Following breast augmentation surgery, it is crucial to maintain a proper sleeping position to promote optimal healing and minimize discomfort. This position helps reduce swelling, maintain proper implant placement, and minimize strain on your incisions.
Elevate your upper body by using pillows or a wedge pillow to prop up your head and shoulders at a 30-45-degree angle. Here are the recommended sleeping positions and tips for a comfortable and restful recovery.
Good Sleep After Breast Augmentation Is Vital
Your body has to work hard to heal from surgery, whether you’ve had a breast augmentation, breast lift, or a tummy tuck. This is why you will likely find yourself feeling fatigued in the days following your surgery.
Sleep is essential to a healthy immune system and a speedier recovery, helping with the following:
- Healing: When we sleep, the body is still and can dedicate more blood flow to the injured muscles and tissues, delivering oxygen and nutrients to promote healing.
- Pain relief: Sleep can play a part in our response to pain. According to WebMD, getting more sleep can help reduce the amount of pain you experience.
Ideally, you be trying to get 8 hours of sleep per night, and likely more when your body is healing.
How To Sleep After Breast Augmentation Surgery?
It is important to sleep on your back with your upper body elevated after breast augmentation surgery. This position minimizes fluid buildup, enhances circulation, and also keeps the breasts in a more natural position as they heal.
Sleeping propped up also helps with mobility. Getting out of bed requires some upper body strength, but using your arms and chest muscles is not advised. Sleeping upright ensures that you don’t need to reach, press, or pull with your arms to get out of bed.
Often patients sleep in recliners or use special pillows to ensure that they stay in the right position.
Can I Sleep Flat on My Back?
After several days, when swelling and bruising have gone down, you can usually sleep flat on your back if you feel comfortable doing so.
When Can I Sleep on My Side After Breast Augmentation?
In the first couple of weeks after surgery, it’s important that you don’t sleep on your side or roll onto your side in your sleep because it could put pressure on the implant or your incisions. This unnecessary pressure may affect your results. Patients can typically return to side sleeping (while wearing a supportive bra) within 2 weeks. Sleeping on your stomach is an absolute no-no until you get the green light from your surgeon.
How Can I Get Used To Sleeping on My Back?
If you don’t normally sleep on your back, it may seem difficult to make the change. Here are a few tips to help you train yourself to sleep on your back before your actual surgery date:
- Use positioning pillows. Extra pillows in the bed can help you keep your body positioned correctly. Many people successfully sleep on their backs by placing a pillow under each arm.
- Keep a pillow under your knees to help maintain proper alignment of your back. This can also help people who experience lower back discomfort.
- Don’t quit. Always roll to your back when you catch yourself on your side or stomach.
- Use a special pillow that will hold your head in place. This will prevent your head from rolling to one side and give you good support.
How Long Will I Have To Sleep on My Back?
Once you are fully healed, you may return to whatever sleeping position you like. However, continuing to sleep on your back has some benefits. This position can prevent neck and back pain because it keeps your head, neck, and spine in a neutral position. There is also some evidence that sleeping on your back is better for preventing the formation of lines and wrinkles.
Tips for Sleeping Comfortably During Recovery
- Wear a supportive bra when you sleep. This will help hold your breasts in place, ease tension on your incisions, reduce swelling, and enhance your recovery overall.
- Take a warm shower (not a bath) in the evening. This is a proven technique for relaxation and getting to sleep faster.
- Walk around regularly throughout the day. Movement helps circulation and reduces the risk of developing blood clots. It also helps keep you from getting stiff and achy from too much immobility.
- Avoid known sleep disruptors like caffeine, alcohol, sugar, and electronic screens.
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Practice good sleep hygiene: Establish a regular sleep schedule and create a relaxing bedtime routine to promote better sleep. Avoid caffeine and alcohol before bed, and ensure your bedroom is dark, cool, and quiet.
What Expert Says
Here is what experts say about sleeping after breast augmentation surgery:
- The American Society of Plastic Surgeons (ASPS) recommends sleeping on your back for the first few weeks after surgery. This position helps to minimize swelling and keep the implants in the correct position.
- The Mayo Clinic also recommends sleeping on your back, but notes that you may need to use pillows to elevate your upper body and keep your shoulders off the bed.
- The Plastic Surgery Foundation suggests using a supportive surgical bra to provide support and compression to your breasts after surgery. This will help to reduce swelling, minimize discomfort, and keep the implants in place.
- The American Society for Aesthetic Plastic Surgery (ASAPS) recommends avoiding sleeping on your side or stomach for at least the first 4-6 weeks after surgery. This is because these positions can put pressure on your breasts and incisions, which can interfere with healing and potentially lead to complications.
- The Cleveland Clinic suggests placing a pillow between your breasts if you’re sleeping on your side after the first few weeks. This will help to provide additional support and prevent them from touching.
- The University of California, San Francisco (UCSF) Medical Center recommends practicing good sleep hygiene to promote better sleep. This includes establishing a regular sleep schedule, creating a relaxing bedtime routine, avoiding caffeine and alcohol before bed, and ensuring your bedroom is dark, cool, and quiet.
- The Johns Hopkins Medicine suggests using pillows strategically to support your arms and legs and prevent you from rolling over onto your side or stomach.
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The Mayo Clinic recommends considering using a recliner for the first few weeks after surgery if you find it difficult to sleep on your back. This can be a more comfortable position for some people, and it can also help reduce swelling.
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The American Society of Plastic Surgeons (ASPS) reminds patients to be patient and to listen to their bodies. It may take some time to adjust to sleeping in a new position after breast augmentation surgery. Be patient with yourself and give your body time to heal.
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The Plastic Surgery Foundation encourages patients to talk to their surgeon if they have any concerns about their sleep after surgery. Their surgeon can provide them with personalized advice and guidance.
If you want to learn more about how to make your recovery as comfortable and quick as possible, check out our previous post that answers common questions regarding self-care after breast augmentation.
