You\u2019ve got a new tattoo? Congratulations! Now, you can enjoy flaunting it while it helps you identify with your strengths and cause. However, if this is your first tattoo, you must be worried about how to act with it and how to provide proper aftercare once you come home. While there are a lot of guides on how to care for your tattoo, there\u2019s little to no information about how to sleep with it without worrying.<\/p>\n
Oftentimes the skin around the new tattoo is swollen and covered in a bandage or a comfortable adhesive wrap that takes care of the swelling and inflammation. That\u2019s what can make it extremely uncomfortable for people who sleep on a certain side where the tattoo is.<\/p>\n
But don\u2019t worry, we prepared a guide with great tips that will help you sleep with your tattoo peacefully, and not worry about waking up in excruciating pain in the middle of the night.<\/p>\n
Additionally, we prepared extra tips that will educate you on how to prepare your bedroom for sleeping with a tattoo, especially if you decide to get inked in the summer when it\u2019s hot and it\u2019s already hard to sleep during the hot summer weather.<\/p>\n
A tattoo wound is not like other wounds. When getting tattooed, your tattoo artist will use a needle to inject the ink inside the outer layer of your skin. In simple words, it may not sound as painful to you, but as the painkilling gels and medicines start to wear off, you\u2019ll see that it\u2019s becoming increasingly difficult to deal with your tattoo.<\/p>\n
According to a study<\/a>, if we don\u2019t take proper aftercare of our tattoo<\/a> and clean<\/a> it frequently, we\u2019re risking a severe bacterial infection. Such infection<\/a> could not only slow down the healing<\/a> process of the new tattoo but also make all the hard work the tattoo artist invested go in vain.<\/p>\n While sleeping, we\u2019re unable to care for our tattoos 100%. Still, we can prepare our environment, and make amendments to make our body feel more comfortable in sleep so that we can heal faster.<\/p>\n With that in mind, it\u2019s important to be mindful of yourself and your tattoo and listen to your professional tattoo artist<\/a>, especially if you\u2019re prone to sleeping in unconventional positions like on your stomach, or often toss and turn a lot in the middle of the night.<\/p>\n We promise that these tips will help you get restful night’s rest without being disturbed by the pain or discomfort. If anything, you\u2019ll wake up more refreshed and your tattoo wound will feel better on you.<\/p>\n Some tattoo artists recommend that you can take off the film or adhesive wrapping after a few hours when you\u2019re back home or after you take a shower. However, it\u2019s better to keep the wrapping on through the night, so that the fresh wound can begin to heal itself.<\/p>\n It\u2019d be good to ask your tattoo artist where to buy more wraps so that you can change them if necessary. One of the best ways to change the wrapping is to clean your tattoo with antibacterial soap and then apply a new wrapping that will sit through the night allowing your wound to breathe and heal gradually.<\/p>\n Also Read:\u00a0Tattoo Wrapping: Can I Wrap The Tattoo In Cling Film, and For How Long?<\/a><\/p>\n Editor\u2019s notes:<\/strong><\/p>\n Your adhesive wrapping should be breathable, waterproof, and made out of hypoallergenic materials. You don\u2019t want to catch an allergic reaction that you didn\u2019t know about over your freshly inked tattoo.<\/p>\n Stack up on tattoo aftercare bandages and wraps that will help you change the wrapping the next morning if necessary. We think that Saniderm<\/a> is the best option on the market.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n This one seems obvious. But many people who toss and turn may not take this advice seriously and may still sleep on the side where they were inked.<\/p>\n It\u2019d be the best to sleep on the side. The opposite side of where you tattooed yourself. If you have a back tattoo, however, or you tattooed the rear side of your arm or leg, it\u2019d be best to sleep on your stomach or side.<\/p>\n As most people ink the front part of their body, they should sleep on their back, so that they wouldn\u2019t squish their wound, and potentially lead to bleeding or infection.<\/p>\n Editor\u2019s notes<\/strong>:<\/p>\n Many people think that spending one night restricted on where you sleep is enough. Still, tattoo aftercare and healing take more time than just one night. It\u2019d be the best to refrain from sleeping on the tattooed side for at least 7 nights. If you find that to be impossible, at least be patient until the tattoo starts drying out and you don\u2019t have to wear wrap anymore.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n Tattoo wipes are an important asset to tattoo healing and aftercare, so it\u2019s important to always keep them close. They\u2019re valuable to keep in your bed or the nightstand, especially if a few nights have passed and you took your bandage and wraps off.<\/p>\n They use antibacterial and hypoallergenic materials that will help clean the puss or some other fluid coming out of your tattoo if it gets irritated. More importantly, they will provide sufficient pain relief if you wake up with a burning sensation.<\/p>\n During the day, you should frequently clean your tattoo with wipes. If you wake up in the middle of the night feeling pain and like your wound is burning, you\u2019ll be able to provide yourself with the ultimate relief.<\/p>\n Editor\u2019s notes<\/strong>:<\/p>\n We recommend either the Clorox<\/a> disinfecting wipes or some other option that is focused on cleaning tattoos like Wipe Outz<\/a>, although they are pricier.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n One of the most important things to consider is getting enough sleep. The adequate sleeping amount helps us stay alert during the day, but it also restores our muscles and tissues thanks to the deep and restorative sleep during the night.<\/p>\n More importantly, when we\u2019re tired and stressed, more cortisol is released in our body which contributes to irritability and lower pain tolerance. When you\u2019re rested enough, mundane tasks won\u2019t stress you out, and pain during the day will be less challenging.<\/p>\n We know that it\u2019s hard to fall asleep and stay calm during the night just enough to ignore the pain that becomes more prominent when we\u2019re focusing on it. With the help of other tips highlighted in this article, you should have an easier time falling asleep.<\/p>\n Editor\u2019s notes<\/strong>:<\/p>\n Try meditating before sleep so that you can focus your thought on nicer and more calming things.<\/p>\n Read other tips on how to sleep with a new tattoo, and how to prepare your bedroom for sleep.<\/p>\n Make sleep your priority, don\u2019t go out too much, and task yourself with exhausting work. Dedicate the first 7 days of healing to yourself.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n We love pets, and we\u2019re sure that you do too. After all, pets’ paws and portraits are the inexhaustible source of inspiration for new tattoos. However, your new tattoo may not be a fan of your pets, especially if they leave the hair on the sheets whenever they come in.<\/p>\n We highlighted earlier how important it is to keep your bedroom clean, and how your tattoo needs to be cleaned and covered with antibacterial and hypoallergenic materials. Your wound is open in a way and we need to prevent the entrance of microbes and bacteria into your system, which can happen through dog or cat hair.<\/p>\n Unfortunately, your furry friends will need to be patient for a few days, but it\u2019s only temporary.<\/p>\n Editor\u2019s notes:<\/strong><\/p>\n If your pet is stubborn and continues jumping on your bed throughout the day, toss and turn your bedding and rotate it daily so that the persistent hair gets off it.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n Sometimes alcohol is the best way to soothe pain, but it doesn\u2019t work with your tattoo. Instead, it can be counterproductive. Alcohol can lead to us feeling more tired in the morning. Also, people who take booze may be less tolerant of pain and could end up tossing and turning in the night and not be able to focus on actual sleeping.<\/p>\n A report<\/a> has shown that drinking alcohol can affect your sleep quality and not let you get an adequate amount of sleep. That\u2019s why you should avoid drinking in the evening, especially after you\u2019ve gotten a new and painful tattoo.<\/p>\n Waking up wasted and hungover the next morning is hard enough without wounds on your body. Imagine how it\u2019d feel with a fresh tattoo wound made the day before. Wait, ideally 7 days before you start drinking and celebrating.<\/p>\n Also, it\u2019d be good if you could avoid smoking too much as that could also hinder your pain tolerance.<\/p>\n In the early days of the tattoo healing process, we can\u2019t stress enough how important it is to clean your tattoo frequently, but also moisturize it with nutrients that your skin needs to heal faster. After you take your wraps off, there\u2019s a chance that your bed and mattress could make your tattoo dry.<\/p>\n Always clean your tattoo and moisturize it with special and antimicrobial moisturizers with hypoallergenic materials. It\u2019d be also good if the moisturizer is unscented so it wouldn\u2019t bother you at the night.<\/p>\n Editor\u2019s notes:<\/strong><\/p>\n It\u2019d be also good to apply a painkiller cream without aspirin that will spread across your tattoo and minimize the pain you experience. This is probably something that will also make the sleeping process much easier.<\/p>\n If your tattoo dries out and glues onto the bed sheet or pillowcase, don\u2019t pull it out violently or cut the sheet off. Go to the bathroom and wash your tattoo with lukewarm water to make the fabric separate from your tattoo wound. This applies only to healing people who start sleeping without the bandage.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n If your tattoo is located at your leg or arm, it\u2019d be a good idea to place a pillow or an extra blanket as a lean for your arm or leg. Fixating your wound in one position will also prevent turning and tossing, while also minimalizing the risk of your wound gluing yourself to the fabric. This way you can sleep with more peace in your mind, and not worry about potential accidents.<\/p>\n Read More:<\/strong><\/p>\n Tips that will help you get some restful slumber after getting inked are great, but if we prepare our environment for the following tough nights, we can even have an easier time falling asleep and waking up more refreshed. Let\u2019s prepare your bedroom for sleep.<\/p>\n Changing the sheets and pillowcases while ensuring it\u2019s made out of silk or cotton will make so many things easier. A breathable, cool, and comfortable material will prevent sweating over the night, especially if it\u2019s summer and it will also prevent your tattoo from getting inflamed.<\/p>\n Editor\u2019s notes<\/strong>:<\/p>\n The first few nights with your new tattoo will be messy. There could be a little blood, or even puss or some other fluid so go with old bedding that you won\u2019t feel so bad about messing up.<\/p>\n Preferably, get darker sheets, possibly black. There\u2019ll be a lot of ink and it could ruin your favorite bedding for good.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n Remember, one of the best ways to have a relaxing night’s rest after getting a tattoo done is to keep your ambient temperature in the room cool. This statement should be multiplied by 10 if it\u2019s the summer months when you\u2019re prone to sweating.<\/p>\n The ideal temperature for sleep is about 65 degrees Fahrenheit to 73 degrees, depending on which season it is outside.<\/p>\n Editor\u2019s notes:<\/strong><\/p>\n If it\u2019s cold and you want to keep your room warm, always use covers that are made out of some organic and breathable material. Don\u2019t use synthetic blankets<\/strong> as they could irritate your tattoo wound.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n In the end, when we\u2019re in pain, we\u2019re easily irritated, with even the most mundane daily problems triggering us. Noise is a well-known disruptor that could make you feel even angrier and more tired during the nights you\u2019re caring for your swollen tattoo wound. Listen to some relaxing music before bed, and make sure to turn off most of the noisemakers in your ambient.<\/p>\nHow To Sleep With A New Tattoo?<\/h2>\n
1. Keep Your Tattoo Wrapped Through The Night<\/h3>\n
2. Sleep On The Opposite Side Of The Tattoo<\/h3>\n
3. Use Tattoo Wipes<\/h3>\n
4. Get Enough Sleep<\/h3>\n
5. Don\u2019t Let Your Pets In<\/h3>\n
6. Avoid Alcohol And Tobacco<\/h3>\n
7. Clean Frequently<\/h3>\n
8. Elevate Your Tattoo<\/h3>\n
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How To Prepare Your Bedroom For Sleep With A New Tattoo<\/h2>\n
Get Clean Sheets<\/h3>\n
Keep Your Room Cool<\/h3>\n
Minimize The Noise<\/h3>\n