Even with rigorous physical exercises and special weight loss diet plans, the fat around your abdomen and waistline might refuse to go completely. Fortunately, you can now get rid of this fat and restore your youthful, curvaceous waistline through a tummy tuck procedure. A tummy tuck is a surgical procedure designed to rework your abdomen by removing excess fat and drooping skin to give you a slimmer and more toned midsection.
Since a tummy tuck is an invasive procedure, its recovery takes some time and requires extended periods of rest. The success of your tummy tuck procedure is determined by your body’s ability to heal and your post-surgery activities. Therefore, you have to follow your doctor’s recovery guidelines. This article will give you practical tips on how to sleep during your tummy tuck recovery.
Sleeping After a Tummy Tuck Procedure
A tummy tuck surgery involves a small incision between your pubic hairline and your belly button. Therefore, you have to find the right sleeping position during recovery to allow the surgical wound to heal. Also, you have to allow the tightened abdominal muscles and other affected areas to heal properly. This is important because sleeping in the wrong position will delay the rate and quality of recovery.
For example, if you lay flat on your back, you will stretch out your abdomen, putting excess pressure on the incision. Also, you should not lay flat on your stomach because you might cause further damages to the incision and your delicate tummy. Medical pundits agree that tummy tuck patients should sleep in a slightly bent position to remove excess tension from the incision. Whether you are sleeping in a bed or recliner, this sleeping position is easy to achieve. It will also help you to feel at ease.
However, this sleeping position might feel a bit strange in the first few days after the tummy tuck surgery, especially if you are used to sleeping flat on your back or belly. Therefore, it is advisable to practice sleeping in this position a few weeks before the surgery. That way, you won’t have a hard time adjusting to the new sleeping position. Remember that a full tummy tuck procedure requires 4-6 weeks of sleeping and resting in a bent position.
You can use your pillows to modify your bed so that you can maintain a reclined posture during sleep. But if you are used to tossing and turning during sleep, you should use a chair recliner to prevent you from falling out of this position and stretch the incision.
