Whether following a foot trauma or surgery, walking boots can be overwhelming, especially for first-time users. While the doctor will provide the necessities for the treatment plan, questions can arise once you get home and reality starts to set in.
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Do I Sleep With My Walking Boots On?
Of course, sleeping with walking boots depends on the scenario and level of a foot injury. In less severe cases, it is unnecessary to wear your walking boots while sleeping. However, to be on the safe side, it is recommended to always have your walking boots on at all times to prevent further damage. But how do you sleep with walking boots without any discomfort, and is it even possible in the first place?
Depending on your foot injury, the doctor might suggest keeping your walking boots on all the time, even while sleeping. Such measures are critical if they are risks of injuring your foot further when sleeping. Besides, keeping on a walking boot creates a psychological reminder that your foot is still injured and you need to avoid any potential risks. This means it is possible to sleep with walking boots as it is recommended to reduce injury risk and safeguard your feet.
How To Sleep Comfortably In A Walking Boot?
In any case, the doctor’s recommendation may include sleeping with a walking boot to avoid more injury risk. Such scenarios mean having to contend sleeping with the walking boot and have to face discomfort during the process. To save you from these situations, we have sought out the best remedies you can use to regain your comfort and get uninterrupted sleep.
Ease the straps and locks
You always have to consider the different straps and locks that keep the feet in place and prevent movement in walking boots. But, when sleeping, you can always opt to loosen the tightened straps while also opening the locks to give enough breathing space for the feet to be comfortable. If you plan to wake up, remember to strap the walking boots back before deciding to have that night walk.
Get A Gel Heel
You know that walking boots can cause enormous discomfort especially having a tight boot weighing you down all day round. The heel is especially at risk since it remains a sensitive part of the foot and supports all the foot weight with each step. The result is that much of the foot’s pain will concentrate on the heel than most other foot parts.
An excellent remedy for such pain before sleep is using a gel heel cup to reduce the discomfort experienced to the heel and foot. You can also expect the gel heel to cushion your heel from further pain during sleep with no side effects expected, unlike pain medications.
Get An Optimal Sleeping position
Your sleep position matters a lot in determining whether you get a comfortable night or not with your walking boots. Here, sleeping on the back is the best option since it lets you strategically place the foot upright without much movement. Side and tummy sleepers are out of luck since these sleeping positions are theoretically impossible when wearing a walking boot.
In addition to back sleeping, an elevated sleeping position is also a surefire way to stay comfortable. The idea works by placing a pillow under the walking boot to elevate the foot. Another option can include placing another pillow between the legs to sleep on your side with the walking boots.
Get Pillows
The classical pillow under the foot movement is not only helpful on-screen but also in real-life injury situations. It won’t hurt to get a couple of pillows for comfort by cushioning the foot in a raised position. The technique comes in handy, especially since it allows for easy blood flow without having your foot start to swell from pain and discomfort.
Rotate wearing the walking boots
A whole day of wearing a walking boot is always the best recommendation for most doctor prescriptions or treatment plans. However, this depends on the severity of the foot injury and what the doctor advises during consultation. Still, if the damage is not severe, you can always have resting days to take a break from wearing the walking boots. The goal is to cut stress on your foot during the day and achieve a comfortable sleep later.
How Many Hours Should You Wear A Walking Boot?
As aforementioned, how long you plan on wearing a walking boot during the day depends on several factors. The general rule is to always wear the walking boot the whole day round the clock and only remove it while showering. But, different aspects can end up changing how long you wear a walking boot.
First off, your doctor’s advice is of utmost importance, and it’s best to consult them on how long the walking boot should be on. In any case, how bad the injury is counts on making a difference for the walking boot duration. Other than these factors, it would help if you always had walking boots on at all times, even when sleeping.
Driving With A Walking Boot
The typical recommendation for a walking boot is to avoid more injury risk by not getting involved in daily tasks. In some cases, it may seem driving with a walking boot is possible. Still, it is not advisable since the walking device can impair baking and acceleration while on. Thus, do your best to avoid driving with a walking boot and save yourself from riskier injuries.
Wrapping Up
By now, you can be confident answering, “Do I sleep with my walking boots on?” Some will suggest not sleeping with a walking boot since there is no issue during sleep. But, it is always too risky, considering you can move during sleep and other external factors during sleep. So, take time and think: should you double the injury by removing the walking boot during sleep or have it on for the night? You get to decide.