by Because of joint pain, millions of people may need knee braces. They worry about whether they should sleep with a knee brace on and how they should sleep with a knee brace on. Here we will learn “can you sleep with a knee brace on and how to sleep with a knee brace on”! Keep reading till the end to know more in detail!
Can you Sleep with a Knee Brace on and How to Sleep with a Knee Brace on?
Should I wear a knee brace to bed? You may think about this if you recently had a knee injury. Here will go over whether you can sleep with a knee brace on, how to sleep with a knee brace on below.
Can you Sleep with a Knee Brace on?
From rock climbers, hikers, and adventure seekers to general people may experience joint pain following their respective exercises or activities. For their knee pain a knee brace is a great way to reduce pain and enhance healing if they have a knee injury.
The most important question is whether or not you can sleep with a knee brace on. The simple and clear answer to the question is “Yes.” When your knee is hurt, you can and should sleep with a knee brace.
If your knee is hurt, you should sleep with your knee brace on. For one thing, it helps the joints get stable quickly. If your knee is hurt, you should sleep with your knee brace on. For one thing, it helps the joints get stable quickly.
The brace will keep you stable at night and stop you from moving around, which could make your injury worse if you do it. In other words, the brace will instead protect your knee like it does when you are sleeping.
Another benefit of sleeping with a knee brace is that it helps ease knee pain. A knee brace will make you more stable, but it will also limit your movements, even those that aren’t necessary.
For example, if you accidentally throw your leg across the bed while sleeping, it could hurt and make it difficult for you to sleep. With a knee brace on, your knee won’t be able to move as much, so you can sleep well.
But only so you know, trying to sleep with a knee brace may not be comfortable, but it will help to keep your knee safe. Also, your knee will heal faster the longer you can sleep with the brace on, even though it may be uncomfortable.
How to Sleep with a Knee Brace on?
Sleep on your back, elevate the knee with a pillow, follow the RICE protocol, wear the appropriate knee brace (adjust the straps if necessary), moisturize the skin, take a warm shower, and/or sleep on a memory foam mattress to sleep more comfortably while wearing a knee brace. There are six practical tips that can improve your ability to sleep better while wearing a knee brace. Here are those:
Sleep on your back to reduce strain
If you wear a knee brace to bed, it’s best to sleep flat on your back so you don’t put too much pressure on your bad knee. When you sleep on your back (in the supine position), you can stretch your hurt knee as straight as possible.
Research shows that, in general, sleeping on your back is the best way to sleep because it helps keep your body’s posture. It also helps the blood flow, which makes it easier for the body to heal.
Use a pillow or soft cushion under your calf to make yourself more comfortable. Putting a pillow under your knee will slightly raise it, which can help your blood flow, reduce swelling, and speed up the healing process.
But if you aren’t used to sleeping on your back, you might want to try sleeping on the side of the leg that isn’t hurt.
Adapt the straps to control the amount of pressure
Wearing a knee brace should feel good and give you the right amount of support. How tight the brace is should depend on how much your knee can move.
If you just had knee surgery, your doctor might tell you to keep things tighter. But if the brace is too tight and your blood flow is cut off, loosen the straps or get a larger brace.
If the brace is too loose, tighten the straps until it is firm enough to hold the knee in place, even if you move around at night. This will speed up the healing process.
Put a pillow under your knee to make it feel better
When you lie on your back, put a regular pillow, a bolster pillow, a knee pillow, or a wedge cushion under your knee to keep it raised and slightly bent.
The knee will get more blood flow, have less pain and swelling, and have more cushioning and support as it heals.
Putting extra pillows next to your hips can also help keep your body in place and keep you from rolling onto your side and twisting your knee.
You can also sleep on your side with a wedge pillow between your knees to protect, stabilize, and keep your knee and hip in line so you don’t hurt yourself even more.
Keep your skin moist to avoid chafing
When you wear a knee brace to bed, the material can rub against your skin, making it sore, itchy, and hard to sleep.
So, as part of your evening routine, use a skin moisturizer on your knees to help hydrate, soothe, and heal dry skin. Before putting the brace back on, let the moisturizer soak in completely.
Also, keeping the knee brace clean is important so it doesn’t collect sweat and dust, which can cause skin infections. Most knee braces today can be washed in a washing machine.
Having more than one knee brace on hand is also a good idea, so you can always switch to a clean one to avoid skin irritation in the same places.
Let your knee breathe to stop it from getting too hot
When you wear a knee brace while you sleep, it can make you sweat and overheat. Sleep on the side of the bed that corresponds to your injured knee to give your leg room to breathe. This will allow you to keep your knee areas clean and elevate your braced knee above the bedsheet.
Also, wearing thin sheets can make you feel less weighted down while you sleep with a knee brace. Therefore it would be beneficial to do so. Choose satin sheets or any other smooth fabric that makes twisting into a position easier and less unpleasant.
Use a memory foam mattress or topper to sleep
If your mattress is too soft or hard, it can put pressure on your sensitive knees, hips, and shoulders, causing much pain and discomfort while you sleep.
So, think about buying a pressure-relieving mattress which will support and cradle your body while being smooth on your pressure points.
A memory foam mattress is a great example of a pressure-relieving mattress because it helps distribute your weight more equally across the mattress, gives your body enough cushioning and support, and helps with knee pain while you sleep.
Buying a memory foam mattress topper is a cheaper way to deal with knee pain, with or without a brace. But if you have knee pain at night that has been going on for a long time because of pressure, buying a new mattress that fits your sleeping style and body type is best.
FAQs about Sleeping with a Knee Brace
If you have an injured knee, you must wear a knee brace while you sleep. When you’re sleeping, you enter a hypnotic trance where you lose control of your body. So wearing a knee brace will help you to stabilize your knee and helps to reduce pain. Here are some FAQs about it!
Can you wear a knee brace all day and night?
When you wear a brace that immobilizes your knee, it can weaken. You can wear your brace all day if your orthopedist advises it. But, using a knee brace incorrectly might aggravate your discomfort or cause more injury to your knee.
When should you not wear a knee brace?
For the first year, a sophisticated knee brace is typically worn. Following that, a brace is usually not required for low-level activity. Keep in mind that returning to baseline stability can take up to two years. You can remove the brace once you have regained full function.v
Should I wear a knee brace over my clothes?
Most knee braces shouldn’t be worn over loose pants. When you bend your knee with a functional knee brace or a post-op knee brace, the pants will pull the brace down. You can wear your knee brace over your pants if you have a cotton-lycra knee sleeve or tight, non-slip leggings.
