Recovery time plays a critical role after any surgical operation. A lot of factors need to be considered by the patients during this time period. There is a possibility that many problems can arise if they do not pay attention to these important factors.
One such factor is sleep as our body recovers the most during sleeping. After a total hip replacement, one of the most frequent complaints I hear is regarding difficulty or trouble sleeping. A patient may experience restless nights if he/she is not able to sleep in the used to position, or wake up in pain.
It is necessary for any patient who has undergone a hip replacement procedure to know about the sleeping position that needs to adopt following hip surgery. So, if you are planning to have knee replacement surgery or have recently undergone the procedure, keep reading this blog and know how you should sleep after hip surgery.
Depending on your health and recovery, you should follow these sleeping precautions for 6 to 12 weeks after surgery.
- Sleeping on your back with a pillow between your legs is the best position for your hips. It will stop you from twisting while you sleep, which could increase the chance that your replacement hip could dislocate. Just be careful not to cross your ankles or twist your feet outward; instead, keep them naturally oriented upward to avoid putting strain on the replaced hip.
- If you like to sleep on your side, make sure you don’t lie on the side with the replaced hip and place two pillows between your legs. You should use pillows to prevent your top leg from moving forward across your body, which can place pressure on your hip.
- Avoid reaching to pull the blanket up while lying in the bed.
- Avoid sleeping on your stomach. It is challenging to keep your hip from rotating in this position.
- You should not raise your knee beyond a natural 90-degree angle toward your stomach.
It can be challenging to adjust to these new postures, but it’s crucial that you give sleep top priority. A restful night’s sleep will support your body’s natural ability to heal, improve your general health, lessen stress and worry, and give you the energy you need for your recovery.
How to get into bed after hip replacement?
When getting into and out of bed, be very careful so that you don’t put more stress on your replaced hip. You should follow the below instructions to get into bed safely:
- Using your walking aid, move backwards until you feel your bed’s edge behind you.
- Place the hip replacement leg out in front of you while sitting on the edge of your bed.
- Stabilise yourself by propping your arms up, then slide your bottom forward.
- One by one, lift your legs up onto the bed.
- Make necessary adjustments to your body to ensure a safe sleep position.
How to get out of bed after having hip replacement?
You can follow the below instructions for safely getting out of the bed-
- Put the pillows and clothes away from the bed.
- Bend the knee of the leg that didn’t get the hip replacement while holding yourself with your elbows.
- Get as close as you can to the side of the bed by sliding your bottom.
- Using your elbows and hands, push yourself up from a partially lying position.
- Your hips and legs should move slowly and gently to the edge of the bed, and then you should rotate your body to sit.
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