I’m struggling getting up in the morning. It shouldn’t be such a big issue but I feel like if I can’t get up at a reasonable hour then I won’t be able to get to work on time. Even though I’m still a couple of months away from going back to work.
I know it is a part of the whole fatigue package that comes with having a stroke. But does anyone have any advice about how to get up in the morning.
Hi Nick,
What a great conversation to have !! The reality of feeling like not getting out of bed.
Hmmmm, yes a few of us here can relate to that one.
As bad, sad, down, worthless, heavy with grief as I felt at times. I gained strength in knowing that "someone" out there wanted me to participate in life.
And turning that "someone" into "I am worthy of participating in my life" has been enormous in itself.
So that's where music for me really came in - any song with a survival message, a real message of struggle. I wanted to feel everything that song's message had. In early day's after my stroke I just wanted someone to "get me" and the messages and rhythm in music, well they helped.
But music doesn't work for everyone - I get that.
So finding anything that works for you is a good thing.
Acknowledging how you feel is okay.
Managing fatigue - yes - it will take time to work out the right fit for you.
I am a teenager of the 80's - so have a great repertoire of music for any occasion!!
Here is "Born to be alive". a little bit of disco which helped me along.
All the best.
Sue
Sue. Thanks for the response. It’s nice to know you are out there. Music was a big part of my life pre stroke...I may have to go back and investigate as a form of recovery.
Hi Nick
Fatigue has been an issue with me since my stroke. When I tried returning to work I just set the alarm for those days I had to get up at the time required. The days I din;t work I slept until my body decided I should wake up and then I pretty well 'slept' throughout the days off. There was no point in trying to fight the faigue. The reason I say 'slept' is taht for me the fatigue was not about being asleep but being awake but unable to do anything.
I would suggest looking at your morning routine and trying to identify what things tire you. Reading exhausts me, so as much as I want to read newspapers I knwo that it comes at a price. LAst night I attended my daughter's singing concert so today I am plonked on hte couch and had to miss my regular Monday mornign pilates. So look at what you do the night before to see if tah has an impact.
Light therapy is meant to helpful so have a look at that. There was a research opportunity on the SF website that was looking for particpants so may be see if taht is still happening. I contacted tehm but after the initial contact they never got back to me but you may have more luck.
Toni
Thank you so much Toni I will look into this light therapy.
Hi Nick,
Toni mentioned blue light therapy.
Here is a blog about it from Chris Lassig.
Here is a research project currently looking for participants about sleep and fatigue.
I hope these help.
Diana
Thanks Diana. I have been in contact with Lucy re sleep and fatigue study. And will investigate further the blue light therapy. Thank you so much for your support.
nick
Pleasure Nick. You can also reach out to StrokeLien if you want to discuss things in depth. StrokeLine 1800 787 653 - Diana
Hi Nick,
I am sorry to hear of the battle you are having with fatigue and the effect this is having on getting out of bed in the morning. It is good that you are trying to look ahead and think about how this might affect you with your return to work.
Fatigue is a common side effect following stroke. For some stroke survivors fatigue improves over time; however, for others it can be persistent and debilitating. General information on fatigue can be found on the Stroke Foundations fatigue after stroke fact sheet.
As Toni mentioned looking at your routine can be a good starting point in managing your fatigue. Understanding what makes your fatigue worse could help in implementing useful strategies e.g. if certain activities, such as Toni mentioned with his reading, tire you out modify/avoid doing these things e.g. sitting down whilst getting dressed can conserve your morning energy. Breaking activities into smaller tasks and resting in between can also help.
The Better Health Channel has some good pointers on sleep hygiene that may assist you in getting out of bed. Things such as trying to get out of bed around the same time every day helps to ‘set’ your body clock, also sunshine in the morning can help with setting your body clock. You can find more strategies and suggestions from The Better Health Channel here. Note that they provide general suggestions, not stroke specific suggestions e.g. if you need to take an afternoon nap, that is recommended for a stroke survivor, just try to limit it to an hour so it doesn’t interfere with your night time sleep quality.
You may find that returning to work exacerbates the fatigue due to the physical, cognitive and sensory demands that work places on you. Starting back at work part time, then gradually increasing your hours can assist with managing this. To learn more about returning to work we have some information here.
To learn more about fatigue after stroke you may like to listen to our podcast on fatigue: https://enableme.org.au/Community/Podcasts/Fatigue
If you would like to talk about any of this information further please contact StrokeLine on 1800 787 653
Jessica (StrokeLine)