How To Sleep With Broken Ribs (Step By Step) - The Sleep Shop Inc

One of the most common symptoms of broken ribs is chest pain, especially when coughing, laughing, or breathing. Depending on the injured part's location, bending your body may easily trigger sudden pain. Plus, you may notice swelling or redness around the fractured ribs.If you've broken more than three adjacent ribs in two different places, you may experience a flail chest, a condition where the upper rib cage moves away from the chest wall, making it hard for it to hold its shape when breathing. This condition can also lead to a pulmonary contusion, causing respiratory failure and other other severe lung infections. Make sure you see a physician or seek emergency care immediately if your condition is accompanied by

• Unusual cough (one that produces blood or mucus)
• Abdominal pain
• Increasing shortness of breath
• Fever
• Trouble breathing deeply

So, What Causes Broken Ribs?

We, humans, have a total of 12 pairs of ribs that protect our hearts and lungs. While these bones are designed to withstand a lot of pressure, sudden and severe blows to your back and chest region can fracture them. This can happen in trauma, including a hard fall from a height, car accident, or even contact sports. A rib fracture can also result from years of repetitive actions like swinging a golf club. Sometimes, severe coughing can also cause broken ribs, especially in the elderly, individuals with bone-weakening cancer, and those with osteoporosis.

How Broken Ribs Affect Sleep

Sleeping with multiple broken or bruised ribs comes with numerous challenges, and several factors will influence how comfortable you sleep throughout the night. The most immediate effect of bruised ribs is pain, which can worsen when you lie down, making it quite challenging to find a comfortable sleep position.During cold weather, the body's muscles contract to prevent heat dissipation. This might trigger muscle pains that hurt an injured rib cage. What's more, people tend to cough more frequently in lower temperatures, which increases pain due to the chest cavity's rapid expansion and contraction.After you fall asleep at night, you're no longer in charge of your body movements. This can potentially lead to sharp rib pain throughout the night as you change positions in bed and put pressure on the fractured ribs. Plus, the concern of further injuring yourself while sleeping can cause anxiety, preventing restful sleep. A broken or bruised rib can also impair breathing, which can be exacerbated when lying down, leading to disrupted sleep.

Tips for Sleeping with Broken Ribs

Creating a conducive sleeping environment is vital when dealing with fractured ribs. With the right setup, you can minimize discomfort and easily find a comfortable and supportive position that reduces rib pain and promotes healing. Here's how you can prepare for a good night's sleep.

1. Choose the Most Comfortable Sleep Position

Bruised ribs are particularly problematic during the night, especially if you're used to sleeping on your sides or stomach. Below are the recommended sleep positions that can keep you from exacerbating the pain and promote quick recovery.

2. Sleep While Sitting Upright

While having fractured ribs is a very unpleasant experience, you'll recover faster if you take good care of yourself, and this includes finding the best sleep position for your condition. We recommend sleeping while sitting upright for the first few days after your injury for several reasons:

• Facilitates easier breathing - Sleeping with bruised ribs can sometimes make it difficult and painful to breathe deeply. When you adapt to an upright position, you'll have an easy time breathing, which can even help keep complications like pneumonia at bay.
• Reduces pressure on the injured ribs - Lying flat on your mattress can put additional pressure on the bruised region and spine. This may increase pain and discomfort, making falling or staying asleep hard. By sleeping upright, your chest region will be open and free from extra stress, minimizing rib pain and leading to a good night's sleep.
• Prevents painful body movements - When you're deep in slumber, you can't control your body movements, meaning you can easily roll onto the broken rib, causing a sharp, painful sensation in the region. Sitting up helps limit these movements and makes it easy to maintain a stable position.
• Promotes healing - Besides helping you sleep better, maintaining the upright position encourages better blood circulation and minimizes swelling in the chest region, which can significantly aid in the healing process.

Consider using soft and comfortable pillows to prop yourself up and maintain an upright sleeping position all night long. Make sure you follow your physician's guidelines for the best recovery practices.

3. Sleep On Your Back

Generally, sleeping on your back with fractured ribs isn't recommended due to the high potential for increased pain around the affected area. However, for those who find it necessary to use this sleep position, doing so with some elevation on the back might really come in handy. Consider sleeping with a pillow under your arms to keep you from suddenly moving to your sides. Adding a pillow under your knees also helps ease the pressure off your back.Some of the benefits that come with sleeping on your back with a slight elevation include:

• Promotes neutral spinal alignment - Back sleeping helps in weight redistribution, minimizing tension accumulation, and lowering rib pain levels.
• Reduces the risk of additional injury - This position keeps patients from rolling onto the affected area, which could exacerbate the pain or cause further damage.
• Encourages easier breathing - Being slightly elevated while sleeping on your back can promote easier breathing, especially if your bruised ribs interrupt lung expansion.
• Allows for uninterrupted circulation of blood - Elevating your back slightly while sleeping can ensure the injured area receives a steady flow of blood, which is vital for recovery.

