When getting a new tattoo, the excitement and satisfaction of your fresh ink can sometimes be overshadowed by the anxiety of caring for it properly, especially when it comes to getting a good night’s sleep.
Sleep is crucial for the healing process, but with a new tattoo, it becomes a bit more complicated.
This article explores the essential guidelines and best practices to ensure your tattoo heals properly while resting. From choosing the right sleeping positions to protecting your tattoo from friction and infection, we cover all the bases to help you navigate sleeping with a new tattoo.
Whether you’re covered in tattoos or a first-timer, these tips will aid in a smoother healing process, ensuring your ink looks as good as the day you got it.
Why Sleep Is Crucial After A New Tattoo
Sleep is crucial after getting a tattoo as it significantly aids the body’s natural healing process.
When we sleep, our bodies enter a state of repair, increasing the production of growth hormones and white blood cells, which are key to healing the skin trauma caused by tattooing. This process not only accelerates the healing of the tattooed area but also ensures that the skin regenerates effectively, preserving the quality and appearance of the tattoo.
Also, sleep helps reduce inflammation and swelling, both common side effects of tattooing, by regulating the body’s inflammatory responses.
A good night’s sleep also bolsters the immune system, providing a robust defence against potential infections in the fresh tattoo area. Well-rest individuals also experience lower stress levels, which is beneficial as stress can slow down the healing process.
Therefore, ensuring you have a good night’s sleep the first few nights after getting inked is essential for optimal skin healing and preserving your tattoo.
Tips For Sleeping With Fresh Ink
Here are some tips to consider when sleeping with a new tattoo.
The First Night
1. Keep it wrapped
The first night’s sleep after getting a new tattoo is always the hardest because the tattoo is probably still leaking blood, plasma and ink.
If your tattoo artist placed a transparent, adhesive bandage over your tattoo, the best thing to do is to keep it on for as long as they recommended. However, if your tattoo artist only placed cling film around it, remove it and clean it gently with an antibacterial wash. Dab your tattoo dry with a clean towel and, with clean hands, rewrap the tattoo in cling film.
2. Have clean bed sheets
Another important tip for sleeping with a new tattoo is to have clean bed sheets.
Even if your tattoo is covered, you don’t want to risk infecting it or getting dust into the wound if the wrapping comes undone.
Therefore, sleeping with clean sheets is an effective way to ensure your tattoo stays clean.
3. Get plenty of sleep
As mentioned above, sleep is an essential part of the healing process. When you sleep, your body goes into repair and healing mode.
By having a good night’s sleep, your body will start the healing process around your tattoo.
While It’s Healing
As well as the three points mentioned above, here are a few more tips on how to sleep while your tattoo is healing.
1. Wear loose-fitting clothing
Like any wound, it needs room to breathe and heal. Therefore, sleeping in tight clothing isn’t ideal when you’ve got a new tattoo. Tight clothing can stick to the ink and pull off scabs, delaying healing.
Wearing loose-fitting clothing is also a sure way to ensure you don’t accidentally scratch your tattoo in your sleep, leading to a distorted tattoo.
Protecting your fresh tattoo while sleeping by wearing loose-fitting clothing ensures it doesn’t stick to the ink and you don’t knock it accidentally.
2. Don’t tear off stuck clothing
While wearing loose-fitting clothing is a great way to help your tattoo breathe and heal, there are times when your clothing can get stuck to your tattoo, and the worst thing you can do is tear it off.
For example, if you’ve recently got a back tattoo and your shirt got stuck to your back in your sleep, tearing it off can lead to damaged skin, ink coming out and a distorted tattoo. The best thing to do is hop in a lukewarm shower and let the water naturally release the shirt from your skin.
3. Find the perfect sleeping position
One of the many struggles people face when sleeping with a new tattoo is finding the perfect position. The main thing to remember is to keep pressure off the tattoo.
For example, if you sleep on your side and recently got a new arm tattoo, sleep on the opposite arm. The same goes for a back tattoo. If you’re a back sleeper, change positions and sleep on your front.
Protecting your fresh tattoo while sleeping is essential. Therefore, taking the pressure off your tattoo when you sleep will relieve the pain and prevent you from damaging it.
4. Don’t sleep with your pets
While you may love your pet so much that you sleep with them every night, the best thing to do after getting a new tattoo is to stop that for a few nights.
When playing outside, your pets get dirty and can bring bacteria into your bed; they may also accidentally scratch your tattoo in your sleep, leading to pain and a potential infection.
Therefore, the best thing to do when sleeping with a new tattoo that’s healing is to avoid cuddling up to your furry friend for the first few nights.
Get A Fresh Tattoo At Celebrity Ink
When we sleep, our bodies enter a state of repair, increasing the production of hormones and cells that are key to healing damaged skin caused by tattooing. Therefore, getting a good night’s sleep after getting a tattoo is crucial for healing.
If you’re considering getting your first tattoo or adding to the collection, book an appointment at your nearest Celebrity Ink studio.
During your initial consultation, we’ll sit down with you to discuss your vision and see how we can bring it to life.
Whether it’s a minimalist arm tattoo or a detailed back tattoo, we’ve got all the tips to help you get a good night’s sleep to promote the healing of your epic new ink.
