Some people may be able to sleep on their side comfortably after a few days, while others may need to wait a week or longer. The piercing of a babys ear is a personal preference or, in some cultures, a family or cultural custom. Avoid sleeping directly on your piercing as long as necessary as you feel like the swelling is going down and that your earlobe and the helix are feeling like theyre coming back to normal. It will retain its shape longer. If you are a restless sleeper they will be pulled this way and that during the night. A rook piercing goes through the cartilage fold between your ear canal and the top rim of your ear. Keep the piercing clean and free from infection, keep your bedding clean and do not try to sleep on the new piercing before it is completely healed. 9. Whether youre looking for a subtle and classic look, a daring and bold statement, or something in between, theres a new ear piercing that is sure to make a statement. Already aware youre allergic to nickel or another type of metal? Because of the small size of their earlobes, newborns are more likely to misplace their piercings and make unfitting appearances. Isla, my daughter, (pictured) used these products from Amazon to clean up this infection after removing the studs too early and putting the rings in their place This infection is the first one she has experienced so you can never be too careful. A pierced skin will tear and your piercing will fail. Designed by Elegant Themes | Powered by WordPress, Explore La Quintas Pillows For The Perfect Night Of Sleep, Should You Sleep With Two Pillows? If youve just had your ears pierced, youre probably wondering how you can sleep without damaging your new jewelry. Some people choose to do it because it appears cute; others use it as a way of identifying themselves. Getting your ears pierced is a serious and important decision, so were sure youll know a week ahead. 2. Or teach yourself to sleep in a new position for a week or so before the big day will ensure you have plenty of sleep while your new piercing heals. If its specifically a cartilage piercing that appears to be infected, youll definitely want to call a doctor sooner rather than later. This will help to keep your piercing from coming into contact with your pillow and getting irritated. Nickel allergies should be avoided by wearing surgical steel, sterling silver, or 18-karat gold earrings. Youll likely know within hours or the first few days of a piercing that youre having an allergic reaction, which is most commonly caused by the presence of nickel in the earring, though it can also be caused by nickel-free metals (like silver, platinum, or gold), Lacy says. The wounds will bleed profusely for the first few nights. If it looks like you might be allergic to your new earring and youve never had this reaction to jewelry before, its worth calling a dermatologist (if you have access to one) to see if they recommend doing a patch test to figure out if youre allergic to nickel or another material in the earring, Dr. Farber suggests. I was so excited that I couldnt stop thinking about it, which made it hard to fall asleep. If you dont have a pillow protector, you can always place a soft piece of cloth made out of cotton, silk, sateen, or some other material. Video of Jeremy . Stretched Earlobes Overview - Causes, Treatment Options, and More - AEDIT Its important to sleep with small earrings, also known as studs, to prevent your hair to get entangled into the earrings or something potentially worse to happen. Sleeping on your side is the best way to prevent your new piercings from getting irritated. If you want to keep your piercing, dont sleep on it. Your ear has layers of skin, and then under that in the earlobes theres just fat, and in the upper ear theres just cartilage, so youre piercing through that tissue, Michele Farber, MD, board-certified dermatologist at Schweiger Dermatology Group in Philadelphia and clinical assistant in the dermatology department at Mount Sinai Medical Center in New York City, tells SELF. The removal of the piercing allows the wound to close and, as a result, allows the infection to grow. Thats why its important to learn how to sleep comfortably after getting a new ear piercing. Bedding FAQ Excessive rubbing or friction can irritate your skin and slow healing. If the skin around your piercing is feeling a bit dry and/or itchy, you can add a dab of a petrolatum-based product like Vaseline or Aquaphor to keep the skin moisturized and protected, suggests Dr. Gohara. Is mifepristone safe? Abortion pill widely backed by medical experts It is against the law to remove or sleep with your piercing. It is critical to get your ears pierced by someone who understands how to do it correctly. Examine your piercing to see if there are any instances when it has become interferes with. New piercings are made with professional-grade materials that are hypoallergenic, so you can safely leave them in for several weeks as the piercing heals. Why Titanium Jewelry Is Usually The Way to Go, The Ultimate Guide to Getting Your Ears Pierced at Any Age, How to Identify and Treat a Daith Piercing Infection, What's Really in Tattoo Ink? If you must remove the piercing, make sure to re-insert the jewelry or use a silicone filler to keep the hole open. Editors notes: There are many different U-shaped travel pillows for those who sleep with piercings. You may also have an ear infection, an allergy to metal, or the earring is too tight, causing ear bleeding and pain. More