When can I sleep normally after retinal detachment surgery?

Positioning includes sleeping. AAO tells gas-bubble patients to stay face-down or sideways when they stand, sit, eat, walk, and sleep, unless their surgeon says otherwise, and says the surgery may not work if you do not recover in the recommended position.

For pneumatic retinopexy specifically, ASRS says the patient maintains a specific head posture to position the gas bubble over the retinal tear. AAO says patients keep a very specific position as the doctor recommends for a few days, and its detachment guidance mentions head positioning for a length of time such as 1 to 2 weeks.

The assigned position is not always face down. Because the bubble floats upward and must sit on your particular tear, some patients are told to lie on one specific side, or to keep the head upright. Ask which position, and ask how many hours per day.

AAO suggests lying face down on a pillow with the recovering side of your face hanging off the edge of the bed, which reduces pain and keeps pressure off the operated eye, and mentions face-down pillows with cutouts that can be bought or rented.

Scleral buckle patients without gas usually have no positioning requirement, but many are told to avoid sleeping on the operated side while the eye is sore. Confirm with your surgeon.