If you sleep on your back, either always or sometimes, I have a question for you: WHAT do you do with your FEET?
I NEVER sleep on my back, except now, post-knee-surgery, when I do it almost all the time because every other position hurts more. But I do not know what to do with my feet! My natural inclination is to have them basically as if I were standing, except that I’ve been tipped onto my back: not QUITE like that, since they tend to lightly relax forward, but basically toes pointing to ceiling. But then my feet are making a little tent of the blankets, and the blankets are too heavy for that to be comfortable.
I can let them relax more forward, so that the tops of my feet take the weight of the blankets, but that too feels uncomfortable, and as if I’m doing a stretch on purpose. I can let them flop to the sides, or toward each other, but that doesn’t really work with the knee; the knee wishes the entire leg to be in line. I’m not sure it would work even without the knee bossing me around; this is probably part of why I am mostly a side sleeper. I think for me to sleep comfortably on my back, I would need to have my feet out from under the covers, and then of course we’re talking about monsters getting them.
If you sleep on your back, what are your feet doing?
[Edited to add: I am getting bolster/pillow-under-the-knees suggestions, which is an EXCELLENT idea but the knee surgeon says I am not allowed to do that right now. Feet/legs can be propped so that legs are angled-but-still-straight, but knees may not rest in a bent position.]
I’m guessing this might not make your knee happy, but when I sleep on my back, I put a pillow under my knees so my legs are a little bent. This was at the suggestion of my PT when I had back pain. It has the side effect of making my feet more flat on the bed, but it’s not uncomfortable because the legs are supported. I’m with you on the monsters, though. 100% not going to leave any fingers or toes exposed, thankyouverymuch.
I sleep in a recliner, so YMMV. First we put the sheet on, covering the feet. Then we add a blanket – can be over feet or start at ankles. Either way, easy to creep the blanket up (or off) and still have tootsies covered. Probably not as easy in a bed, I realize. Wait, who is this royal We to which I refer?
Um. I don’t sleep on my back anymore. I used to, until snoring/possible sleep apnea episodes became a problem and then I started sleeping on my side which seems largely to eliminate those for me. No idea what you are sleeping under, but would different bedding choices help? My approach to needing lightweight but warm bedding is (at its most extreme) the following: electric mattress pad, so that when I get in the bed it is already warm — this isn’t essential, but it sure is nice (I turn the pad on before bedtime and turn it off at bedtime, I’m sure strategies vary) and down comforter (of appropriate thickness depending on conditions/preferences) covered by a duvet. Plus a fitted sheet on the bed over the mattress pad, obviously, but nothing else.
I do now usually include a sheet in addition to the comforter so that if I get too warm under the comforter I can have some parts of my body covered by the comforter and others just by the sheet, and it’s usually (for me) a thick cotton flannel sheet. And YMMV! But are bedding adaptations one possible improvement?
Do not tuck in sheets! As a back sleeper, I always untuck the sheets when I arrive at a hotel. A duvet with a down comforter is lighter than a quilt.
My preferred bed makeup: king size bed, fitted sheet, two coordinating/matching twin duvets, no top sheet, pillows. My husband can’t claim that I’ve stolen his duvet because I have an entire one to myself. No extra sheet that just catches my legs. Easiest bed making process ever. Each sleeper is responsible for repositioning their duvet cover, so if you have different waking times, no issues. Bonus, this is the lightest topper while still being warm.
We have also recently adopted using 2x single quilts… (aka the Scandinavian method)- best thing we’ve ever done! I’m a hot sleeper so my quilt goes on and off all night; and I don’t like a flat sheet. Husband has a single flat sheet, and his own quilt, and doesn’t move all night
I also came on here to recommend a solid bolster to put under your knees. I like this one because it doesn’t roll like a traditional fully circular bolster.
https://www.amazon.com/Forias-Bolster-Sleeping-Support-Elevation/dp/B0BLC6NVNB/ref=asc_df_B0BLC6NVNB?mcid=9d7175d8d91b3a2ba7ad1db76a92545e&tag=hyprod-20&linkCode=df0&hvadid=693129581705&hvpos=&hvnetw=g&hvrand=15956036617744938632&hvpone=&hvptwo=&hvqmt=&hvdev=c&hvdvcmdl=&hvlocint=&hvlocphy=9021603&hvtargid=pla-2063603231730&psc=1
Agree with the bolster under the knees, but I also discovered this recently and it makes back sleeping so much better: a squishy pillow at the foot of the bed, to prop my feet against. So my feet sleep as if they are flat on the floor (also the pillow takes the weight of the blankets). Even thinking of it now makes my body feel relaxed and happy.
