It isn’t harmful to place the pillow directly under your foot, but this puts stress on your knee and will probably be painful. Placing the pillow under your knee and calf distributes the weight better.
This is a better position for a short rest or nap rather than sleeping all night. Even if it’s comfortable, you’ll probably shift at some point during the night and your leg could fall off this pile.
Sleeping on your side may not be the most comfortable position after your surgery because it may be too painful. It also doesn’t keep your leg straight enough. You should have less pain and it’s not as important to keep your knee straight. It’s safer to sleep on your side at this point. Remember to only sleep on your non-operative side if you do sleep on your side. Sleeping on your operative side puts a lot of pressure on your surgery site and will probably be painful.
The major recovery time after a knee replacement is 3 to 6 weeks, although it may take several months to heal entirely. After 3 weeks, you can start resuming most of your daily activities if you can walk well enough. You can also begin sleeping normally again, as long as certain sleeping positions don’t cause you any pain. [5] X Trustworthy Source Mayo Clinic Educational website from one of the world’s leading hospitals Go to source
If you have trouble remembering to take your medication, try setting an alarm to go off for each of your scheduled doses as a reminder.
Only leave one dosage near your bed, not the whole bottle. If you’re groggy, you could accidentally take more than you’re supposed to if you leave the whole bottle next to you. Double check with the directions on your pain medication. If it says to only take 1 every 8 hours, then don’t leave another near your bed.
Your doctor may recommend a sleep aid that doesn’t interact with the pain medication you’re on. They may also change your pain prescription to one with less side effects.
Don’t fall asleep with the ice pack on your knee. If you do, it may damage your skin.
Pick pajamas and bedding that allow you to stay comfortable without getting too warm. Choose a temperature that feels most comfortable for you.
If you can’t help it and need to take a nap, limit your sleeping time. Set an alarm for an hour so you won’t oversleep.
Communicate with your physical therapist if you feel too much pain. Physical therapy should push your body, but it shouldn’t cause damage. Your therapist can adjust the routine if you’re experiencing lasting pain.
Stop looking at your phone, computer, and TV. Bright lights from electronic devices stimulate your brain and make it harder to fall asleep. Instead, try a more relaxing activity like reading. Listening to soft music, doing aromatherapy, or meditating are all good activities to get relaxed for bedtime. Be consistent with your bedtime routine. If you do the same activities every night, you start training your brain this it’s time to sleep when you start this routine.
Do not look at your phone or turn the TV on. These activities stimulate your brain further and make it harder to sleep. This advice usually says that you should get out of bed and go to another room to do your activity. If you’re recovering from surgery, however, this may not be possible. Turning on a lamp and reading in bed will work as well.
You might switch to decaf if you enjoy your afternoon cup of coffee or soda.
Check with your doctor before you start drinking again.
