If you're wondering how to sleep with a new tattoo, look no further! This guide will show you the best way to get a good night's sleep with your new ink. The best tip to protect your new tattoo is to keep it clean and dry. Try not to sleep on it, as this can irritate the skin. Instead, sleep on your back or side. You may also want to cover your tattoo with a bandage or wrap.
Tips And Tricks For Sleeping With A Tattoo
Giving your body the time it needs to heal is vital while sleeping with a fresh tattoo, but there are other factors to consider, such as how to lie in bed, how frequently to change your bedding, and sleeping with a tattoo when traveling.
Here are some tips for sleeping with a fresh tattoo:
Be Serious About Sleep
Even if you're not usually the kind to sleep for eight hours straight, sleep is never more vital than while your body attempts to recover, so make sleep a priority throughout the first week.
Apply The Adhesive Wrapping Tattoo At Night
If your artist provided you with adhesive wrap, you could keep it on the tattoo overnight to protect the ink and your bed sheets. Reducing the stress of getting residue or ointment on your bedding leads to a better night's sleep...which is the ultimate aim!
Rewrapping And Showering
If your tattoo artist wrapped it but told you to shower or wash it when you got home, follow their cleaning recommendations and rewrap the area for the night. You can remove the temporary wrap in the morning and do your business, but it's a good idea to clean and rewrap the new tattoo for the first three nights.
Use A Bonus Bed Sheet
If you don't rewrap the tattoo for the first few nights, you should bring an extra bed sheet that you don't mind getting ink on. Not only will this assist in keeping the tattoo clean, but it will also guard against germs, sweat, and bacteria that may have gathered on an unwashed sheet.
Change The Order Of Your Bed Sheets
Continue to rotate your sheets as frequently as possible to keep pet hair, dust, and residue at bay. This problem is significantly easier to solve if you wrap the tattoo every night.
Sleeping Position
Try not to lay on the freshly tattooed region if at all feasible. You don't want to strain your new component, so try to sleep in a comfortable, pressure-free posture.
Use Warm Water To Loosen Stuck Bedding
If your tattoo has rubbed up against the sheet throughout the night and has been attached to the fabric, do not peel it off without first soaking it. Take the sheet to the faucet and gently pour warm water over the area until it loosens.
If you rip it off without first gently relaxing the region, you may unintentionally pull ink from the tattoo, resulting in a less-than-ideal healing process.
Remove Your Pets
If you have pets, keeping them away from your new tattoo for the first several nights is recommended. Not only are hair and bacteria your tattoo's deadliest enemies, but animals also like to smell and lick. If you can't sleep without your animal buddies, ensure your tattoo is protected from their noses, paws, and tongues.
Sleeping With A New Tattoo While On The Road
If you're traveling or getting a tattoo at a conference and sleeping in a hotel overnight, it's a good idea to bring your bedding or plan on wearing a wrap at night to protect your tattoo. As clean as a bed may appear, you never know what lurks beneath the mattress or sheets, and it's better to be cautious than sorry.
Keep A Pack Of Tattoo Wipes On Hand
Keeping a pack of sterilized tattoo wipes on hand guarantees that you are always prepared to clean your tattoo if necessary. WIPEOUTZTM single-use cleansing tattoo towels are individually wrapped and soaked in our antibacterial WASH solution for on-the-go tattoo maintenance.
These are very useful when traveling, but we recommend keeping one at home just in case.
Obtain Clean Sheets
Changing the sheets and pillows while making sure they're made of silk or cotton will make many things more accessible. A breathable, cool, and pleasant material will keep you cool at night, especially in the summer, and will keep your tattoo from being irritated.
Maintain the Temperature of Your Room
Remember that one of the most excellent methods to get a good night's sleep after having a tattoo is to keep the room temperature cool. This sentence should be magnified by ten if you sweat a lot throughout the summer.
The optimal temperature for sleeping is between 65 and 73 degrees Fahrenheit, depending on the season.
Reduce the Noise
Finally, we're easily agitated when we're in pain, and even the most insignificant daily difficulties might anger us. Noise is a well-known disruptor that might make you feel even angry and wearier when caring for your swelling tattoo wound at night.
