Getting a good night’s rest is not always easy after undergoing a rhinoplasty. At the same time, sleeping comfortably and properly is essential to the proper healing of your new nose and can positively effect your recovery period. During deep sleep stages your body can fully relax and repair the tissues that your surgeon worked on.
The following tips are designed to maximize your sleep during the recovery period after a rhinoplasty and to ensure that you are sleeping in the safest position:
- Sleep with several pillows under your head. Elevating your head with 2-3 pillows keeps it in a relatively higher position than your heart and has been positively linked to advancing the recovery process after a nose job. Also, raising the position of your head with pillows while sleeping can seriously help minimize swelling. Because swelling is caused by accumulated blood flow and fluid, elevating your head allows the blood and fluid to flow more easily from the nose to the rest of the body and can decrease inflammation post rhinoplasty.
- Do not sleep on your stomach. Sleeping face down puts additional pressure on the face, which a healing nose cannot handle. Instead, try sleeping on your back or on one side of your body (if you choose the latter, be mindful that your nose does not press against any firm objects while you sleep).
- Get a full night’s sleep. I typically recommend my patients to try to sleep at least 7-8 hours each night in the initial days and weeks of recovery after a nose job. This is the most crucial time in the healing process, and making sure to get adequate rest is the key to reducing swelling, bruising, and pain after your nose has been reshaped or repositioned. Even those who usually embrace a busy New Jersey lifestyle should consider taking the foot off the gas pedal for a bit to maximize surgical results.
I cannot stress enough how important sleep is to speeding up and stabilizing your recovery after undergoing a rhinoplasty. If you have any additional questions about what to do and what to avoid in terms of sleeping post nose job, feel free to email me or schedule an in-person office visit to go over a more comprehensive list of tips to sleep comfortably during the recovery period of a rhinoplasty.
Written by Dr. Morin
Wednesday, May 6th, 2015
