How to sleep after wisdom teeth removal

The best way to sleep

Healthline's guide to sleeping after wisdom teeth removal recommends sleeping on your side, which makes it easier to keep your head propped up, and using an extra pillow or two to raise your head, avoiding sleeping flat on your back. It says this may reduce swelling and help clotting. Cleveland Clinic's recovery page likewise says to prop extra pillows under your head while resting because keeping your head raised helps with swelling, and its oral surgery guide says sleeping and sitting upright can also help.

Can I sleep on my side after wisdom teeth removal?

Yes. Healthline recommends side sleeping because it is easier to stay propped up. The sources we read do not say which side to choose. Many people avoid lying on the side of the surgery in the first night because of pressure on a sore jaw, but this is a comfort choice, not a rule from the sources, so use what is comfortable and keep your head elevated.

Protect your pillow

The Kent Community Health NHS Foundation Trust leaflet suggests covering your pillow with a towel overnight. The Bedfordshire Hospitals NHS Trust leaflet says minimal oozing in the first 24 hours is expected and that blood staining on dressings, clothes or bedding is normal. A towel over the pillow keeps your bedding clean and lets you see how much bleeding there is.

Should I sleep with gauze in my mouth?

No. Healthline says not to sleep with gauze in your mouth because it can be a choking hazard, and to avoid dozing off with it in while lying down, especially if you take medication that causes drowsiness. Gauze is for the first period after surgery while you are awake and sitting up. The sources give times for biting on gauze that range from 10 to 45 minutes, covered in our guide on how long to keep gauze in.

What to expect overnight

Some light bleeding or oozing is normal. Cleveland Clinic says light bleeding and oozing are expected in days 1 to 3, and that blood on gauze may last a few days. The NHS says pain and swelling usually start to ease after one to two days, and the Kent leaflet says blood mixed with saliva looks like more than it is. If the pillow shows more than light staining, check your mouth and bite on clean gauze while you are awake and upright, and call your surgeon if it will not stop.

Pain, swelling and sleep

Healthline says to take prescribed pain relievers as directed, and that if none are prescribed, ibuprofen may be an option if your surgeon approves and you have no conditions that interfere with it. It also suggests a dark, cool room and ice applied in 10 to 20 minute intervals during the first few days. Cleveland Clinic says to avoid aspirin because it thins the blood and can prolong bleeding. Cleveland Clinic says swelling should ease within about a week.

Medicines and drowsiness

Prescription painkillers and sedatives can make you very drowsy. Healthline warns to take extra care not to fall asleep with gauze in your mouth if you take medication that causes drowsiness. If you had sedation or general anesthesia, have an adult stay with you the first night, as your surgeon advises, and do not drink alcohol.

Do they put you to sleep for wisdom teeth removal?

That depends on your case and surgeon. Healthline notes that you should arrange a ride home if you had sedation, and the NHS says not to drive for 48 hours after a general anesthetic or 24 hours after a sedative injection. Our guide on dental numbing, sedation and anesthesia explains the options.

Frequently asked questions