When you’re recovering from a breast augmentation procedure (augmentation mammoplasty), it’s natural that your sleep may be one of the things that can temporarily feel a little more difficult.
While this is relatively normal during recovery from any type of surgery, when it comes to breast surgery, the way you position your body during your sleep, as well as some other factors, will also matter.
In this blog, we’ll go through what to expect, how to sleep comfortably, and why your sleeping position matters in the early stages of healing.
How sleeping can feel initially after a breast augmentation
Straight after your augmentation mammoplasty procedure, it’s normal for swelling, bruising, and pain to affect how well you sleep. Taking your pain medication and following other steps to help manage discomfort and swelling will all help prepare you for better sleep at night.
Aside from these factors, your sleep will also need to be adjusted to help protect your implants and ensure you aren’t putting pressure on your chest.
Ideally, you will need to sleep on your back after the surgery. If you usually sleep on your stomach or on your side, this may feel unusual at first and can take a bit of time to get used to. It may also be slightly challenging to make sure that you stay on your back throughout the night – which we will discuss further later in the blog.
Why sleeping on your back can help
Sleeping on your back helps to avoid direct pressure on the chest and prevents any shifting or displacement of the implants, especially while the tissue around them is still healing.
Side or stomach sleeping, on the other hand, can put weight directly onto the implants or strain the healing incisions. It’s not always easy if you’re someone who naturally prefers sleeping on your stomach or your side, but it’s one of those temporary adjustments that will be important to accommodate after your procedure.
Should you also sleep with your upper body slightly elevated?
Sometimes, surgeons will advise you to sleep on your back with your upper body slightly elevated to help reduce swelling. It will ultimately depend on your surgeon’s personalised advice.
Sleeping in a slightly elevated position can help reduce swelling, support fluid drainage, and can help reduce pressure on the chest area.
To help elevate your upper body in a way that is comfortable, you can try sleeping on an extra pillow in bed or sleep on a recliner for the earlier days of your recovery, if you are able to.
How to sleep on your back more comfortably – especially if you normally sleep on your stomach or side
There are a few options for sleeping on your back during recovery.
If you have a comfortable recliner chair, this may actually help you stay on your back and stay slightly elevated. If you’re sleeping in bed, you can try to place pillows on either side of your body – preferably supportive pillows that will be both comfortable and able to help stop you from rolling over during the night.
If you do find that using supportive pillows isn’t helping, you should contact your surgeon’s patient support team to discuss any other steps you may be able to take.
How long should you sleep on your back for?
How long you’ll need to sleep this way will always depend on how your recovery is progressing and what your surgeon advises. However, in general, back sleeping is usually recommended for at least four to six weeks after surgery. This gives the implants time to adjust into place, while the tissues around them begin to recover.
After that point, if your surgeon is happy with how you’re healing, you may gradually be able to reintroduce side sleeping. It’s important that you don’t rush this stage just because you’re eager to get back to your usual sleep habits, as even if you feel physically ready, your body might still be in a more vulnerable stage of recovery than you realise.
When you do start side sleeping again, it can help to ease into it by using a pillow under your breasts for support, or hugging a body pillow to keep your upper body stable. Stomach sleeping, though, tends to be the last position to return to.
Making your sleep environment more comfortable
A lot of the time, making sleep more comfortable after breast augmentation comes down to small adjustments.
As we mentioned before, having a supportive, slightly elevated sleeping setup can help make a big difference in those first few weeks. If you need extra comfort, using a pillow under your knees to prevent lower back strain can help.
Your sleeping environment should also be quiet and easy to move around in. Reaching for things or moving too much in bed can put strain on your chest area early on, so having everything you need close by, like water, medications, or your phone, can make sleep time a lot easier.
What to do if you wake up with discomfort after sleeping during your recovery
It’s not uncommon to wake up feeling a little sore or slightly stiff, especially in your back, shoulders, or neck, after a few nights of sleeping in a different position than you’re used to. The change in position, plus the healing process itself, means your body is doing more work than usual just to rest.
To help, you can build a recovery routine of taking a warm shower in the morning, making sure that you’re doing enough light walking throughout the day, and regularly stretching your arms gently (only if your surgeon advises). Each of these little steps can help to relax your muscles and make an overall difference.
If you ever wake up with significant pain, swelling that feels unusual, or anything that doesn’t feel quite right, it’s important that you get in touch with your surgeon. Discomfort is normal, but sudden changes should always be seen to.
Receive recovery advice for breast augmentation surgery: Your consultation at Brisbane Plastic & Cosmetic Surgery
Your consultation process isn’t just about discussing your suitability and planning the procedure – it’s also about providing you with all of the helpful information you will need to support your body, including during recovery.
Brisbane Plastic & Cosmetic Surgery has a team of experienced specialists, practitioners, and clinicians who can help you throughout your procedure.
Whether you have your consultation with Specialist Plastic and Reconstructive Surgeon Dr Phil Richardson (the founder of Brisbane Plastic & Cosmetic Surgery) or another one of our experienced surgeons (Dr Milap Rughani), our goal is to make sure that you feel well-informed about the procedure journey ahead.
Please feel welcome to contact our team if you would like to book a consultation.
