body does not get the time it needs to restore it back to health.

How can I get a good night’s sleep?

Preparing to go to sleep is a ritual, and there are several things you can do to improve the quality of your sleep.

  1. Turn off screens at least one hour before bed. This includes your phone, computer, or tablet.
  2. Do not watch anything too exciting or distressing on TV before you sleep that will occupy your mind.
  3. Do not drink too much fluid just before bed, as you will need to get up in the middle of the night to go to the toilet.
  4. Do some simple stretches before bedtime to unwind your body.
  5. Do some slow and deep breathing exercises.
  6. Short meditation. Even 3-5 minutes of a simple meditation that will help clear your mind can be helpful. If you have never done this before, there are several apps, such as Headspace or Calm, that will guide you through a bedtime meditation.
  7. Avoid drinking a lot of alcohol or eating a heavy meal just before bed.
  8. Try and go to bed at the same time every night.
  9. Sleep in a dark room or wear an eye mask to keep out the light.
  10. Gratitude exercise – think of 3 things you were grateful for during that day and remember how these things made you feel. You will go to bed feeling happier. I know this sounds crazy, but I do it, and it really does work.

What position should I sleep in with a broken shoulder?

Any fracture to the shoulder can be painful, so you will need to adjust the way you sleep during the healing process.

I usually advise my patients to use plenty of cushions. And by plenty, I mean as many as you can get your hands on!

You might find it more comfortable to sleep in an upright position with plenty of pillows behind you and underneath your forearm. Thus, the weight of your arm is supported and does not pull down on your shoulder.

Some patients say that they find it more comfortable to sleep in an armchair with their feet up on a footstool for the first few nights.

When you feel ready to sleep on a bed, you may want to consider using a large V-shaped pillow. You could also use a much larger ‘pregnancy pillow’ to lie on your side with your injured arm resting on the pillow as though you were cuddling someone.

Try out different options until you find one that works best for you.

Do I need to keep my arm in a sling at nighttime?

The sling itself does not directly increase the speed of your bone healing. Instead, the sling supports the weight of your arm and stops it from pulling down on your shoulder joint. The sling also prevents your arm from moving and from distracting the fracture fragments further so that it does not delay healing.

Ideally, you should keep your arm in the sling for the first few weeks. Then, depending on the type of your fracture, you may be able to take your arm out of the sling as long as it is supported very snugly by cushions.

If you are in any doubt, come and see me, and we can go through the safest options for your particular fracture.

Is there anything else I can do to make sleeping comfortable?

Pain is the main issue that keeps people awake with a broken shoulder. Other tricks you can use for pain relief include

  1. Use an icepack on your shoulder for 30 minutes before going to bed.
  2. Take your arm out of the sling to bend and straighten your elbow. Also, open and close your hand into a fist. This will help reduce swelling in the hand, which can cause pain.
  3. Do some gentle neck stretches as the sling can put a lot of pressure on your neck and be another source of pain.
  4. Take strong painkillers before bedtime. Some patients find that opiate-based medication such as codeine can make them feel drowsy or dizzy during the daytime, and you must be careful. Taking a painkiller like this at night can be an advantage to help you stay asleep. Follow the instructions carefully so that you use your medication safely.

Taking pain medicine at the correct times is important for good sleep. If you feel that your medication is insufficient to stop your pain, talk to your doctor about increasing your dose or prescribing another medication. As time goes by and the pain lessens, you can reduce the amount and type of medication you need.

Contact me if you have questions about how to sleep with a broken shoulder because rest is a critical component of healing and restoration. 

Get in touch today if you have an enquiry or would like to book your appointment. We are here to answer any questions that you have.