A walking brace, commonly known as a walking boot, is a special type of medical footwear that podiatrists use to protect the foot and ankle areas after the patient has sustained an injury or following surgical intervention in these areas.
The point behind having these shoes is to stabilize the foot and support it to heal. They also help to redistribute weight-bearing pressure within various parts of the shoes. The reduction in pressure gives an opportunity for quick recovery.
However, if there’s something that confuses people is whether you should sleep with your walking boots on. While foot injuries are very serious about looking on, it is important to follow proper guidelines. In this article, we focus on the most common walking boot questions from people who are preparing to start wearing this footwear type.
Should You Sleep With Your Walking Boot On?
During the first weeks of the injury, you shouldn’t take off your walking boots, even when you’re sleeping. In fact, you should take them off only when you’re showering. If this bothers you, you can try loosening the straps or using a gel for enhanced comfort.
This is one of the most common questions, especially among people who are just preparing to wear one. It’s important to follow the doctor’s advice in any situation, but when dealing with injuries, the normal practice is to wear boots even when you’re sleeping. Again, you might want to loosen the straps that secure the boots to increase the wearing comfort and allow you to sleep better.
Another handy tip on a related subject is to sleep with pillows surrounding the boots. This will help to support the foot and manage the risk of displacement. Pillows will also cushion the foot against any external impacts that may aggravate the condition.
Still, if you’re looking to wear the boots to bed, but are concerned about keeping your bedclothes clean, you may consider surrounding your feet with an old pillow that you’ll not be using anymore. This way, you’ll get the much-needed support and protection without falling short on hygiene.
Importance of Wearing Walking Boots at Night
Well, sometimes your doctor may suggest that it’s okay to get rid of boots while sleeping. Yet, it would just increase the risk of aggravating the risk of spoiling your foot injury. When sleeping, you’re always not aware of where the foot is going- not to mention you might hit it with the wall.
Besides, even when we do away with this possibility, it’s easy to forget that you have a foot injury while sleeping and end up putting much pressure on the feet. Therefore, to avoid any risk and improve the safety of your feet, you should wear your walking boots even while sleeping.
So the answer is yes. You can (and you should) wear your walking boots to bed. If you want to take them off for a while at night, fine. However, usually taking them off isn’t the best option. Some can remove their boots and sleep in peace with no issues, so it varies from injury to injury and person to person.
Wearing shoes to bed seems weird, but when you’re dealing with a broken ankle, you can actually focus on comfort. Fixing the leg as soon as possible is more of a priority. Still, some people tend to have a hard time getting around this.
Here are the various reasons why you should wear walking boots to bed.
The Ankle Will Hold On Its Shape
While sleeping, the body naturally goes into hibernation mode, relaxing every muscle in your system. It’s nature’s way of healing the body after a long workday. In the absence of walking boots, your ankle won’t be in its active state- it will be resting in an extended and pointed position. This makes it a better idea to wear walking boots while sleeping.
Serves As a Subtle Reminder
We’ve discussed before that it’s easy to forget that you’re sustaining a foot injury. When you sleep with the walking boots on, you’re giving your body an extra warning about it. This is particularly helpful when the foot is in a recovery stage. Plus, you’ll hardly get to roll over on that foot.
Prevents Further Damage
People are usually not that familiar with the subconscious mind, which is yet another reason why you should wear walking boots to bed. In case you damage the ankle while sleeping, the resultant pain will be too much to handle. Not forgetting that you might have to spend extra money to fix it again. Moreover, if you sleep with a pet or a partner, you’ll be deluded not to expect unintentional kicking.
Should You Sleep Without Walking Boots After Ankle Surgery?
The internet is flooded with opinions from many different people. One thing to note is that those who suggest that you can sleep without walking boots often consider comfort as the main priority. There’s no doubt that you need comfort while sleeping. But the body heals itself when you’re sleeping- so in the absence of walking boots, it can’t heal the ankle.
The Bottom Line
Foot injury is a serious issue and should not be taken lightly. And while doctors’ advice is important at every step, they should also consult even the duration of wearing a walking boot. Simply put, you should wear a walking boot while sleeping. If it bothers you, you can loosen the straps for more comfort.