Sleep Post Breast Augmentation Surgery: What You Need To Know
You might think that after your breast augmentation surgery you’ll be pretty much ready to hop back into your normal life almost as if nothing ever happened. Well, not really. Breast augmentation is not only about the surgery, it’s also about the healing process.
You’ll need to alter your day to day activities quite a bit. Exercising might need to be put on hold for a while, sunbathing too. If you live in a sunny state like California and choose a local Breast Augmentation Orange County clinic, it might be harder to avoid the sun altogether. But, you should stay away from voluntary sunbathing since it can cause hyperpigmentation, meaning that the skin underneath the scars will get darker compared to the rest of the body.
And if you’re a smoker, it’s recommended to quit it for a while, if not altogether. However, just as with quitting cigarettes, sleeping might prove to be a challenge as well. Sleeping is actually one of the most important parts of the breast augmentation recovery process. So let’s take a look and see exactly why.
Why Is Sleeping So Important?
First off, sleeping aids your recovery process, helping you heal faster. Not only that, but sleeping can also ease the pain. I’m sure you already know that you will get to experience some level of pain for a few days after you’ve undergone the surgery, and sleeping for around eight to ten hours can actually help minimize the pain.
But we’ve mentioned earlier that sleeping might turn out to be quite a challenge for you. Well, the thing is that you can’t sleep in any position you want. You actually need to sleep in a certain way in order to ensure you’re healing properly, so let’s see exactly how.
How to Sleep After the Surgery
One thing you really need to keep in mind is that during the recovery process, do not sleep on your stomach or lay on one side, otherwise you might cause your implants to shift in an unwanted position and cause further complications.
The recommended way to sleep is by laying on your back, with your head and shoulders slightly elevated compared to the rest of your body. This way you will eliminate the risk of your implants moving out of place and also enhance blood circulation. Consider using a larger pillow or a recliner in order to ensure that you’ll be sleeping in the right position.
Now, if you’re the type of person that simply cannot sleep comfortably laying on the back and you fear you might roll to one side while you are asleep it is recommended to place some pillows around the sides of your body in order to keep you in place.
And one more thing to keep in mind. Do not forget to wear the surgical bra while you’re sleeping. This way, you’ll be able to reduce swelling, reduce the tension on your incisions, and also keep your implants in position.
So, how long does it take until you can finally sleep the way you’re most comfortable with? Well, you will be able to do it after your breasts have healed enough, typically three to four weeks after the surgery.