Question for "side sleepers"

[Wade]

I'm wondering about when it is ok to begin sleeping on my side again with my arm under my pillow. My assumption is that it is ok to give it a shot when it is comfortable to do so. Is that what everyone else did?

I'm 7 weeks post-op and am getting the itch to try it (I'm still sleeping in a recliner). I use the word "sleeping" loosely as I don't sleep on my back very well. Prior to surgery, rolling onto my back was how I woke myself up! LOL!

 

[kfay]

I slept on my side in the hospital once my chest tubes were pulled. I was comfortable that way and they told me it was fine. So, I think at 7 weeks post op, you are fine to sleep on your side.

Kim

 

[Wade]

I slept on my side in the hospital once my chest tubes were pulled. I was comfortable that way and they told me it was fine. So, I think at 7 weeks post op, you are fine to sleep on your side.

Kim

WOW, you're quite the over-achiever! When I was in the hospital, it was tough enough just to get in and out of bed - whew!!

Thanks, Kim!

 

[Bina]

thinking back......7 weeks after my full chest crack my home nurse said that I could start by laying
half way between -on my back- and -on my side- almost at a 45 degree angle with a pillow at my
back for support. I did this for a few minutes at a time to give my sore back a rest.

Otherwise, with the head of my bed raised and a small pillow under my knees, sleeping on my back
became a new normal.

 

[Adrienne]

I slept on my side as soon as I got home (even a bit the last day or so in the hospital). I thought it was either that or not sleeping!!

 

[Jkm7]

My nurses asked me while still in the hospital if I wanted to try sleeping on my side but I'm a back sleeper and was happiest that way. It was fine to side sleep as soon as it was comfortable.

 

[Greg a]

I laid flat on the first trip home but just a couple of days post sternectomy TRIED the side but .......finally about the two year mark

 

[hetmarie]

I slept on my side a few weeks after getting home. It felt very uncomfortable to lay on my left side. Heart pounded really loud, felt like it was laying right on my rib cage so I mostly slept on my right side. I bought a body pillow to wrap myself around to hold my chest up. It helped a lot and I still use it. Happy sleeping!

 

[Jen]

I am so glad someone else posted this. I was wondering the same thing myself, I have always been a side/stomach sleeper. Thanks!

 

[mainframe]

I slept on my side in the hospital but was there for longer than most. I think it was at the 6 week mark for the last 2 weeks of my hospital stay. Now a year and a half later, I'm finding that there's something that causes pain in the rib cage area if I sleep on my right side, so I now usually just sleep on my left side or my back.

 

[Chris M]

I was sleeping on my side when I left hospital and have continued to do so since getting home. My right side was the most comfortable at first but I can now sleep on both sides (I'm almost five weeks out now). I find it helps to have a pillow to "hug" and rest my top arm on. Initially I also had a pillow wedged into the small of my back, a technique the nurses used when I was in hospital.

I don't think it will harm for you to try it... slowly at first! I'm sure your chest will tell you if you're not ready yet. Good luck!

 

[Allisoninoz]

I'm only four months post-surgery. I had a lot of trouble sleeping comfortably for the first few weeks at home because I was always a tummy or side sleeper and it just hurt too much on my tummy (of course) and I my neck/back were too sore to lie on my back. A physio suggested I lie on my side (whichever was more comfortable) with a firm pillow half-under my side and another pillow supporting my back so I couldn't roll back flat. I also had a pillow between my knees (not sure why!). I didn't sleep for more than two or three hours at a time for weeks, which was horrible (despite sleeping tablets). My husband slept in our spare room because I didn't want to worry about waking him all the time. I think he returned to our bed after about three or four weeks, when I was starting to sleep in longer stretches. I now sleep on my side or, often, my front. Sometimes I wake up a bit stiff in the chest but generally I'm fine. It gets better. Promise!

 

[Cooker]

When it's comfortable it's OK ....

 

[Debbrn]

I started sleeping on my side the second night after surgery while I was still in ICU. I had 1 remaining chest tube. I was definitely a side sleeping at the time. One hint, if you are female and are well endowed, wearing a very supportive sports bra or surgical bra will help. I also had the nurse surround me with pillows. I was very comfortable.

Debbie

 

[ski girl]

I'm a side sleeper too, and found that the pillow-hugging thing worked really well. It stops you from 'closing off' your chest by having your arms crossed. Eight months on and I'm still doing the pillow-hugging thing!

 

[neil]

the first time i could sleep on my tummy after the op was just heaven........

 

[Jason]

For me it was about 6 weeks post-operation before I could fall asleep on my side with my arm under my pillow. I tried a few times before that, and my arm up under the pillow caused pain in my sternum. I woke myself up turning over between 6 and 8 weeks, as the pain would flare up a bit. Then for about 2 or 3 weeks I slept hugging a pillow, and now am back to normal side sleep. There are times where I still can't sleep on my left side, as it feels as though my heart is really pounding, but even that is going away now. Give it a try, as you shouldn't be able to hurt anything, and see what is comfortable.

 

[escargome]

I slept on my side (both right and left) with pillows supporting my back for about 2 weeks post-op. Then it just felt OK to sleep this way without the pillows, so I did. I think you need to work out what feels the best for you.

 

[normofthenorth]

When I was just pre-op or just post-op, I asked a similar but more general question about hurting my sternum by pulling and lifting and holding my arms above my head, etc.

The consensus here was that "If it doesn't hurt, it won't hurt you", and that worked fine for me. I was sleeping on my back with my arms over my head very soon after getting home (maybe first night?), and also on my side as you describe. I also had no trouble reaching up, putting on T-shirts and turtlenecks, etc. I did everything slowly and gently at first, of course!

Different strokes for different folks, but I do believe that it's hard to hurt a healing sternum without causing (lots of) pain.

 

[drivetopless]

I slept in a recliner for 4 weeks. I slept on my back in the bed for 8 weeks (but I had to be propped up with LOTS of pillows).

I couldn't sleep on my side comfortably until about 10 weeks. I had some heart enlargement temporarily after the surgery, so sleeping on my side seemed to make feel me out of breath.

zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz