If you walk into your bedroom right now, does it make you want to crawl in to bed and read a book? Or does it remind you to do the laundry? Can you even get to your bed?
Your sleep and rest space is probably the most important room in your home for your rest and relaxation. If you have a surgery coming up or have been injured you need to address this room immediately. No matter what your circumstances though, these tips will help you create a more restful and relaxing space.
What purpose does your bedroom serve?
- Closet & dressing room
- Sleep
- Romance
- Exercise
- Reading and watching TV
Like most of us, your bedroom serves multiple purposes. Everyone has read the studies and the magazine articles saying that these things are bad for our sleep, but how realistic is that? If you live in a one bedroom apartment, where else are you going to put the treadmill, the living room?
Nothing used to put my mother to sleep faster than television. Even when she was in pain, so eventually, when she became less mobile, she had one in her bedroom; it just made sense.
So begin by accepting reality and admitting that you will probably not have the Zen bedroom everyone would like in their wildest dreams. But you will have a bedroom that will help you feel better.
What will you need?
For recuperating, there are some critical factors for your bedroom. These are important to your rest and your safety. You may need to make some temporary changes to your room to make it a better recuperation space. Who knows? You might like it enough to keep it that way.
Will you be sleeping alone?
If you plan to sleep alone, it will simplify things because you don’t have to worry about someone rolling over and disturbing you or bumping you. Keep in mind that you if you have a partner who is sleeping in another room, or if you are, this may wear on you both after a time. Talk to each other and be ready to reorganize. Both my husband and I have taken turns sleeping in the spare bedroom after my surgeries in order that we sleep better, but it never lasted long. We preferred to find a way to manage together, if we could. After my husband’s surgery, he insisted I stay put; he felt better with me there. Recuperation can already be isolating, so plan accordingly.
If you plan to sleep together, I hope you have a king bed. I’m only partially kidding on that one. After my first major surgery as a couple, my husband and I switched to a king bed. He said he got tired of clinging to the edge. He was petrified to roll over and hurt me.So, alternately, investing in a body pillow or rolling a blanket into a long tube and laying it between you can serve as a great barrier for both of you to avoid such concerns. It can also allow a certain degree of cuddling, even with children, while still protecting the tender area.
Accessibility
How mobile will you be? And will you need any special equipment to get around?
If you are coming home on crutches, with a walker, or just a little unstable on your feet, you need to make sure that you have a clear path to your bed, and to your washroom. This means making sure there is no laundry on the floor, and definitely no toys. And get rid of any area rugs, at least temporarily. Nothing can be more dangerous than a scatter rug that slides or folds.
Walk around the room and ask yourself if you have a clear path of at least 24-30 inches in width to your side of the bed and to your bathroom. You may want to consider switching sides of the bed if it makes things more accessible. Put away any small pieces of furniture, such as accent tables or blanket racks that crowd your pathways. It’s not difficult to catch a crutch or cane on furniture if things are too crowded.
And don’t forget that you need a safe spot to keep the crutches or cane while you sleep. You don’t want them to fall out of your reach.
Environment
Getting sleep can be hard enough normally, but if you are in pain or uncomfortable due to illness, injury or surgery, it can feel impossible. You need to give yourself every opportunity to catch every Z.
If your room is usually light and bright, you need to find ways to darken it when you need to rest during daylight. If you can use an eye mask, great; that is your best option. But if you just can’t get used to them, you might need a larger solution. Consider blackout drapes or curtain liners. If you want a cheaper and more temporary solution, consider blackout paper blinds so you can remove them when you are ready.
On the flip side, if you will be in your room resting when you are awake, you also need to make sure you can get plenty of sunshine during the day. You don’t want to get depressed from spending all day in a dark room. So make sure that whatever solution you have for darkening the room is easily reversible when you need to.
Wouldn’t it be nice if every home was outfitted with remote control curtains, like on TV?
What other activities to consider?
No, I am not being naughty here. Sometimes the first few days or weeks after surgery, you may be living in bed. Find out how mobile you are expected to be. Consider all of your needs, then factor all of this into your plans. Your needs may include:
- Bathing
- Eating
- Entertainment (reading, TV, etc…)
- Working
- Exercising (physiotherapy)
- Socializing
- Nursing (wound care, etc..)
- Sleeping!
How do you fit that many activities in one room? It is possible, although you may need help and a few tools that make it easier.
Consider a set of drawers on wheels:
I have had a set of rolling drawers for every one of my surgeries. Usually sturdy plastic like this one, although if some of these more attractive options had been available, I certainly would have preferred them. Mine had 6 drawers and I filled them as follows:
- Pens, pencils, small notebook, notes from the doctor, exercises from the physiotherapist and other paperwork
- Magazines and crossword puzzles
- Medication (should be able to look down on this drawer, or you should have everything in a pouch you can easily remove.
- Toiletries such as face cream, deodorant, moisturizer and lotions.
- Bathing and washing supplies
- Exercise equipment like resistance bands and such.
- On top I kept a charger for my e-reader and a small flashlight for finding things after my husband fell asleep.
With these supplies next to the bed, I was able to take care of all of my personal affairs quietly and at my leisure. All I needed was someone to bring me a basin of warm water and I could wash, do my exercises, take my medicine and greet the household with some dignity.
In the corner, I also had a basket with clean towels and the supplies for my nurse to change my dressings. Even though we always put a disposable waterproof mat under me first, I always used a mattress protector under the sheets in case of spills.
If you think you will be entertaining guests, I suggest a nice chair close to the bed. It is terrible to have someone come and see you and promptly sit on the bed and hurt you. You may find this handy for your own use as well. Sitting up a few hours a day is pretty important to your recuperation as well.
Last but not least, when my daughter was 2 and I was bedridden for a month, we bought some toys that could easily be played with in bed and kept them in my room along with a bag of books. they never left my room. I would place the body pillow next to me to keep her from hitting my legs by accident and we would sit and watch a show and play everyday. And snuggle. I am sure that had a lot to do with how fast I got better.