THIS. (well. I am too tall for a pillow to fit at the end of my bed, so we have a cover-lifter [made out of PVC pipe although store-bought versions are also available in Catalogues For The Elderly Patient sorts of places] that takes the weight of the covers and oh, hey, my toenails are way happier now. But for anyone who is *not* already nearly-too-long-for-the-bed, a pillow would be brilliant; give it a pillowslip of whatever texture your feet prefer, and there you go.)
I’ve dealt with this before and my trick was to put pillows at the bottom of your bed right below your feet to raise the covers enough for your feet to rest comfortably.
Long -tome reader, first-time commenter! I’m weeks away from having an ankle surgery and I’ve been overly Googling how to sleep. I’m a side sleeper, which I know won’t be possible, and I think I’ll be set up in a recliner so my ankle can be elevated for the first bit after. But my other foot already feels stressed about this, haha! Like, does it stay flexed? Does it loll to the side? Will I even sleep?? PS: thanks for sharing so much about your journey/recovery! Obviously not in the exact same situation but it’s nice to see someone both thinking about these things and making progress post-surgery!
I can’t help Swistle with the knee thing but I did have ankle surgery with prolonged bedrest so maybe I can help. :) For the bed, we used every pillow in the neighborhood to help both sit up and elevate the foot. I had two pillows to rest against, one pillow on each side by the sides/shoulders to keep from rolling, yet still provided support to shift to one side without actually laying on ones side. Then two or three pillows crosswise under your leg/ankle. Lengthwise, the leg/ankle wanted to slide when the body relaxed. The other leg usually ended up in a 4 position. Sleeping in a boot is challenging, casts are easier.
It takes experimentation to configure it until you’re comfortable so I would suggest getting all kinds of pillows beforehand (just inexpensive bed pillows or second-hand store decorative) Hope this is helpful and you heal well!
I am with JMV above – I make the sheets loose enough that they are not weighing down my feet, and I sleep with them mostly pointed up. They do tend to point forward a little as I sleep, but if I wake up and they’re too forward I move my feet around to loosen up the covers so they can point upward again.
I don’t tuck the sheets into the bed like they do at hotels but I do tuck my covers under my feet if that makes sense, I pretty much wrap myself in a little cocoon for warmth. Though to be honest I had to really think about what my feet do when I’m on my back!
I learned in my college dorm room that the feet are the thermostats of the body, so as my body temperature tends to swing approximately 150 degrees throughout the night, my feet are often dangling off the foot of my bed, monsters be damned. They haven’t gotten me yet.
I sometimes put a pillow by my feet, so my feet can rest against them. I also might fold the blanket up so the feet have a little more freedom. But I also have a cat who likes to sleep by or between my legs, so my feet might turn to the side or my knees bend to accommodate her.
I have a foot pillow (basically just an older regular bed pillow) that I shove down by my feet to prop the sheets up a bit. Kind of like the tent pole in an old-fashioned tent if that makes any sense? It gives my feet room to be in whichever direction is comfortable without the weight of the sheets pressing down and keeps them away from the monsters!
Like others above, I don’t tuck the sheet in and I put a pillow at the foot of the bed. The soles of my feet can relax against the pillow, and the pillow helps keep the full weight of the blanket from pressing on my toes.
There are these little plastic frames you can get that hold the blankets up off your feet, like a little blanket tent at the end of the bed! My dad used to use one. Search for “blanket foot tent”. Looks ridiculous, seems to work.
I KNOW, RIGHT? I have a CPAP mask, and what I do is put on the mask, lie down on my back for a few minutes to kind of let it settle and then turn on my side to sleep. While I’m on my back, even if I’m half asleep I will realize my feet are thrashing around, or be unbearably aware of the blankets squishing them. I do read sitting up in bed, though, and most of the time it’s fine unless I become sensitized to it. I think if I had to be on my back all night, I would have the foot out with a thick sock on it, assuming that’s enough to deter the monsters.
Oh those bedroom monsters – that made me laugh, as it’s too true that even now, I fear them. Sleeping with covered feet is non-negotiable!
I wish I could be of help to you, as what you describe sounds so uncomfortable. When I (rarely) sleep on my back, I find being propped up quite a bit on the torso/head helps. But my feet/legs naturally turn out, so my knees are at about a 45-degree angle and my toes fall to the side/don’t prop up the covers. When I walk in the snow my tracks are quite duck-footed, and it makes things like snow-shoeing and (were I to attempt it, which I have not) cross country skiing very difficult, but I suppose it seems there are some trade offs to be happy about.