importantly, it helps by stopping the skin and surrounds it from drying out and becoming extremely painful. Whether you decided to pierce your lobes for the first time or added a second, third, or even fourth hole, know that different ear piercings heal at different rates (more on the exact timing in a bit). You can always sleep on your back or the opposite side of where your new piercing is until the tissue started healing. With a little bit of planning, you can sleep on your side with a new piercing without any problems. However, this doesnt mean that ear piercings are 100 percent free of risks or side effects. If any of these symptoms appear, you should seek medical attention as soon as possible to avoid further infections. Sleeping on a piercing can be painful due to the pressure and friction on the piercing, which can cause irritation, pain, swelling, and bumps. If you are an active sleeper and move a lot while sleeping, you should use silicon backings to avoid losing earrings at night. This can additionally get worse when you head to bed. Sleeping with earrings in can sometimes be harmful, depending on the type and size of the earrings. The most important thing to remember is to not touch your newly pierced ears with your hands. Editors notes: If youre scared of not being able to sleep without sleeping on the affected side, you should try practicing sleep in the opposite position for a few days or even a week before you get your piercing. For an earlobe piercing, most of the healing takes place within six weeks, at which time the starter earring can be changed out to another nickel-free piece of jewelry, Sarah Lacy, RN, senior manager of piercing research and innovation at the piercing studio Rowan, tells SELF. The healing period depends on the area of the piercing. If you want to touch a new piercing or twist the jewelry, never do so. The problem with the silicon plugs is that you need to disrupt your piercing and the immediate area around the piercing at least four times a day. You will be able to avoid infection and speed up the healing process by doing so. Sleeping on a piercing can cause it to tilt and move, especially if it is new, but this can also happen over time. Studs are typically less painful when laid on, making them an appealing choice for new piercings. Please read our fulldisclosure pageto learn more about it. This will help keep your piercings clean and will also prevent you from accidentally scratching or bumping them during the night. Alternatively, there are many handmade piercing pillows shaped like donuts that can ease your sleep times. Basically, cartilage tissue has less blood circulation and therefore is slow to heal and regenerate itself. A couple of days after getting your ears pierced, you may experience redness, swelling, or pain. Silicone plugs are a great investment if your ear is swollen and the golden or steel plugs feel too firm and are scratching your ear or neck. It is most likely that your piercer would advise you to clean your skin around the stud two to three times per day. 11. As a result, their reactions to the piercing will be much less severe than those of an older child or adult. How To Sleep After Ear Piercing | Sleepation Once your doctor sees you, they may take a culture (a test to detect infection-causing bacteria), and they could possibly give you a prescription for a topical or oral antibiotic, depending on the severity of the infection, Dr. Gohara adds. A soft sports bra can be worn to bed in place of a pierced nipple. This site has been designed to share personal life experiences with sleep and the on this website is for informational purposes only. How to Sleep Comfortably with a New Piercing. How to Make a Migraine Game Plan If You Have a Demanding Job. If you are having a new piercing, make sure it is clean and free of infection, clean your bed linens, and dont attempt to sleep on it until it has healed completely. If you have particularly dry and/or sensitive skin that feels irritated, consider talking to your primary care doctor or dermatologist about a prescription-strength topical antibiotic, which can help calm things down and prevent infection. If the piercing becomes irritated or sore, you can use a numbing agent like Neosporin to relieve the pain. Piercers typically use starter earrings that dont contain nickel to cut back on the possibility of an allergic reaction.). Daith Piercing Pain: What to Expect, Healing Time, and More - Healthline Your new jewelry may look cool to you, but your body sees it a bit differently: Puncturing your ears is essentially an injury. Aside from your daily soap and water cleanse, youll also want to further clean the area 2 to 3 times daily for the first 6 or 12 weeks (again, depending on whether its an earlobe or cartilage piercing) using an antibacterial solution to reduce your chances of infection. Healing Time 2. The short answer on how to sleep with a new piercing comfortably and painlessly is to avoid sleeping on the piercing. It was a bit painful and I was a bit worried that I had done some damage. 