Your Guide to Sleeping After a Tummy Tuck

A tummy tuck is a surgical procedure that helps a person achieve a firmer, leaner, and more defined stomach by tightening the abdominal muscles and removing excess or loose skin.

Tummy tucks are especially popular among those who have had children or have recently lost weight, as the skin can become stretched and the procedure helps restore it to a tighter state.

While the results of a tummy tuck are overwhelmingly effective and long-lasting, it is important to know that the procedure requires a proper healing and recovery period, involving ample bed rest.

Sleep is critically important during your recovery, but can be a little easier said than done, so many patients ask us how to sleep after a tummy tuck. While it does require some adjustment, sleeping after a tummy tuck surgery is possible, and these adjustments are often temporary. Here is what you need to know about sleeping after a tummy tuck procedure.

Why is Sleep After Tummy Tuck So Important?

Ensuring you have ample sleep after a tummy tuck is vitally important to your recovery process for many reasons.

After any surgical procedure, your body goes into overdrive, trying to heal your incisions, ward off infections, and clear any residual anesthesia. It is very easy for the body to become worn down and spread thin with all these extra tasks.

When you are sleeping after a tummy tuck, however, your body and brain don’t need to work quite so much to run all the extra functions they do. At the same time, you are awake, allowing them to focus more easily on your surgical area and supply ample blood flow to your tissues and muscles.

Also, your body produces more white blood cells while you sleep, which improves your chances of fighting off infections, viruses, and bacteria that can slow down or impair healing.

Best Positioning for Sleep After Tummy Tuck

A tummy tuck is performed by making a long incision along the hip bones, just above the pubic area. Any scarring following the procedure can be easily hidden by underwear or bikini bathing suits by placing the incisions here. After the skin and excess fat are removed from the stomach, the skin on your upper body is pulled tight. Depending on the intensity of your tummy tuck, there may also be vertical scarring.

Due to the nature of the incisions, it is not recommended that you lie flat in either direction following your procedure when you sleep after a tummy tuck. When you lie on your back, the skin on your abdomen stretches out, which can cause strain on any stitched skin and open incisions. The further an incision is pulled apart while healing, the longer it may take to fully close, and the greater its likelihood of infection.

Meanwhile, lying face down for an extended period when you sleep after a tummy tuck can cause blood to pool in the surgical area, increasing the chances of swelling and bruising. It will likely be fairly painful to sleep in this position after a tummy tuck.

The ideal way to sleep after a tummy tuck is on an incline, in a way that does not stretch the skin of the stomach or cause pooling or pressure on the stomach.

Sleeping After a Tummy Tuck Comfortably

You’re probably thinking, “When can I sleep flat after a tummy tuck?” For your comfort, the best way to sleep while inclined is with your waist slightly bent and your knees slightly raised off the mattress, minimizing strain on your abdomen and surgical recovery area. Take your prescribed pain medications before going off to bed if necessary—it’ll help ease the discomfort.

To sleep comfortably, you can use pillows or rolled-up blankets and towels to create this position: place two or more under your head and torso to prop up your top half, and use an additional prop to keep your legs elevated.

It is also recommended that you use additional blankets or pillows while sleeping on your back to help prevent you from rolling onto your side and putting pressure on one side.

If you’re combining tummy tucks with other procedures, you may wonder how to sleep after a BBL and tummy tuck surgery. In this case, it is recommended that you sleep on your side, but propped very specifically to avoid as much pressure on both the buttocks and the stomach as possible.

Prepare Ahead of Time

One of the best steps for sleeping after a tummy tuck is to plan ahead. It can be difficult to adjust to new sleeping positions, particularly if you are not accustomed to sleeping at an elevation.

Thus, it is recommended that you adjust your sleeping conditions at least a few days, or a week or more, in advance so your body and mind can “normalize” to the change. Additionally, sleeping in an altered position or at an incline can sometimes leave you feeling slightly stiff for the first day or two.

By preparing your sleep pattern before your procedure, going to bed on those first crucial days will be easier and allow you to get a better night’s rest after a tummy tuck.

Sleep Alone

Another tip for sleeping after tummy tuck surgery: if you share a bed with a partner or pets, it’s a good idea to sleep solo for at least the first few days to a week of recovery. Your abdominal area will be very sensitive and delicate following your procedure, and an accidental bump, kick, step, or tail to your recovery zone will both be counterintuitive to your healing process and also likely be incredibly painful.

Tummy Tucks at Toronto Plastic Surgeons Wellness Centre

At our clinic, we offer a variety of tummy tuck options, ranging from the less invasive mini tummy tuck to the more comprehensive full tummy tuck.

A mini tummy tuck is often considered for those who only desire the lower abdomen, below the belly button, corrected. The scarring of this procedure is minimal, with a thin line bridging across the hip bones. This method usually doesn’t tighten many underlying muscles and is more geared towards those looking to treat minor loose, sagging skin or to receive a tummy tuck after pregnancy.

Meanwhile, a full tummy tuck removes excess skin and tissue from the abdomen while tightening the underlying abdominal muscles for a more toned appearance. Like the mini tummy tuck, an incision is made along the bikini area, but it can also be made around the belly button as well.

A tummy tuck is sometimes confused with liposuction. These procedures are both body-contouring procedures, but are performed using different techniques and achieve different goals. The difference between liposuction and tummy tucks is that liposuction removes stubborn fat cells beneath the skin, whereas tummy tucks tighten the overlying skin. These procedures can be performed together and are often part of a mommy makeover in Toronto, helping restore a woman’s body to its pre-pregnancy state.

Recovery Time

A tummy tuck recovery process can range depending on the type and intensity of the procedure. If you’re wondering, “When can I sleep on my side after a tummy tuck?” In general, a mini tummy tuck will recover in one to three weeks, while a full tummy tuck may take four to six weeks.

Booking a Tummy Tuck with Toronto Plastic Surgeons Wellness Centre

If you’re looking to undergo a tummy tuck, liposuction, or any other procedure, we can help. Our dedicated team at Toronto Plastic Surgeons Wellness Centre can help you with your cosmetic surgery needs, whatever they may be.

If you’re interested in booking your first consultation or learning more about the cost of a tummy tuck in Toronto, you can book with us online or call 647-723-3739 to speak with a member of our team.

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Dr. Stephen Mulholland, Md

Dr. Stephen Mulholland has been practicing plastic surgery for over 20 years. He is one of Canada’s most renowned and best plastic surgeons in Toronto with his wealth of experience, artistry, and humbleness towards his patients.

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