Serious stomach sleepers? How did you cope?

[HeartsInNC]

I know that I will make do somehow, but every night as my time ticks down and surgery date approaches, as I settle oh-so-comfortably onto my stomach to drift off to sleep I think, "How am I EVER going to sleep right after surgery?" I don't suppose I have to worry the first night as I'll probably be on some good stuff that will help me forget my plight, but beyond that...? The general consensus I've seen seems to be a few weeks before being able to go back to stomach sleeping.

I have tried and tried to no avail to become a back sleeper (on chiropractor's urging, mostly) but just can't do it. I have occasionally been able to sleep on my side if I've been sick or something, but that's always been a very short term thing.

What have you other stomach sleepers done to get by?

[Ronnie75]

I had surgery in January not for the bypass yet but I learned to sleep on my back. I put a somewhat flat pillow down on the middle of my back and was able to sleep that way.

[JeffH]

Two days after surgery I started sleeping on my side, hugging a pillow, then slowly moved back onto my stomach over a week. No problems since.

[Wandy44]

I learned to sleep side ways.

[Risty]

Some people can do it after a day or two me? I tried to sleep in my bed it took me till week 3 to stay in bed all thru the night without resorting to the recliner or couch.

[akbutt]

I was only able to lay on my left side or my back (which was not comfortable for me). As I was laying on my side I had my husband put a pillow behind me and that seemed to help, at least it was comfortable. I have a body pillow that I use and I am still only able to lay comfortably on my left side. I have been slowly going more and more on my stomach but its sore.

[ToyaReady4Change]

I was thinking the same thing. I have about a month and a half. I USE to could sleep on my side, but the worse my knees got and the heavier I got it became hard. But my stomach has always been my sleeping post I even slept on my stomach when I was pregnant. So if you get any ideas let me know as well.. Good luck..

[HeartsInNC]

Unfortunately, my ONLY sleeping option is my bed... no recliner or sofa to choose from. (I work as crew on a yacht and while my cabin is decent it's just a bed, desk, dressers, closet, bathroom.)

I think I'm going to try getting two body pillows and tuck one in front and one in back of me to try to make a soft cradle-type thing and see how close I can comfortably get to the stomach position. They're $19.99 at Bed Bath & Beyond, so if it works it'll be so worth the $40!

[ArizonaRN]

I slept kinda propped up and with a pillow under my knees. I never realized how much I used my stomach muscles until this surgery. For a long time getting out of bed, turning in bed and sleeping on my stomach hurt. So sleeping propped up was less work to get out of bed

[kiely98]

I think I'm going to try getting two body pillows and tuck one in front and one in back of me to try to make a soft cradle-type thing and see how close I can comfortably get to the stomach position. They're $19.99 at Bed Bath & Beyond, so if it works it'll be so worth the $40!

This is what I was going to suggest. I am also a serious stomach-sleeper (and yes, my chiropractor yells at me, too!), but had to learn to sleep in a different position when I was pregnant. Two body pillows did the trick. My nights got MUCH better once I started using them. I'd imagine it will probably work this time around, too...

[Persiankity33]

After staying in a hospital bed for 4 nights sleeping on my side was heaven!!!!!! I was able to sleep on my stomach very shortly after surgery

[Its_Me]

I am a stomach sleeper and slept on my side until my drain came out then I was on my tummy ever since.

[Lucy61]

propped by pillows on both sides of me (front/back) till I could roll onto my belly and now that I found my hip bones again - sleeping on my belly is AWESOMEEEEE!!!

[niamh]

I'm a side or stomach sleeper, but I slept on my back for about four weeks after the surgery. I had no choice, it was too painful to sleep on my stomach or side. If your surgeon does internal stitches in the muscle wall (not all do) it makes it very very hard to twist in bed without experiencing pain, so you just get used to sleeping on your back because any attempt to roll over is stopped by pain. I used several pillows to prop up into a semi reclined position and you just get used to it. It was no biggie. Back to stomach sleeping after about a month, but actually I'm now able to sleep on my back as well and quite enjoy it from time to time. You'll be tired - you'll sleep. Don't worry.

[Its_Me]

propped by pillows on both sides of me (front/back) till I could roll onto my belly and now that I found my hip bones again - sleeping on my belly is AWESOMEEEEE!!!

Hip bones? What the heck are those? I hope I have some shortly!!!