2. Avoid sleeping on the side with the piercing and avoid touching it with dirty hands. Alternatively, a tower made of soft cotton is also an option. We all move in our sleep, so. Also, fingernails contain tons of bacteria, so keeping the piercing covered can stop you from touching it and adding potentially harmful germs, she says. Laser Tattoo Removal Can Cause Blisters Here's Why and How to Treat Them. If you follow the aftercare instructions recommend by your piercer, sleeping in new ear piercings shouldnt cause any issues. Wear loose-fitting clothing to bed to prevent your piercing from getting caught on your clothes. These earrings may be worn for weeks or months at a time. There is no definitive answer to this question as it depends on the individuals healing process. Our website services, content, and products are for informational purposes only. Some babies may be perfectly fine sleeping on their side after having their ears pierced, while others may prefer to sleep on their back or stomach. For a comfortable nights sleep, you should lay down on the most common piercing and in the sleeping position that best suits your needs. Cartilage piercing has an inherent risk of infection because of the risk of open wounds. Try rising it up into a bun or tying your hair. Rook Piercing 101: Everything You Need to Know - Byrdie During the initial stages of healingthe first 6 weeks for a lobe piercing and 12 weeks for a cartilage piercingexperts say you should follow the steps listed below to keep the area clean and infection-free. What Is This Bump on My Cartilage Piercing and What Should I Do? This will help your ears to stick-out a little and you can sleep comfortably. Be aware that the next day or throughout the night they may feel a little sensitive. One Of A Kind Emerald Green Bedroom Design Ideas: Learn To Apply Decor Secrets, Most Elegant Master Bedroom Ideas: Learn To Decorate In Style (And Affordable), 30+ Creative Preppy Bedroom Aesthetic Ideas: Learn To Decorate With Style, Can You Sleep With a Wig On? You may want to make an appointment with them so that they can make sure the holes have healed up properly. The more you stick to the aftercare guidelines above, the less chance youll have of developing an infection and the better and faster the hole will healand the sooner youll, perhaps, be ready for your next piercing (or a new tattoo, possibly?). Most people prefer sleeping on their back, according to various statistics, but being limited to sleeping on their back is often uncomfortable for many sleepers. This website uses cookies to improve your experience while you navigate through the website. You should use a mild, non-antibacterial, fragrance-free soap, as well as enough friction to clean the piercing, but not so much that it causes any damage to it. Also if you have the room in your bed a pillow or rolled-up clothes either side of the top of your arms. Its worth noting that the ear cartilage piercing can take a very long time to heal, anywhere from 6 to 12 months if you care for it well. Alternatively, you can place a towel or cloth over your pillow while sleeping. Soak a cotton ball in the salt water and place it on the infected area. Pain level: 6/10. Starter earrings and fresh piercings require surgical-grade stainless steel, titanium, 14-karat gold, 18-karat gold, and niobium. It helps by allowing the jewelry to move freely in the incision or hole. Its a good idea to clean the piercing every day with mild soap water to speed things up. Scrub the piercing site twice daily with mild soap and water to begin. That said, some people are ready to endure a few days of poor sleep quality until the early healing results are visible. Ad Choices, Everything You Need to Know About Ear Piercing Aftercare. If you want to stick with pillow protectors try. But if its disrupting your life, you may want to see a doctor. During the night, it is best not to wear earrings unless they are new, and old piercings should not be worn. Note that hypoallergenic is often used interchangeably with nickel-free in the jewelry world, but since the term isnt regulated, youll want to make sure your earrings are made with nickel-free metals like stainless steel, 14-karat gold, sterling silver, or titaniumas long as youre not allergic to those materials, of course. Something that can also ease the pain and discomfort when going to sleep is cleaning your ears with alcohol as well as other ointments before going to bed and after waking up. How To Sleep With New Piercings On Both Ears, Avoid A Piercing Pain: Sleep Comfortably With New Ear Piercings, Healing Your Ear Piercings: An Essential Guide, Chiropractic Care And Hearing Tests: What You Need To Know, Detecting And Treating Bacterial Meningitis: A Guide To Hearing Loss And Fever Tests, How Long Does A Sedated Hearing Test Take? A quick test is to press your piercing quite firmly into your pillow and if it is not tender or does not hurt, I would sleep on it that night if you are ready. It is critical to keep earrings in good condition at all times, whether they are new or old. If it is uncomfortable to sleep on your side, try sleeping on your back or stomach instead. It can be extremely painful for people with low pain tolerance. Any information published on this website or by this brand is not intended as a substitute for medical advice, and you should not take any action before consulting with a healthcare professional. You might want to combat bad breath right awaybut tweaking your routine could be worth it. In the worst-case scenario, you may even need to see a doctor. When wearing older piercings, it is best not to sleep in your earrings. Sleeping with a New Tattoo the Best Sleep Positions, The Secrets of How to Protect Your Hair While Sleeping, Click to know how you can drift off to sleep more easily, Click to know more about 3D curved eye mask. Well list them below. (Just be sure to do a patch test with any new product first by applying it to your