After any foot or ankle surgery, most doctors recommend wearing a walking boot for 24 hours to get more secure movements.
And that also includes sleeping during the day and longer hours at night.
Walking braces serve a good purpose during your post-op, but sleeping wearing them remains a common query.
In this article, I’ll answer all of your walking boot questions and the after-effects of wearing boots while sleeping at night or taking your afternoon nap!
So, to know more, stay tuned.
Should You Sleep With Your Walking Boots On?
Yes, you should sleep with your walking boots on, and you must not take off your braces during the first weeks. The only time you may take them off is while you’re showering. However, lose the straps and use some gel to enhance the comfort of wearing such air boots while sleeping.
Most times, doctors suggest wearing Cam walkers or air boots after your cast removal.
Those shoes/braces help to heal the fractured part by keeping them intact. As most leg injuries require fewer movements, even in sleep, wearing walking braces for 24 hours speeds up the healing process.
Now the question arises, is it necessary to keep boots on for those who don’t move much while sleeping?
Well, you can’t control your movements when you sleep. right? So, the answer is yes, it is necessary.
To keep yourself safe, keep your boots on, even when you’re in bed!
However, you may say comfort is an issue in such cases. And I totally agree with you. In fact, my younger brother kept complaining when he had his boots on for weeks, and his main issue was discomfort as he couldn’t sleep as soundly as before.
But, his condition improved after continuing his walking boot. You see, how did such a temporary discomfort pay off during the healing period? So why not?
If you are concerned about your bedsheet getting dirty, use some old pillow that you don’t use anymore to get more support.
Follow our guide to know what is a met guard in boots.
How Does Sleeping With Walking Boots Help?
One thing is clear if you are wearing a walking boot, you have to sleep with them on. I know it can be discomforting.
So hear me out!
These boots are on your feet for a reason, which is your quick recovery; for that, you must tolerate them for a few weeks.
Moreover, it is the doctor’s advice that you put on a walking boot while even sleeping to avoid putting weight on the foot.
So, let’s see how sleeping with walking boots on helps in recovery:
Provides Safety
Safety is the first and foremost need of sleeping with your walking boots on. Because when you sleep, you don’t have control over your movements.
A sudden intense movement can worsen your condition.
My younger brother fractured his ankle last month and insisted on removing his walking boots.
The next morning we all woke up to his deadly scream.
His ankle was swelling like a balloon. So, you see, for safety, you should wear the boot all the time, even if you move less while sleeping.
To Hold The Ankle Shape
After an active day, when you sleep, your body goes into hibernation mode naturally to relax your every muscle. It’s a natural healing process.
Fascinating, isn’t it?
Without your walking boots on, your ankle won’t be in its active state. It will maintain it’s natural hibernation mode and extend the resting time. Thus it can’t participate in the healing process during the nighttime.
Therefore, it can cause further damage to your broken ankle, so wearing your boots is important. It also stabilizes the foot.
Prevent More Damage
There is no certain fact that you can’t get injured after getting your treatment. There are so many cases where patients got more injured, and that worsened their condition.
The boot will keep your foot intact and safe.
If you sleep with a partner or pets during the healing process, keeping your boots on is the wise decision to prevent any injury.
To Serve As A Reminder
The human brain is a wonder, and even you can’t control your subconscious actions.
So, when you are recovering from such an injury, your brain should have that warning system that you are not to move your feet or ankle much.
Walking boots do the job of that message bearer for you and ensure your comfort.
Read more on how to stretch caiman boots.
5 Ways To Reduce Discomfort While Sleeping With Walking Boots
If you get injured in your foot and ankle, you have no other way but to wear your walk boots in sleep. Not to mention it is quite uncomfortable.
There are effective and less time-consuming ways to ease your resting time while wearing braces or a Cam walker.
Here are the ways to reduce walking boot discomfort while sleeping:
1. Loosen The Straps
There’s no need to keep those straps of your boots tight when you are planning to jump into bed. Give them a break.
Most patients found it more relaxing and slept well.
However, if you wake up in the middle of the night, don’t forget to tighten the straps.
2. Maintain A Good Sleeping Position
Another way of reducing discomfort is to sleep in a specific position. That is to sleep on your back.
This way, your body remains more flat and balanced. If you are a side sleeper, a boot or air cast is helpful but let me tell you, it’s not going to be comfortable.
Napping on your belly is not a good idea, either.
3. By Taking Pain Killers
Sleeping with your walking boots on will protect your injured area, but sometimes they can cause pain in the middle of the night.
So, taking your pain medication is a good idea before going down.
You don’t wanna wake up at dawn in pain, do you?
4. Order A Gel Heel
In most cases, the pain is related to your heel. To solve this problem, a gel heel cup comes in handy. They give your hell extra support during painful nights.
Gel heel cup is the moderated solution of painkillers, so you can try them.
5. Use Extra Pillow
When there is a will, there is a way. Try your pillow for extra support if you can’t try any of the ways I mentioned above. It is always available at your home. All you have to do is, grab a few more for yourself and sleep with pillows surrounding you. It will provide some extra support and protection for your foot injuries.
Put a pillow between your legs if you are a side sleeper. It helps.
Check out our separate post to know are caterpillar boots good.
The Risk Of Removing Your Walking Boots When Sleeping
Several external factors can increase your pain no matter how much you try to convince me that you don’t move while sleeping.
If you are someone who doesn’t move much while napping, you still shouldn’t overlook the risk of twisting your injured area. So, don’t remove your walking braces to reduce the risk of pain and swelling.
Well, you can while resting, but sleeping is not safe enough.
Your children, pets and even your partner can subconsciously be the reason for your injury. This can worsen your condition.
Yes, I get you. Sleeping uncomfortably can make you moody and irritated.
But are you willing to sacrifice your healing process over a few uncomfortable nights?
I don’t think so.
You may also like to read are sorel boots good for hiking.
Parting Thoughts
Walking boots are the outside glue that holds your injured feet to it’s right place and ensures you a safe recovery.
You need to wear them while you are sleeping, and no matter how discomforting they feel, you need to tolerate that for the greater outcome.
I hope you got what you came looking for. And for additional queries, comment below.
