best way to sleep after back surgery
If you have recently undergone back spine and lumbar spine surgeries, one of your mental concerns is how you should sleep and rest at night after these surgeries so as not to harm the results of your surgery.
If you are planning to have lumbar disc and spinal disc surgery or you have recently undergone it, we recommend that you read the expert opinion of the doctors who have guided you to rest and sleep at night.
How should you sleep after back surgery?
Researchers believe that having continuous, sufficient, uninterrupted and quality sleep will help your body to quickly repair tissues and recover after surgery.
In fact, sleep is necessary to restore health and regenerate cells. Also, there are very important points in sleeping and resting after spine surgeries, and that is to sleep in such a way that the pressure on the back reaches its minimum level.
Sleeping in the wrong position of your spine will put a lot of pressure on the intervertebral discs and thus cause the positive results of your surgery to be disturbed.
It is preferred that a person sleeps on one side after lumbar and back spine surgeries and places a small pillow between his knees or behind his knees (to provide more support to the back and spine).
Sleeping in this position helps reduce the pressure on your spine to a minimum.
If you sleep in an improper position, you will experience new problems as complications of surgery.
If you have undergone spine surgery, you should learn how sleep and how to put your body in the right position during sleep and rest so that there is not too much force on the spine and the surgical site.
Otherwise, the surgical incisions may have problems and you may suffer more pain, and the recovery period and repair of the damaged tissues may be delayed, as well as the surgery site in the spine, which has not yet been fully stabilized, may have problems.
One of the researchers states that if you have done lumbar and back spine surgery, you will be able to sleep in a position where you feel the pain and discomfort and the pressure on the spine to the minimum possible extent.
What this means is that some doctors say that after these surgeries, the patient is allowed to lie down and sleep in any position and situation in which he feels the least pain.
If you want to learn how to improve back pain during sleep and rest after spine and back surgery, read more.
Learn the proper sleeping methods after spinal surgeries
If you have undergone back and lumbar spine surgery and want to learn the proper way to sleep, pay attention to the following:
If you are sleeping in a straight position, that is, you are lying on your back, if you feel uncomfortable in this position, try turning to one side.
Sleeping on the side with a small pillow between the knees is the best and most recommended way of sleeping for people with spine problems.
For people who have undergone spine and back surgery, here are the subtle points that should be observed when sleeping on the side:
When you turn to one side and sleep, you should observe a few points:
1) The first point is that you should allow your right shoulder or your left shoulder (depending on which side you are sleeping on) to touch the mattress along with the rest of your body on that side.
That is, when sleeping on one side, the right or left shoulder should not be far from the mattress, because in this case it will cause pain in the cervical spine.
2)The second point is that you must place a thin and light pillow between your knees.
3) The next thing you must consider is that if you sleep in a position where there is a gap between your waist and the mattress, use a small pillow in this area to fill this gap.
Know that the spine of that area does not have a reliable support, and much more pressure is imposed on the spine and the operated part and aggravates the problems of the spine.
4) Another point that we should mention is that whether you use one pillow or two pillows while sleeping, you must always sleep on one side.
Doing many of the things we have said will prevent imbalance in your spinal muscles and prevent disc problems from becoming severe and even prevent the development of scoliosis or lateral deviation of the spine.
5) Another very important point is that sleeping on one side is the only thing that makes your spine feel better and what is more important is that using a pillow between your knees is the main and fundamental part of how to sleep and it helps your spine.
Using a pillow between the two knees helps to keep the pelvis and spine in a proper and balanced alignment and does not put too much pressure on the joints in this direction.
Fetal position, the best sleeping style after back surgeries
What is it like to sleep in the fetal position?
The first step is to lie on your back and then slowly turn on one side so that the shoulder and other parts of that side touch the mattress.
The second step is that your knees should be rotated towards your chest, now slowly rotate your torso to the knees.
The important thing is that in addition to using a soft pillow between the two knees to create alignment in the hips, pelvis and spine, another thing that you should observe is to always change the direction of sleeping and the side you are sleeping on.
Get to know the second and suitable position for sleeping after back surgeries
It is usually said that sleeping on the stomach is very harmful for back pain and damages the spine.
This is true to a great extent and this sleeping position causes a lot of pressure on your neck.
Sometimes, when a long time has passed after your surgery and your doctor approves and you feel more comfortable, you may be able to change your sleeping position, but you must follow these points:
The first thing you should observe is that you must put a pillow under your pelvis and under your stomach to remove some of the pressure that is applied to your lumbar spine.
The second thing you should observe is that when you sleep on your stomach in the conditions described above, depending on how you feel in this situation, you can use a pillow under your head or sleep without a pillow at all.
It is said that patients who suffer from lumbar disc disease and have undergone lumbar surgery may, under certain conditions, benefit more from sleeping on their stomach with a pillow as described above.
This position actually makes it possible for any stress and pressure that exists in the space between the vertebrae to be removed on your intervertebral discs.
The third position suitable for sleeping after back and spine surgery:
For some people, sleeping on their back can be the best position in which to relieve back pain.
In order for this position not to harm the health of the spine and the balanced alignment of the skeletal muscles of the pelvis and spine, you must follow the following recommendations:
- The first recommendation is to lie on your back
- The second recommendation is to place a thin and small pillow under your knee and keep your spine in a standard position.
The pillow should be used to maintain the curve in the waist and this is a very important necessity.
Also, in addition to placing a small pillow under the knee, place a crumpled towel under the curve of your back to support the spine and adjust the forces and reduce the pressure applied on the spine.
