POV, sleep after breast augmentation: As you return home after breast augmentation surgery, you may be excited to start your recovery process. You’ve stocked up on medication, groceries, and entertainment to keep you occupied during the healing period. However, the thought of sleeping on your first night after surgery is daunting. With bandages and compression garments, your breasts may feel tight and swollen, and you may wonder which sleeping position is best.
Is it safe to sleep on your side or back? What if you accidentally shift during the night? These sleeping position questions can cause anxiety and stress.
Take a deep breath and remember that it’s totally normal for breast augmentation patients to have such concerns. You want to be able to sleep comfortably, after all.
First, your surgeon will likely recommend sleeping on your back with your upper body elevated for the first few days following surgery. This position can help reduce swelling and improve blood flow to the surgical area.
Even if it’s how you sleep comfortably most of the time … it’s important to avoid sleeping on your stomach or side. This type of sleeping position puts pressure on your breasts and can hinder the healing process.
The good news is that your surgeon will have educated you on this. There’s not a chance you’ll be at home after breast augmentation surgery without having received detailed instructions on how to sleep.
Still, we certainly understand if you’re a little unsure. So, below, we’ve outlined a guide on the best way to sleep after breast augmentation.
WHAT IS THE BEST WAY TO SLEEP AFTER BREAST AUGMENTATION?
Sleep is a critical period after breast surgery not only because it’s when most of your healing will actually occur, but also because doing it “wrong” can cause problems for your results.
The general rule after breast augmentation surgery is that the best sleeping position is on your back with your upper body slightly raised. Do not sleep flat. The reason your upper body needs to be slightly higher than your lower body is twofold.
First, when your breasts are slightly elevated, this will help reduce swelling. When you sleep flat, blood and fluid can accumulate around the incision sites. Second, this position will allow your breasts to hang in a more natural way than they would if you were laying down completely prone.
In the latter position, your breasts might fall out to the sides or in one direction more than another, depending on exactly how you are situated in bed.
Allowing this to happen for several hours overnight could ultimately be detrimental to your breast augmentation results.
Sleeping primarily on your back for a long period of time can be difficult — especially when you also need to have your upper body slightly elevated. Some patients can’t fall asleep very well.
One thing that can help with this is getting a wedge pillow. These can be easily found online.
A wedge pillow will just give a slight boost to your upper body, keeping it in a comfortable position. This will allow you to create that elevation without having to stack pillows in an odd way. Pillows have a habit of shifting during the night, but a wedge pillow will stay put. Placing one pillow on either side of you can help make your arms more comfortable and can improve your sleep after Breast Augmentation.
TIPS TO IMPROVE YOUR SLEEP AFTER BREAST AUGMENTATION
If you’ve struggled with getting a good night’s sleep in the past — even when you weren’t recovering from major surgery — it’s a good time to improve your sleep habits.
Limit screen time before bed. Try to stop using screens at least one hour before you go to bed. The blue light that comes from screens on phones, tablets, and computers can make your body think it’s daytime, and this will prevent the production of melatonin — a hormone that’s needed to put your body to sleep.
Don’t spend time in your bed during the day. It may be tempting to spend a lot of your day in bed when you’re recovering from breast augmentation surgery. After all, you’ll need a place to kick back and relax, and your bed is a great place to do that. On the other hand, spending a lot of time in bed during the day tells yourself that that is a place where you can “hang out” and be awake. Then, when it comes time to go to bed at night, you may feel more awake than you really should feel — and this can cause you to have a hard time going to sleep.
Limit day naps if nighttime sleep becomes a struggle. Once again, it’s certainly good to rest and relax during the day as you recover. You can even spend some time sleeping after breast augmentation. But if you are starting to sleep too much during the day, you’ll have trouble sleeping at night. If this becomes a problem, limit your daytime naps so that you can get a longer stretch of sleep at night.
Make your bedroom or sleeping space as comfortable as possible. Taking time to make your sleeping space comfortable will only improve the quality of your sleep. Having comfortable sheets, pillows, and blankets is a great place to start. Keep your bedroom clean and neat. Have everything you’ll need during the night nearby. And get fresh pajamas that don’t twist or bind in confining ways. Making even small improvements can go a long way.
WHEN CAN I SLEEP ON MY SIDE AFTER BREAST AUGMENTATION Surgery?
Dr. Ramanadham gets asked, “When can I sleep on my side after breast augmentation?” quite frequently. After all, it can be hard to sleep constantly on your back night after night.
For the most part, patients will need to wait at least four to six weeks before they can switch to side sleeping. For some patients, it may be more like eight weeks.
What happens if you switch too soon? Although unlikely, it’s possible that sleeping on your side after breast augmentation could cause an asymmetry in the long-term appearance of your breasts. In addition, some patients who sleep on their side may end up rolling to their stomach, and this could be truly damaging for your results, not to mention problematic for the healing process.
Questions and Answers
How can I sleep comfortable after breast augmentation?
The most suitable sleeping position after surgery is usually lying on your back with your upper body slightly elevated using pillows or a recliner. This posture helps to prevent fluid buildup, reduces pressure on your chest, and minimizes discomfort or irritation in the incision area.
How to sleep after breast augmentation?
Following your breast augmentation procedure, it’s important to sleep on your back in an elevated position for the initial few days. This helps to maintain a natural position for your breast implants, improves blood flow, and reduces swelling. Additionally, it makes it easier to get in and out of bed without causing strain on your chest and arm muscles.
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Dr. Smita Ramanadham is a female double board-certified plastic surgeon with years of experience performing surgery on breast augmentation patients. Take a moment to peruse our breast augmentation before and after gallery to get an idea of the amazing results that are possible with this procedure.
Then, give us a call to schedule your own consultation appointment to learn about when can i sleep on my side after breast augmentation?