Shoulder surgeries are painful, and people often have difficulty falling asleep if they have had one recently. If you have noticed that sleeping after shoulder surgery has become a difficult task for you, you are no different. There are multiple nerve endings in your shoulder, so feeling constant pain and discomfort is common. So, how to sleep after shoulder surgery?
The best solution is to get yourself a recliner. Several shoulder surgery patients have shared their experience of sleeping in a recliner, and the results are quite satisfying. However, you should wear an arm sling and place a pillow under your arm and hand for a speedy recovery. In general, you must avoid putting any strain on your shoulder.
Even if you know that a reclining ergonomic chair is all you need, you will wonder what the best position to sleep in after shoulder surgery is. That's why we thought it would be ideal if we share our insights on how you should use a recliner after shoulder surgery to get the best sleep.
In this article, we will be talking about the best position to sleep after shoulder surgery for your assistance.
Why Should I Use a Recliner After Shoulder Surgery?
Generally, sleeping in a recliner is ideal for sleeping after any surgery, but it is more recommended for patients who have recently had shoulder surgery. The recliner is designed in a way that it puts less pressure on your joints and helps you position your shoulder properly while you sleep.
If you are sleeping in a bed, you may turn over accidentally. An accidental movement can put a lot of stress on your arms and shoulder, so your pain may get worse. In contrast, a recliner helps you avoid any such movement and keeps your shoulder elevated. So, you can think of it as your personal, comfortable hospital bed.
How to Sleep After Shoulder Surgery?
You have a clear view now that a recliner is what you need for sleeping. Nevertheless, you may still wonder how to sleep after shoulder surgery. The good news is that following a few simple guidelines can help you adopt the best position to sleep after shoulder surgery.
Firstly, you should wear an arm sling when you are going to sleep. Even if you are sleeping in your bed and not in a recliner, you should make sure that you are wearing an arm sling when you go to bed. Doing that is crucial in the first few weeks after the surgery. Doing that helps you prevent the excessive movement of your shoulders while you are asleep.
Since you are planning to sit in a recliner, for now, the next essential thing to do is to set your recliner's angle. Typically, a 45-degree angle is good for your shoulder because it keeps your shoulder elevated and does not put any pressure on your lower back.
Once you have set the right reclining angle of your recliner, you should get yourself a soft pillow or cushion that you can place under your elbow and arm while you sleep. This snuggly position doubles the comfort that you can get while using a recliner. So, doing all that will help you have the ideal sleeping position.
Some Tips on Sleeping in a Recliner After Shoulder Surgery
Although you are aware of the best position to sleep in an office reclining chair after you have had shoulder surgery, it is better to learn some further tips on improving your sleeping experience.
Take Your Medications on Time
Only correcting your sleeping position is not enough to get a speedy recovery. You must keep a keen check on a timelier intake of your medicines. If you take your medicines at least 30-minutes before sleeping, you will notice better pain relief.
Wear an Arm Sling
As we mentioned earlier as well, we reiterate that you must wear an arm sling. The arm sling helps you keep your arm in place and avoid any accidental movements. That's why it is recommended for you to wear it even if you are going to sleep in your bed.
Use Extra Pillows for Support
Although you place a pillow under your arm while sleeping after shoulder surgery, having some extra pillows is always great. You may roll up a blanket or towel to make it more comfortable. All that will help provide some cushion to your shoulder, and thus it will help you recover faster.
Apply Ice on Your Shoulder Before Going to Sleep
If you are an office worker who cannot skip the office, you are going to experience more intense pain after shoulder surgery. To ensure that you get enough relief and prevent inflammation in your shoulder, try applying an ice pack on your shoulder before going to sleep. Ideally, you should apply ice for at least 30-minutes before going to sleep.
How Long Can I Sleep in a Recliner After my Shoulder Surgery?
People often wonder how long they will have to use a recliner for sleeping if they have had shoulder surgery. Typically, 6 weeks are enough for that purpose, and you start noticing recovery till that time. However, you may feel like sleeping on them for a longer time if your injury is severe.
Bottom Line
We hope that you have a clear view of the right ways for sleeping after shoulder surgery by now. However, having ergonomic office furniture like a standing office table and accessories like a keyboard and mouse tray are paramount as well. Some office workers have even mentioned that using a desk pad like the Deltahub minimalistic desk pad has made their office operations smoother as well. But where can you get all that?
The good news is that all these office accessories and ergonomic office furniture sets are available at the Autonomous store under our special employee purchase program. The employee purchase program is designed to offer you multiple discounts to make it easier for you to buy the best recliner and other office accessories that we mentioned above. You can simply signup for this program using your corporate email and make your manager pay for your purchases at a discounted price. This is a win-win situation for you as you get the comfort as well as the discount. So, go ahead and start loading your bucket today!
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