inner arm and waiting 24 hours to make sure your skin doesnt hate it.) For a cartilage piercing (anywhere outside the lobe), most of the surface healing happens in the first 12 weeks or so; however, the deeper part of the piercing still needs a full year to heal, Lacy says. This may involve: 1. The piercing cannot be removed or left to sleep. Please read our fulldisclosure pageto learn more about it. While the initial piercing may not be overly uncomfortable, the pressure of sleeping on the piercing can cause irritation and swelling. These earrings are hypoallergenic in terms of hypoallergenicness, whether they are made of stainless steel or gold. Just know that over time when the piercings heal you will be able to sleep on them. You may be at an increased risk if you sleep on your side, as the earring can press against the side of your head and cause discomfort. I eventually managed to drift off, but I woke up to find that I had been sleeping on my new ear piercing. We know the feeling. Cartilage piercings are different, thoughyou should just clean the piercing front and back two to three times a day without twisting the earring and generally avoid touching the area when youre not cleaning it to avoid additional irritation. The more you twist and play with a cartilage piercing, the more irritation the cartilage receives, which can cause bumps, keloid scars, and infection, Lacy adds. Additionally, you can try sleeping with a blanket made out of cotton without peeking threads and other materials that can attach to the earring and pull it off your ear. Just know that over time when the piercings healing you will be able to sleep on them. Why You Should Not Sleep on a New Piercing, Infection from Removing Piercing Too Early, How You Should Sleep with New Ear Piercings on Both Sides, Piercing Type and What Position You Should Sleep In. But if you have older piercings, its best to avoid sleeping in your earrings. It is normal to feel good the next morning after sleeping on your piercing for a few months. The material on this site may not be reproduced, distributed, transmitted, cached or otherwise used, except with the prior written permission of Cond Nast. This is a tough one, especially because the helix piercing can take many months and sometimes even more than a year to heal. There are some excellent choices here at Amazon. You will learn how to sleep with a cartilage today. No, you cannot take your piercing off or out to sleep. If you wear this during the night, you will not be able to move around and cause further pain. If you have had your nipples pierced a soft sports bra can be worn to bed for support if needed. Youll also want to avoid twisting and playing with the jewelry to reduce your risk of irritation and infection. It will numb the area while helping to heal as you sleep. As a part of Amazon Affiliate for every qualifying purchase, we make some money. Many people have questions about how theyll sleep once they get their ears pierced. Luckily, I hadnt, and my ear was fine. Its always good to use several so that you can change them when its necessary, usually every few days. 6 Reasons And A Guide To Solutions, 7 Reasons For Having An Oily Face When You Wake Up (And 6 Solutions!). Once you develop a keloid, it can be challenging to eliminate. If a new piercing is infected, it is best not to remove it. It can prevent the redness and swelling from going away as theyre constantly under the pressure. The most common piercings are earlobe piercings on both sides therein lies the difficulty sleeping if you are not a back sleeper. health.clevelandclinic.org/are-your-earrings-or-body-piercings-causing-a-nickel-allergy/, ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3520258/, mayoclinic.org/healthy-lifestyle/adult-health/in-depth/piercings/art-20047317, childrensmd.org/browse-by-age-group/youre-piercing-medical-complications-cartilage-ear-piercing/, The Dos and Donts of Getting Your Ears Re-pierced, How to Repair and Prevent Earring Hole Tears and Stretching, Debra Sullivan, Ph.D., MSN, R.N., CNE, COI, Planning to Get Pierced? Getting a piercing can be a fun and exciting experience, but you should always take good care of your piercing so that it heals properly and safely. This category only includes cookies that ensures basic functionalities and security features of the website. Here are a few tips on how to sleep on your side with a new piercing: 1. Subscribe to our 10 days email series for expert tips and tricks straight to your inbox. Either by obtaining a pillow to assist in a pain-free nights sleep. It is best to have a doctor perform the procedure or recommend that someone else do it in the most secure conditions. This, in turn, could make the piercing heal at weird angles and will not look as good as if it had been able to heal untouched. Most people have no problem going to. 6. (2018). How to avoid sleeping on ear piercing? This is located between the tragus and the lower part of the forward helix of your ear (a pressure point some claim can help with migraines), which keeps you sleep protected. {See DIY Piercing Pillow Video below!}. The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, the American Medical Association and the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists call mifepristone safe and effective for abortion and . In the innermost part of your ear, between the tragus and lower part of the forward helix (which may help with migraines), a pressure point is located, which prevents irritation during sleep.