Planning Your Sleep After Breast Augmentation
Did you know that the way you sleep after breast augmentation matters a
lot? Implants add pressure and weight to your chest, and the surrounding
tissue needs time to settle and recover.
If you don’t sleep in an approved position and perhaps with support, your
implants can be pushed in the wrong direction.
So if you’re planning to have breast augmentation surgery, you may want to
start ‘practicing’ sleeping in the way you’ll need to following surgery. This
will make your recovery that much easier.
How Should You Sleep After Breast Augmentation?
Sleeping is important for the healing process. But after breast
augmentation, there are certain positions that you’ll need to avoid for a
while. And if they’re positions you currently prefer, there might be an
adjustment period getting used to other positions.
In the nights immediately following your surgery, you’ll need to sleep with
your chest slightly elevated. But it’s crucial because sleeping elevated and
supported by pillows, or reclined in a chair, will keep pressure off your
chest, reduce strain on the incisions and swelling, and maintain the
placement of your implants.
Yes, this can feel awkward at first. But there are steps you can take now to
help make that transition easier once the procedure is complete and you
begin healing .
Start Practicing Now
First, start getting used to sleeping on your back if that’s not your normal
position because it’s the only safe position in the weeks following surgery.
Be sure you’re fully supported with stacked pillows or a wedge pillow to
keep your torso inclined. You’ll also want pillows under your arms to
decrease tension across the chest.
It helps to get used to sleeping with these additions before your surgery so
they feel more familiar once the procedure is done and you need to rest.
In addition, you’ll need to wear a surgical bra when you sleep after the
procedure so you can practice by wearing a sports bra to bed. Just be sure
it’s not too tight. And if you normally sleep in a warm room, start getting
used to a cool room, as your body will heal better when it’s not overheating.
Finally, if you tend to enjoy heavy meals and alcohol in the evening, you’ll
need to avoid those right after your surgery. You’ll also need to clear with
your board-certified plastic surgeon any sleep aids you’re taking.
When Can You Return to Your Usual Sleeping Position?
It seems the preferred position for many patients is side sleeping. But going
back to sleeping on your side can be a mistake if done too soon.
Depending on how well your body is healing and the type of implant you
have, your surgeon could clear you in four to six weeks to move back onto
your side.
You’ll need to ease back into that position, keeping a pillow below your
breasts and another between your knees so that your body is aligned and
there is minimal pressure to the chest.
Meanwhile, if you’re a stomach sleeper, you’re likely going to have to wait
longer. It’s typically AT LEAST eight to twelve weeks before you’ll be able to
get back on your belly. This makes sense, given that this position puts the
most pressure on your implants and chest and can affect symmetry, long-
term results, and comfort.
The best way to return to stomach sleeping (once cleared by your surgeon,
of course) is to sleep first on a slight angle or with a pillow under one side
of your torso. If you’re able to eventually go face-down without feeling
tightness or discomfort, you’ll be good to go.
Don’t Underestimate the Importance of Sleep
While sleep after breast augmentation may not have been your first
consideration, if you get your setup right, adhere to safe positions, and
follow all of your surgeon’s instructions, your healing will go more smoothly.
So if you’re considering breast augmentation, contact us today.
Once your procedure is complete, your surgeon will provide a detailed
recovery plan that includes when and how to adjust sleep positions during
your healing and will be based on your own personal progress.