How to Sleep after Knee Replacement | Knee Replacement, Injury or Surgery

This video will provide details on how to safely and comfortably position in bed for rest and sleep following a knee replacement, surgery or injury. Equipment, positioning recommendations and safe technique are all clarified in this video.

0:00 Sleep after Knee Surgery
1:00 Equipment Considerations
2:28 Back Sleeping
4:10 Back Position for Swelling Management
5:40 Side Sleeping

Products:
Step Stool with Handle

Bed Rail

Wedge

EquipMeOT's own accessible self-care products:

If you prefer written tutorials, I have a written version of this video over at my website:

Check out other videos about products that maximize safety and independence on my channel EquipMeOT and please consider subscribing to get my most up to date video content!

[kathybates]

Sad I pay thousands of dollars to PHYSICIANS and PT and then have to search internet for help.Thankful for this video

[kscamara]

I am doing my homework beforehand and your video is excellent! Thank you!!!

[Mama_C]

Just got home tonight from husband’s TKR at age 35 due to steroid and chemo side effects from his 5 leukemia diagnosis’s in 5 years. To be honest I was just opening up YouTube to mindlessly watch something before falling asleep. Your video was on the screen when I first opened the app. Talk about PERFECT TIMING. We did not know my husband had options! We were told on his back and pillow under the calf. After watching this video he turned on his side and IMMEDIATELY passed out. He was so uncomfortable on his back. Thank you for this incredible, informative video!

[vickypommier]

No matter how comfortable you get, you'll only get 2 hours at a time.

[jettman]

I had right knee replacement a week ago and have been struggling to find a way to stay asleep past an hour I will definitely be trying your suggestions. Thanks 🙏👍

[barbigoschen]

I am home from TNR by 6 hours; it is 4am now! I found your video and I want to give you a BIG
THANK YOU!😇

GOD's riches BLESSINGS upon you.
AMEN & AMEN

[QouteTheRavenNevermore]

I'm glad I found this. I'm having a total knee replacement next Friday, December 16th.

[dremason]

That side sleep info was everything. 1 month post op on patellar tendon.

[conniesandoz]

I liked laying on a wedge pillow in bed and I laid flat for the first week or so. I was uncomfortable on my side. But after a week or so, definitely went to my side with a pillow between my legs. However, I didn't like laying on the surgical leg. I preferred putting the surgical leg over the pillow. That's what worked for me! So don't give up if something doesn't work for you - keep trying til you find what does!!

[Hymnce]

I found your video very helpful I wish I would have found it earlier I'm 90 days out and I still can't sleep no more than 3 hours at a time no one told me it was going to be like this 👍

[kenw]

The first two weeks are hell. No matter what you do .pain killers will help a little

[IsabELLAvega]

I’m 14 years old and I completely tore my ACL and partly tore my meniscus then I got surgery and a week counting today I haven’t been able to sleep at all each night. I’ve been to the doctors and physical therapy but their tips for sleeping didn’t work but then I found this and went to take a nap and slept through the whole day and night! Thank you so much for this video! I appreciate it!

[pnutred]

Thanks very much for creating this content. I left Abbotsford hospital not knowing any of this. A week later the new joint isn't as straight as it was so I'll find a pillow asap!

[jasondavidstapleton]

after having right knee surgery it was very pain full the next night it went great

[blumingwellness]

THANK YOU! I'm 4 weeks after medial meniscus root repair. Wish I'd seen this sooner! Agree with everyone in comments that the PT and docs don't offer this kind of information or even suggest your channel. Wouldn't that be easy enough for them to at least let us know where we might find good info? Anyway, I have found lying on my side with operative leg on TOP with pillows exactly as you show does work pretty well. I was told to sleep with brace on in full extension but just couldn't sleep at all that way. I hope I haven't damaged the repair sleeping w/o brace. Thanks again ~ Marian

[earthmagic]

Thank you so much for this video! I was discharged from total knee replacement today. Nobody in the hospital even discussed how to sleep after surgery. I came home sleep deprived and found your video ❤👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻❤

[susanvanl]

Wow! I had surgery in late October and experienced horrific muscle spasms in my calf and hamstring and where they put the tournaquet. Never had so much pain. Not one person taught me about the pillows. I have had so many problems sleeping afraid to use pillows because I was told not to use pillows. I had alot of swelling in my foot and lower leg and noone told me how to get rid of it. They said it would go down on it's own. Thank You for sharing this. I am going to use it for sure.

[LANorm]

To those who are about to undergo a knee replacement: educate yourselves about getting good sleep. Of all the pre-op instruction I was given, I wasn't told anything about how impossible it can be to sleep comfortably. Every case is different but my biggest battle has been sleeping, now also a month to the day after surgery. I've gone many nights with poor sleep. Although I've had almost no pain during the day, my knee becomes very restless and active at night. Taking Acetaminophen and Oxycodone didn't help. Then my nurse said that the pain medication may have caused my sleep disruption so she suggested Benadryl as a sleep aid but it didn't help. My point is: address the issue of sleep with your doctor or nurse or whomever. It has been a major problem for me and, according to the other comments, many other patients also.

[AmazeVictoria]

Great tips!! My knee replacement is 2/22/22 ...this video will for sure be helpful ...thank you !!

[jevanloon]

Great video...wish I had seen this 6 weeks ago after TKA, but I discovered most of these strategies through trial and error, and they worked for me.