Insomnia in the Hospital

I've written before about how I live with other chronic conditions – mainly Crohn's disease and rheumatoid arthritis. I've been lucky enough to spend the last few years on medication that has helped me establish and maintain remission for both conditions. Unfortunately, I also know that remission can be considered a temporary status and that at any moment, it could be lost.  Recently, my remission required a hospital stay with interruptions that were challenging for another condition:  insomnia.

Challenges from hospital stay interruptions

In January, I spent 5 days in the hospital.  I went to the emergency room on the advice of my doctor, was admitted for further testing, and then IV steroids in response to a Crohn's disease flare. Although I packed some comfy clothes, a blanket, and a pillow from home, sleeping with insomnia was very challenging during my inpatient hospital stay.

Hospital equipment and noise

First off, there's the hospital equipment. If you're not used to being attached to an IV pole, it takes time to adjust to the constant beeping of the machine when there's air in the line, the bag pump needs to be reset, or the medication needs to be refilled. There are added sounds in the hallway and sounds from other hospital rooms, machines and conversations, and other patients too.

Interruptions from hospital staff

Then, there are the constant interruptions. When in the hospital, doctors round once, twice, or 3 times a day. Sometimes you talk to a resident or fellow at one time, and the attending at another. Then, the nurses round every few hours when you're due for medications or testing, and return when pressing the call light. Tech's come in every 2 hours to take vitals (blood pressure, pulse, and temperature) around the clock – meaning that if/when I do fall asleep, they usually wake me up more than once a night.

Hospital bed discomfort and pain

And finally, there's the fact that when in the hospital, I was experiencing a tremendous amount of pain. This caused both overwhelming exhaustion and trouble sleeping, alongside a hospital bed that is narrow and uncomfortable. The recipe for sleep was just difficult to follow.

Then, add in the fact that I struggle with insomnia 

The hospital is not a place where people without insomnia can get good rest. So, it's no surprise that people like me who live with a sleep disorder are at an even higher disadvantage. But, here's the thing:  not being able to sleep, while in the hospital, and in poor physical condition, leads to a very crabby version of me.

Continued unnecessary intrusions

By the third night of my admission, I found myself snapping at the techs who were scheduled to take my vitals. Every time I'd drift off to sleep, they'd jolt me awake, asking if they could take my blood pressure or pulse. And those measurements weren't fluctuating very much, nor were the symptoms I was hospitalized to address. So, I felt like the continual repeats were completely unnecessary. Finally, I asked them if it was possible to stretch the windows between assessments, or if it was possible to skip the ones in the direct middle of the night.

Insomnia in the hospital causes overwhelming exhaustion

So many wake-ups during the night caused me overwhelming exhaustion, and I was then required to doze during the days in order to balance out the challenges compounded by my insomnia.

When I was finally discharged and returned home, it took me nearly 2 weeks to both catch up on my sleep and reset my sleep schedule to something more acceptable.

Insomnia in the hospital is incredibly challenging. Have you experienced this?