How To Sleep After Umbilical Hernia Surgery: Best Sleeping Positions

Recovering from umbilical hernia surgery requires patients to take a rest from many strenuous activities, such as lifting heavy weights, doing intense exercise, and stretching the area too much. Another activity that is affected by umbilical hernia surgery recovery is sleeping. Patients need to take care not to put too much stress on the incision area so that it can heal properly, and this may require the patient to change how he or she sleeps. But what is the best sleeping position for umbilical hernia?

How Umbilical Hernia Surgery Works

An umbilical hernia forms when the abdominal wall starts to weaken due to pressure coming from the inside. This may cause the area around the navel to bulge out a little bit. Most of the time, umbilical hernia does not require treatment. However, if the bulge obstructs the intestine, it can cause serious health problems and abdominal pain. In this case, surgery is generally recommended.

Umbilical hernia surgery requires the surgeon to create an incision, push the bulge back into place, and stitch together the abdominal muscles to prevent recurrence of hernia in that spot. It’s a simple procedure that is very low risk.

Want to learn more about umbilical hernia surgery? Check out this article: The 5 Most Common Questions About Umbilical Hernia Surgery

Umbilical Hernia Surgery Recovery

When recovering from umbilical hernia surgery, follow the instructions that your surgeon gives you. Do your aftercare properly and take care to avoid putting stress on the incision site.

Practice breathing in and out slowly in order to reduce pain associated with deep breathing. And, most importantly, choose a sleeping position that is both comfortable and doesn’t put pressure on the abdomen.

Sleeping After Umbilical Hernia Surgery

The best sleeping position after umbilical hernia surgery is to sleep flat on your back with your head on a small pillow. This prevents too much pressure on the incision site and allows for comfortable breathing during sleep. You want your abdominal muscles to be relaxed, and sleeping on your back makes this easy.

Can I sleep on my stomach?

We don’t recommend stomach sleeping for umbilical hernia surgery patients. This is because sleeping on your stomach puts excess pressure on your abdomen, which can interfere with the healing process. It can also hurt your spine.

Can I sleep on my side?

It’s not easy for umbilical hernia patients to sleep on their side after surgery, and we generally don’t recommend it. However, side sleepers who have too much trouble sleeping on their back can try this trick: place a pillow beneath the side of your hip to create a slight incline, recreating the feeling of sleeping on your side without the pain. Try it, and adjust the pillow until it is comfortable.

Umbilical Hernia Surgery Maryland

Maryland Bariatrics is a leading provider of umbilical hernia surgery in Maryland. If you are looking into getting your umbilical hernia fixed, learn more about what we can do: Umbilical Hernia Surgery Maryland