How To Sleep After Shoulder Surgery?

Finding a comfortable sleeping position is challenging even when you are pain-free, so imagine how impossible it is when you are dealing with severe pain or have recently undergone surgery and are trying to get some rest peacefully; it is like you are trying to achieve an impossible dream.

This article, however, will resolve that problem head-on by outlining ways of getting proper rest after surgeries. Read on to find comfort from your discomfort and a restful night’s sleep.

How To Sleep After Shoulder Surgery?

If you have recently had shoulder surgery, it is understandable that you will experience discomfort while sleeping at night.

However, if you adapt to the advice in the following tips, you should be able to get a restful night’s sleep without being bothered by discomfort.

Tip 1:

For the first few weeks after surgery, it’s best to recline while sleeping. Sleeping in a reclined position is recommended for the first four to six weeks after your shoulder surgery. If you don’t own a recliner, you should consider purchasing one. Alternatively, you can use a pillow to create a 45-degree recline on your bed.

When you recline, you relieve stress on your shoulder joints and strengthen your lower back, making it an ideal position for relieving pain.

Also, sleep on the other, uninjured side to avoid accidentally pressing the injured side and waking up in horrific pain.

• Avoid laying flatly on your back.
• Lay down in a semi-laying position

Tip 2:

The second suggestion is to put ice on an injured shoulder by first wrapping an ice cube in a towel and then pressing the towel against the shoulder. This will help a great deal in reducing pain.

• Apply the ice cube for 30 minutes before bedtime to reduce the pain
• Do not apply it directly; first, you must wrap the ice in a dry cloth or napkin.

Tip 3:

Wear Arm Sling All Day:

If you’ve had shoulder surgery, your doctor will likely recommend that you wear a sling all day. It is possible for post-operative shoulder pain to be alleviated with the help of a sling, provided it is used properly. 

Using a sling during the daytime will make it easier to fall asleep at night and reduce shoulder swelling.

Wear Arm Sling In Bed:

Shoulder surgery patients should continue to wear their slings to bed for some weeks after their operation. 

This will help keep their shoulders in place while they sleep and prevent them from accidentally re-injuring their shoulders while asleep.

Tip 4:

You should take the painkillers your doctor prescribes, but you should never self-medicate.

Medications are most effective when taken thirty minutes before bedtime.

• Never take medicine on an empty stomach.
• Do not take your medicine with drugs such as alcohol, beer, etc.

Tip 5:

The fifth tip is to put a medium-sized pillow under your elbow and arm while in bed and keep your hurt arm straight. At this time, you don’t have to wear a sling. You can do this with or without a sling; it’s up to you.

This position will help the muscles around the joint, and the joint itself gets enough blood, which is essential for healing. 

Remember to always tuck your elbows and pillows tightly under your arms.

Tip 6:

Before going to bed, walk for twenty to thirty minutes; this will help blood circulation.

And if, after following all of the advice given above, you still experience shoulder pain, you should make an appointment to see a doctor as soon as possible.

Best Ways To Sleep After Shoulder Surgery?

Even if the pain is unbearable, if you follow the advice that I’ve given you, individuals should be able to get a better night’s rest as a result of using all of the best methods for speedy recoveries from the injury to their shoulder, you must follow these instructions very carefully.

• The sling is a must and should not be forgotten. MUST WEAR IT!!
• At night, place an ice pack on the painful area for thirty minutes before sleeping.
• Rest on the opposite side of your hand, the one that is not hurt.
• Take a walk before sleeping.
• Taking your medications at the prescribed times is essential to achieve the best results.
• Sleep in recline position after your shoulder surgery for almost 4 to 6 weeks.

You have recently recovered from shoulder surgery, which is absolutely nothing to make light of in any way.

And nothing on this earth can perform the miracle of making your pain vanish in an instant. Therefore, it is evident that the process of healing and returning to normal would be time-consuming, so you will need to maintain your patience throughout the journey.

If you strictly follow all of the methods mentioned above, then your pain will soon fade, and then once again, you will be able to sleep in any manner that makes you feel comfortable and relaxed.

How To Sleep On A Wedge Pillow After Shoulder Surgery?

Firstly, if you don’t know what “Wedge Pillow” is, let me clarify it for you.

Wedge Pillow: 

It’s a triangular-shaped pillow that props up your upper body while leaving your lower half in its natural, flat position. Wedge Pillow, explicitly designed for those recovering from shoulder surgery, makes it possible to rest more comfortably after surgery by relieving tension in the affected muscles and tissues.

Now, let’s talk about our primary concern, which is how to sleep on a wedge pillow after you’ve had shoulder surgery.

Switch out your standard pillow for a wedge pillow, lie on your back in a straight position, and this pillow will support your upper body while keeping your lower body in a flat position. It will do this without applying any pressure to your lower back.

It is the most effective way to relax tense muscles and helps a great deal in reducing pain.

They can be found in most stores at a price that is affordable, and they are readily available; consequently, if you do not already own one, you should probably go out and purchase one as soon as possible because they are of great assistance in the recovery process concerning shoulder surgery.