I shimmy down to the end of the bed, and rest my feet against the foot board. And if I’m on my stomach, I tuck my feet between the mattress and the foot board. We are a top sheet bed, and that top sheet is firmly tucked under the end of the mattress, and I love it.
agree w everyone saying not to tuck your sheets in! have them draping loosely over your feet
I find that when I’m sleeping on my back, I like to have a pillow under the covers beside me, so that I can bend one knee up and kind of rest it on the pillow (kind of like The Hanged Man Tarot card?). This kind of tents the blankets enough to keep the pressure off of the foot on the straight leg and helps alleviate the pressure on my lower back.
I see from your edit that you can’t have the healing knee bent, but if your other knee can be bent while sleeping, maybe experiment with a different leg position on the other leg!
I also vote for untucking the sheets so they don’t press your feet down!
What about a pillow/bolster your feet to hold the blankets up? I sleep with lightweight blankets (Florida), and my feet just stick up and push the blanket up. I’m thinking if you created a little space under the heavier blankets that would work.
I can’t sleep on my back, it hurts. After both knee surgeries, I slept on my side. Surgical knee down, thin pillow or folded towel on top of it, then the other leg. Sometimes I would shove the pillow out in front of me and bring the top leg up on top of it. I’m well past the surgeries now, and still sleep that way.
Back sleeper here! Reiterating what most others have said. I live in a warm climate so I sleep with a flat top sheet and down duvet that’s not too heavy, but still keeps me warm. I don’t fully untuck the flat sheet, but it is very loose at the bottom of the bed so it loosely drapes over my feet rather than creating a tent. When I lived in a cold climate I used a snuggly blanket and duvet, but no top sheet.
I also sleep kind of propped up? I have 3 pillows that I stack sort of at a 90 degree angle against the headboard. I start mostly sitting up watching tv or scrolling my phone and then slide down a bit as a start to snuggle in to fall asleep. I usually have a squishy pillow starting around my shoulder blades and then a slight prop up with the rest. It took a while to figure out the perfect pillow ratio but that’s what works for me.
Here is the duvet I use. I have the winter weight and I still think it is pretty light. https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07TZY15HY/ref=dp_iou_view_item?ie=UTF8&psc=1&th=1
I have my feet pointed forward and relaxed, I have a weighted blanket that I can put on and it still doesn’t bother my feet but I will echo everyone above who said I cannot under any circumstances abide by tucked in sheets and I will immediately untuck them the sheets at any hotel. I never thought about it before but perhaps this is why it bothers me so much
I am very stretchy so I basically sleep with my feet in first position for ballet. A relaxed version of it, but my feet turn out, my knees mostly stay put. I doubt this is helpful for you, since “have different ankles” isn’t really a good suggestion. But I sleep on my back with my chin tilted up so that my neck doesn’t hurt. I also sleep alone because snoring.
I have a “sleeping boot” i wear for my plantar fascitis and it lets me sleep with my feet pointing toes up as the boot holds up the blankets!
Lying in bed this morning wondering, what do I do with my feet? Apparently when I lie on my back my toes are pointed down towards the bottom of the bed but also my legs are turned out a bit at the hip, so my knees and ankles are straight but my feet are tipped out. Perhaps this means I am more flexible or perhaps it is a sign of weakness in my hips and ankles, who knows.
I have no idea what I do with my feet when I sleep on my back, but I rotate like a rotisserie chicken throughout the night.
This post made me realize why my bf of 30 years hates having the top sheet tucked in and always kicks it out so it gets lost in a tangle at the bottom of the bed. It’s his feetsies, they want to be free!
I’ve recently started sleeping on my back at the suggestion of a massage therapist to fix my neck pain (it’s helped!) and I have my feet like I’m standing. However, my blankets cannot under any circumstance be tucked in at the bottom and have to be loose so my feet don’t feel suffocated. I have a top sheet, a lightweight down comforter, and a quilt on my bed , so my blankets aren’t terribly heavy normally, but if it’s super cold and my husband puts a wool blanket on our bed, then I would kick my feet out from under that particular layer.
Or actually, not totally like I’m standing – slightly pointed forward.
If you look up ‘blanket lifter’ on Amazon, they have lots of options, and many that can be DIY/hacked at home.
Personally, I sleep on my back with a down duvet that never hangs over the edge when I’m sleeping. I bundle the whole thing around me on top of the mattress like a cocoon for maximum warmth and coziness.
I’m late because I had to get in bed and go to sleep before I could answer this question. And the answer is that my feet aren’t at a 90 degree angle like they are flat on the ground, they are more like pointing at the wall? So the blanket lays over them fine.