Keep in mind that sleeping on your back without elevation can cause stiffness and soreness. So, consider using an adjustable bed to take the pressure off the bruised part, making getting in and out of your mattress less uncomfortable. Pillows can also aid in creating a gentle incline, enhancing comfort and supporting fast recovery.

4. Sleep on an Electric Recliner Chair

An electric recliner can help you sleep comfortably while sitting. We recommend going for a model with diverse features that you can customize to your liking. Look for functions like:

• Button control - Takes less effort than levers to adjust your seat.
• Multi-level reclining - Offers varied positions for reading, sleeping, and watching TV.
• Power lift and tilt function - Helps sleepers ease out of the seat.
• Pockets - Allows you to keep vital items within reach.

Adjustable armrests and a supportive backrest are also essential for a comfortable sleep and faster recovery. While your seat's surface should be firm enough to support your back and lumbar region, it should also be well-cushioned for optimum support.

5. Use Pillows/Wedges to Increase Comfort

Pillows can keep you from rolling over during the night, which can be painful, causing you to wake up in the middle of the night. That's why it's wise to put a pillow under your arms, especially if you're back sleeping, to prevent you from rolling onto the sides. You also want to put a couple of soft pillows under your knees to minimize the pressure on your back. Plus, you can place a wedge with multiple positions behind your neck to adjust the height of your headrest however you feel most comfortable. In addition to providing full-body support, a body pillow can keep you from rolling onto the bruised ribs, helping you maintain a stable sleep position that supports the spine and protects the ribs. You can hug it for additional comfort and support, which makes sleeping on your uninjured side easier all night long. We recommend slightly squeezing two tiny pillows on the affected area to protect your rib cage as you sleep. Don't use wearable compression garments, as they can actually reduce the quality of the breaths that you're taking.

6. Practice Deep Breathing

Fractured ribs may force you to take shallow breaths, as the pain associated with moving the chest can be quite unbearable. This can, in turn, increase your chances of developing respiratory illnesses, such as pneumonia. That's why most patients are often advised to do breathing exercises as they recover. In some instances, doctors recommend working with a respiratory therapist. Here, you may have to use a spirometer, a device that measures the total volume of air inhaled and exhaled, to clearly understand how it feels to take full, deep breaths. To practice deep breathing exercises, recline in your chair or sleep on your back, then slowly take a big, deep breath. As you inhale through the nose, try counting to five and then count down from five as you breathe out through the mouth. As you take deep breaths, try to pull down the air with your diaphragm into your stomach. To help with the pain, we recommend taking your pain relievers about 30 minutes before you start the exercise. Holding a soft pillow gently against your chest may also help exacerbate the pain.

7. Limit Your Movement While in Bed

During the first few nights after treatment, you must limit twisting, turning, or stretching while sleeping. While this might be a bit hard to control during the night, try to remember that your bruised ribs are linked to many upper body parts, so any slight movement can increase your pain. Keep an extra pillow in bed so you may brace it against the ribs when changing positions at night. Don't wrap your ribs to minimize movement, as this may only increase your risk of lung infection and collapsed lungs.

Pain Management Strategies for Broken Ribs

Managing pain at night while sleeping with fractured ribs can be quite challenging. Here are some strategies that may deliver a pain-free sleep experience.

Take Pain Medications According to Your Doctor's Prescription

If your physician has prescribed pain relievers, make sure you follow their guidelines for how to use the drugs and contact them as soon as possible if you encounter any problems or have any questions. It's worth noting that some prescription pain medicines may make it a bit challenging to fall asleep or even stay asleep, as they can lead to sleep apnea. Opioid medications, for instance, can interfere with breathing and wake you up at night.

Try OTC Pain Relievers

If you're not using prescription drugs for your fractured ribs, you can try over-the-counter pain relievers like naproxen, ibuprofen, and acetaminophen. Just make sure you check with your healthcare provider for specific recommendations on which pain medications to take and in what quantity. Don't use more or less than the recommended dosage. If you're suffering from or have had high blood pressure, stomach ulcers, heart disease, liver disease, or kidney disease, talk to your doctor to know whether you can safely use one of these drugs.

Apply Ice to the Injured Ribs

You'll be icing a lot when you're recovering from rib injuries, so it'll be good to have an ice pack on rotation all the time, and having one at the bedside when you're about to get into bed is essential. In addition to helping numb the pain, icing may also minimize the swelling. During the first few days after your injury, you may really benefit from placing a wrapped ice pack on the bruised area for at least 20 minutes every hour. After two to three days, you can use the covered ice pack for about 10 to 20 minutes before going to bed to help relieve the pain. Avoid using heat on the broken ribs, especially if the affected area has swelled. Heat increases the blood supply to the area, which can only worsen the swelling.

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