See how these conditions can help you:
When you sleep on your back, the pressure is evenly distributed over the widest part of your body, resulting in less pressure on sensitive areas.
Also, with this sleeping position, you can adjust the alignment of your spine.
The next position, sleep in a bent position on the back
Many people ask us about napping and sleeping on the chair. This method is not a good way to sleep, and there is a possibility of sliding vertebrae on top of each other, but in some special conditions this position of sleeping may be recommended by your doctor.
What are the tips for sleeping in this condition?
The first point is that you must use an adjustable bed so that you can establish proper alignment between the pelvis and the spine with your precise and appropriate settings.
Lumbar vertebrae are in a position where the vertebrae slip on other vertebrae and sleeping in a bent position can be useful for you, because it creates a proper angle between your thighs and your trunk, and the angle will help reduce the pressure applied on your spine.
Very important points to follow after spine surgery
One of the main issues that people with lumbar disc disease and people who have undergone back and lumbar surgeries should always remember is to maintain the alignment and musculoskeletal alignment of the spine.
Therefore, after spine surgeries, in addition to permanent restrictions after spinal fusion, which are determined by your doctor depending on your condition and you are obliged to comply with them so that the positive result of your surgery does not suffer negative changes, you will also be taught how to sleep properly. But what is more important than the way you sleep is to establish alignment between the spine, pelvis, and thighs.
It is said that when sleeping, we should focus especially on aligning our shoulders, otherwise, your neck and back pain will increase.
Be careful, if you notice gaps between the body and the bed and mattress, fill them with towels or small pillows.
Otherwise, the muscles and spine will be under pressure.
We emphasize: by using the right pillow, you should reduce these compressive stresses to fill the gap.
Another important point is that when turning in bed, we may get out of the created alignment when falling asleep.
Always move your entire body to the other side. If you keep your core tight and stretched, alignment will be maintained in almost all situations.
We may bring the knees towards the chest while turning to feel more comfortable.
What pillow is suitable for use after spinal surgeries?
For sleeping and resting after lumbar spine and back surgeries, you should choose a pillow that fully supports your head and neck frame, in other words, it is the main support for the upper part of your spine.
If you sleep on your back, your pillow should completely fill the space between your neck and the back of your head, if you sleep on your side, use a thicker pillow to keep your head in line with the rest of your body.
A very important point is that the pillow should not be placed under your shoulders.
best pillows for suitable sleeping positions are introduced below:
1) for people who sleep on their backs, it is better to use thinner pillows and pillows that have an extra layer under them to support the neck.
Memory foam pillows, which are specifically for the neck mold in people with cervical spine problems, are very suitable for these people.
Another type is the water pillow, which provides firm and comprehensive support for your spine.
2) people who sleep on their stomach, should use the thinnest pillow possible.
In fact, try to sleep on your side while holding a pillow in your arms. This position will create the feeling of something in front of your stomach and helps to align and keep the rest of the parts and components of the musculoskeletal system aligned.
3) it is better to look for a firm pillow, try to choose a pillow that has a raised part, which helps to fill the space between the ear and shoulder. Don't forget to put a firm pillow between your knees.
Another important point is that the pillow must be changed every 18 months.
These pillow protectors can be a good barrier, but the pillows will still contain allergens such as molds and dust.
Suitable mattress
Patients who are suffering from lumbar disc and want to choose the right sleeping method after lumbar disc, back and lumbar spine surgery, pay attention to the following points:
Choose a medium or firm mattress with inner holes or a good quality base.
Memory foam mattresses can be very convenient.
There are some companies that allow you to test the mattress at home for a certain period of time and return it if it is not suitable.
If you don't have the budget to buy a new mattress, by placing a board or some hard layers under the existing mattress, you can produce a better mattress with a more controlled cost.
You can even place your mattress on the floor to see if reducing the movement of the springs helps our back pain.
Important points to keep in mind when sleeping at night
Here are some great tips on how to rest and relieve back pain after surgery:
- The first tip, set a sleep schedule for yourself
- The second tip, try to sleep 8 hours at night.
- The third tip, taking a bath before going to sleep, doing gentle yoga and hobbies like reading or knitting can create a nightly routine for you about 30 to 60 minutes before going to sleep. These activities soothe and calm your mind and lead to better and faster sleep.
- The fourth tip, avoid drinking caffeinated substances such as coffee and taking stimulants. If you want to drink a cup of coffee, be sure to consume it before the afternoon.
- The fifth tip, do heavy exercise in the morning or early afternoon. Anything that increases the level of adrenaline and body temperature will make it more difficult for you to sleep if done close to bedtime.
What to do to relieve pain before sleep?
Follow these tips to sleep better:
Before sleeping on the bed, use a cold compress, this can relieve your back inflammation and pain.
A cold compress on the back for 15 to 20 minutes before going to bed will be a huge help for you to sleep better.
Which sleeping method is suitable for me after spine and back surgery?
Considering your general health as well as the problems that led to surgery, the type of surgery, the response to surgery, and other factors, you can consult with your doctor to find and select the most suitable way to sleep after spine and back surgery.
The most reliable recommendation will be the opinion of your doctor and surgeon.
Last word
The position of our body when sitting, sleeping and standing after back and lumbar spine surgery is one of the cases in which following the standard tips improves the surgical result.
If you want to choose the best way to sleep after your spine surgery, the best way is to sleep on one side with your shoulders on the mattress and a firm pillow under it.
But in some cases, even sleeping on your back or sleeping on your stomach or other sleeping methods can be used for you. It is recommended that you ask your surgeon for the right way to sleep and rest after back and spine surgery.