by It can be hard to sleep after having surgery on the abdomen. Still, getting enough sleep to help your body heal is more important than ever. Your body is, after all, getting used to a significant change. Here we have discussed the three best sleep positions after having abdominal surgery.
Best Sleeping Positions after Abdominal Surgery
Sleep is crucial for keeping your body and mind healthy and getting better after abdominal surgery. Let us mention that following abdominal surgery, certain things may disrupt your sleep and healing process, such as:
- Incision pain
- Anesthesia
- Stress
- Nausea
- Acidity or bloating
- Coughing
- Uncomfortable when moving around in bed
There are three best sleeping positions after your abdominal surgery. Here are-
Try to sleep on your back
After abdominal surgery and any kind of surgery, lying straight on your back is one of the best ways to sleep. Supine support is the most comfortable position to sleep in after abdominal surgery.
Put a pillow between your knees to ease pressure on your lower back. Place a pillow of a neutral size under your neck. Avoid using an overly large pillow to reduce tension on the neck and back. Also, avoid prolonged sitting and alternate your position during the day.
There are different rules about where your legs, arms, and toes should be, but generally, it may be best to sleep on your back with your arms at your sides and your toes pointed up. This position keeps your body neutral, so if you’re unsure what to do, you might try sleeping on your back. No matter what, if you have questions or concerns, be sure to call Specialty Surgical Center.
Try to sleep on your side
Sometimes, a doctor may not let you sleep on your side. This is especially for those people who have had back or hip surgery. Still, if your doctor says it’s okay to sleep on your side, you can do it. But you have to put something between your knees or ankles to keep your body straight.
A “mechanism” for support can be as simple as one or two soft pillows or a foam block made for that purpose. Console with your doctor about how to keep your body safe while you sleep this way.
Avoid sleeping on your stomach
Most of the time, you shouldn’t sleep on your stomach after surgery. However, abdominal surgery is serious, and the muscles and tissues need to heal and recover over time. Sleeping on your stomach puts too much weight and strain on your abdomen, impairing its ability to heal. This can not only harm your muscles, but it can also have an impact on your outcomes.
We’re sorry if you always sleep on your stomach, but you’ll have to sleep on your side or your back until you’re fully healed! Talk to your doctor to find out more about how to sleep after surgery. He will tell you how you should or shouldn’t sleep after surgery.
Avoid the high sitting in bed position
Avoid sitting high in bed for long periods after leaving the hospital (unless medically advised). This is because high sitting puts more pressure on your abdomen, which makes it more likely that the abdomen will get hurt.
Spending time in the supported sleeping position will help protect your abdomen and make you feel more comfortable. Try to change your back position throughout the day by walking and eating in a chair as soon as you feel up to it.
How to sit after abdominal surgery?
When you feel you can sit down, and allowed to sit down you have to try to sit. But before that, you should have talked to your doctor to know when you can sit after your abdominal surgery. Here is the process of sitting after abdominal surgery.
Sitting on the bed’s side
When you are permitted to stand:
- Elevate the head of the bed or have someone else do it for you.
- Flex both knees and place your feet firmly on the bed.
- Roll onto your side while keeping your shoulders and hips straight (twisting your abdomen can pull on your incision). Your bended knees should be near the bed’s edge.
- Push down into the mattress with your upper hand until your lower elbow is underneath you. Put your weight on this elbow.
- To sit up, push down on your arms while you lower your legs over the side of the bed.
- Sit on the bed’s edge, hands on the mattress for support.
Getting back into bed
When you will return to your bed:
- Back up until you feel the bed under your legs, and ensure you’re up the bed to the pillow.
- Sit with your bottom as far back as possible on the bed.
- Reduce your weight to the elbow closest to the head of the bed.
- As you lie down on your side, lift your legs onto the bed.
- Stay on your side and lower your head onto the pillow. Assist yourself with your hand.
- Roll back onto your back, bending your knees.
- Keep your knees bent and push down on your heels if you need to move higher up on the bed. Lift your hips and move yourself up toward your cushions simultaneously.
When Can you sleep on your stomach after abdominal surgery?
You should know that sleeping on your stomach while healing from abdominal surgery can hurt your results. So, how long will it be before you can sleep on your back again?
After surgery, people are told not to sleep on their stomachs for at least six weeks. During those six weeks, your stomach will heal and achieve the desired results. You want the way you sleep to make sure this process runs smoothly.
It’s important to remember that everyone heals differently, and some people may need to stay off their stomachs for more than six weeks. Please talk to your surgeon about when you can sleep as normal.
Final Words
Everyone needs different kinds of care. So pay attention to your body and believe in yourself. Don’t rush the healing process, especially after surgical operations. Your body will let you know when it’s tired and in what position it feels best. Follow it, and if you have any questions or issues, talk to your doctor about it. Follow your doctor’s advice and keep taking your medicine and working out daily.
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