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bodman25

bodman25

Active member
Joined
Mar 21, 2008
Messages
25
Location
Salt Lake City, Utah
Well I havn't been on here for a while but I thought I would let you all know that I had an AVR 2 weeks ago and am home and doing well. How long was it before you were able to sleep on your chest after a sternotomy? I am getting sick of laying on my back and side.
Thanks, Mike
 
By the way, welcome home!

Yeah even when I could lay on it, just a slight movement would be painful enough to wake me up, but man was it nice to sleep or attempt too, on my stomach. I know how you feel on the side and back.

We all heal at different rates, so maybe you'll be lucky enough to shorten the time some.
 
Welcome home!
I never was a stomach sleeper, but I was thrilled when I could just turn on my side a bit.
Don't force anything, your sternum is not healed yet....better safe than sorry!
 
Welcome home. It was a month before I could sleep on my right side and I have no idea how long it was before I could sleep on my stomach. That first month was rough because I have a hard time sleeping on my back. Good luck to you.
 
I was also a stomach sleeper and I don't recall exactly how long it took me to get back to it. My best guess would be longer than two months. It's not something where you really need to worry about hurting yourself, so as soon as you feel comfortable doing it, go ahead.
 
I used to sleep on my chest but ever since my OHS, I've mainly been sleeping on a back, and sometimes my left side. I've tried sleeping on my front, but I just don't find it comfortable any more. I think it's because my incision went keloid and it's still tender when I have pressure on it even though my surgery was over 2 years ago. Hopefully you won't have that problem.
 
Welcome Home Mike!:) we bought a recliner for recovery, good investment I must say, when I tried to sleep in our bed, back was too uncomfortable but propping with lots of pillows helped. Be careful trying to roll over to your side, I had some tenderness with that. If you lay on your side, put a pillow between your legs, it's more comfortable when your knees aren't resting on each other. I'm a tummy sleeper myself, with my arms crossed underneath my pillow, I think it was at least 2 months before I even attempted to sleep on my stomach.

Rest easy and often.
 
I guess I must be really lucky because I was able to roll onto my side as soon as my chest tubes came out. Thank you all for your info. I guess I will just give it some time and take it as it comes.
 
Bodman:
I'm a belly sleeper and it was about 12 weeks before I became comfortable sleeping on my chest. Until that time, I built an elevated back rest out of pillows and slept on my back. It's not whether you should or should not sleep on your chest, it's just a matter of what feels comfortable to you.
Gerry
 
Welcome Back!

Welcome Back!

I do the side sleep thing myself. I am about weeks out and only recently have been able to roll from side to side without sitting totally up in bed and doing all kinds of gyrations to turn around and lay on the other side. It got to where I HAD TO turn over because one side was SOOO uncomfortable. Actually, the other night I woke myself up because I was turning over like I did PRE OP. I know I am getting more comfortable and that carries over to sleepy time too.
good luck and don't push it.

Oh, BTW, I found it a bit uncomfortable to lay on EITHER side and have my arm and shoulder pressing down over my sternum. I took two towels (locker room towels. bigger than a hand towel and smaller than a bath towel) and rolled them up like a log. I put tape on them and used that as a more stable cough pad. I also slept better by placing the towels on their side and propping my "UP" side arm on the top. this let me sleep on my side w/o the pressure on my sternum.
 
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