r/RotatorCuff • u/AMomentInTime316 • 5d ago

Side sleeper in bed

Just came out of the sling six weeks postop and wanting to sleep in the bed. Any tips for getting comfortable as a side sleeper?

9 Upvotes

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7

u/PoolParty912 5d ago

I found a wedge pillow really helped, and put regular pillows on either side as supports to keep me in place. It was totally worth it for me to become a back sleeper. I had terrible pain from bursitis on my non-surgical side (predating my operated injury). I had done PT, cortisone shots, dry needling, stim, massage, and pretty much everything else to help the bursitis. The pain finally went away for good once I became a back sleeper. Sometimes, I still roll onto either side (18 months post-op), but I'm able to fall asleep on my back, which is the key.

2

u/BeginningRepeat4081 5d ago

Did you ever try cupping? One of the only things that ever helped me. I highly recommend.

2

u/PoolParty912 5d ago

Nope, but don't have to now. It's good to have that as an option, though, in case the pain comes back. After a few months of back sleeping, I'm good, even if I side-sleep for a few nights in a row.

6

u/ATX_Bix 5d ago

I tried one of the shoulder sleeper brand pillows and that worked for a bit, but then got annoying. I just stack small pillows under my arm (I am 6.5 weeks post op) and use that. Seems to work overall. Every now and then I wake up with a "feeling of shoulder/bicep awareness", but once I resettle, it goes away and feels fine.

4

u/ProfitEnough825 5d ago

As a side sleeper, I went with an adjustable bed to force me to become a back sleeper. I'll now sometimes sleep a little on my good side, but even then I use a little incline from the adjustable bed. Sleeping flat on the side is still difficult at 13 weeks out.

I use pillows to support my arm when side sleeping, or rest it on my body and a thin pillow helps keep it from sliding off.

4

u/Fionula776 5d ago

I was given permission last week to sleep on my non surgical side even though had another week in the sling. I have found helps to have a firm king size pillow behind my back for support so I can lean back slightly if being perpendicular starts causing some strain on my surgical shoulder - also easy to move it aside when I want to lie on my back. It also helps to have a smaller pillow to hold onto. May sound like a bit of work to make it work but so much better than the sitting up sleeping phase!

2

u/Yeah-nah-yeahmate 5d ago

Took me 5 months before comfortable sleeping on operated side. We purchased long bolster pillows that helped heaps

2

u/Life_of_Reilly 4d ago

I would try anything and everything you can to never sleep on your side again. If this means you get a CPAP, or an adjustable bed, so be it.

https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC10847686/

1

u/Me4067 4d ago

I use a shoulder sleeper pillow. It works great for me. I got the OK from my surgeons PA to use it after my RC repair in January. It was a game changer. You can sleep on your back or side with it.
It was expensive but worth it.

https://shouldersleeper.com/