Sleep plays an important role in both physical and mental health and helps you look and feel your best. After any type of surgery, sleep is one of the best ways to boost your immune system and help your body heal faster. But sleeping in any position you want is not possible after cosmetic surgery. For instance, if you have a tummy tuck in NYC, your surgeon will advise you about the best sleep position during the initial healing phase so as to avoid putting pressure on the surgical site, which can harm the sutures, cause bleeding, increase swelling, and compromise recovery and results.
NEWBEAUTY reports that numerous studies have shown that people who prioritize sleep are more likely to have a sharper memory, find it easier to maintain a healthy weight, and even have younger-looking skin compared to those who sleep less than they need to. Getting proper sleep is especially important for patients who are recovering from cosmetic surgical procedures, as it promotes healing and helps your immune system work optimally. Sleep helps you get back to your normal energy level, and optimizes surgical outcomes as quickly as possible. As you try to get quality rest during your plastic surgery recovery, you should know what sleeping positions are best.
Ideal Sleep Positions for Popular Procedures
Let’s take a look at the ideal sleep positions for some popular procedures.
- If you have had a facelift in NYC, your surgeon will recommend you sleep upright to help minimize swelling. You may be advised to use a travel neck pillow to help maintain the position through the night or to add two to three pillows under your head to support yourself. The NEW Beauty article points out, “the rule of thumb is to keep the head above the heart following surgery, lasers, and hair restoration procedures.”
- For breast augmentation patients, surgeons would recommend sleep on the back with several pillows or in a recliner for about 4 to 6 weeks during the early recovery period. This will prevent excessive strain on the incisions and keep pressure off of tender breast tissues as they heal. This also prevents you from using your hands and pectoral muscles to get out of bed when you awake. After few weeks, you can sleep on one side, Use a pillow that will keep you in one position as you sleep.
- For patients who have had a tummy tuck in NYC, it’s best to sleep on a recliner with the head up at 45 degrees and maintain a position that keeps the body bent forward slightly to prevent strain on the incision between the hipbones. It’s crucial to maintain a semi-reclining position and not lie flat for a few weeks.
- Brazilian Butt Lift (BBL) in NYC is a buttock augmentation procedure that combines liposuction and fat grafting to provide youthful, perky, firm buttocks and a more sensual body profile. During recovery after BBL, patients are advised to avoid sleeping on their back and use a donut pillow or inflatable pillow when they really need to sit, and sleep on their stomach or sides. This is to maximize the survivability of the fat graft because it is in the early several weeks after the surgery that the cells develop. Once the cells are mature, the fat that has been transferred will longer.
It might be difficult for some people to change their sleeping positions all of a sudden. So if you are scheduled to have plastic surgery, you could practice your modified sleeping position for a few weeks prior to your procedure. This way, you can get used to the sleeping position recommended during recovery.
Every patient is different and you might have needs that are unique to your case. A reliable NYC plastic surgeon will discuss post op recovery considerations with you during your consultation, including the best sleep position for your procedure. As the body heals and swelling goes down, it will become easier to sleep in your recommended sleep position. As healing progresses, you will be able to change your sleeping position based on your surgeon’s advice. Following your surgeon’s postoperative recovery instructions on sleep positions and all other matters is critical to retain your results.