Before going to bed, listen to some soothing music and turn off most of the noisemakers in your environment.
Wear Comfortable Clothes
Finally, you should get ready for bed. You cannot sleep in anything, especially garments made of polyester or any synthetic material that may cause you to sweat excessively and cause your tattoo to become moist.
Wear loose attire, such as a silk or cotton gown. Avoid using synthetics or lace. Wearing viscose clothing may make you feel more comfortable in some instances, but avoid it if you sweat a lot. Stick to loose or baggy shirts or shorts, although a broad gown could work best if you're a lady.
Sleeping With New Tattoo Is Important
Your immune system is essential in recovering from a cold or a wound (such as a tattoo). And getting enough sleep is essential for maintaining a healthy immune system.
Getting enough sleep aids healing. While sleeping, your body begins to deliver white blood cells to damaged locations without interruption.
When you don't get enough sleep, your immune system struggles to function correctly. Your tattoo may take longer to heal or be more susceptible to infection.
However, obtaining a decent night's sleep with a new tattoo might be difficult. Every movement might wake you up when you're trying to sleep well.
If you roll onto your tattoo, it may ache or twinge, prompting you to wake up. Alternatively, if your tattoo is in a location that makes it difficult to rest properly, you may struggle to fall asleep immediately.
Learning how to sleep with a fresh tattoo is critical to obtaining the greatest sleep possible.
How Can I Sleep Comfortably In A Different Position?
It might be difficult to figure out how to sleep with a tattoo.
If you have tattoos on your back, lie on your side or front. Sleep on the other side of your tattoo is on your side. If your artwork is on your chest, lie on your back. If you have tattoos that cover your arms or legs from front to back, elevate the limb with a cushion, so it doesn't rest flat.
Sleeping On The Back
To avoid hurting your ink, lie on your back if you've been tattooed on your chest, stomach, or the front of your thighs.
Use cushions to help you stay in this position. Place a pillow or smaller pillows beneath each of your knees. This will reduce strain on your lower back and allow you to stay in this posture longer.
Sleeping On The Stomach
Back and shoulder tattoos will necessitate sleeping on your stomach. If you can't bear lying on your chest, put a soft cushion beneath it. This helps to lift it slightly and relieve pressure.
You may buy a customized pillow made to make stomach sleeping more pleasant. It features a hole allowing you to lift your head and breathe comfortably.
Sleeping On Your Right Side
If your new piece of art is on your side, you should sleep on the other side. You might sleep on your stomach or back. However, you are more likely to rub against the tat or roll over onto it accidentally.
Pillows can provide additional support in this posture. Pillows (or one long pillow) should be placed towards your back to prevent you from rolling over. Another can be placed in front of your chest to complete the support.
FAQs
What If My Bedding Covers My Tattoo?
Don't be alarmed if you wake up with your sheet plastered to your tattoo! If this occurs, do not attempt to pull it off immediately.
Bring a piece of linen with you to the restroom and moisten it. Removing the tattoo as it becomes damp should loosen and become simpler.
Please take your time with this! If you remove it too rapidly, you risk removing skin and damaging your artwork. Wet it and gently rub it away from your tattoo.
Do I Need To Wrap My Tattoo At Night?
Follow the counsel of your tattoo artist on this one. We've previously talked about wrapping, but the artist generally knows best.
Cover it for the first three or four nights if you're apprehensive about sleeping with your tat exposed.
Don't wrap it with cling film if you decide to cover it. Choose a breathable material, such as a sterile bandage or medical wrapping. Cling film traps sweat and moisture against the tattoo, preventing proper ventilation.
When Can I Sleep On My Tattoo?
However, tattoo healing and aftercare require more than simply one night. It would be advisable to skip sleeping on the side with the tattoos for at least seven nights. If that's not possible, at least wait until the tattoo begins to dry off, and you may stop wearing the wrap.
Conclusion
Wherever your tattoo is on your body, sleeping with it need not be difficult. If you adhere to the advice provided in this article, your tattoo will heal successfully within the anticipated healing period.
