Do you want to skip to content? Skip to content
България България Bosna i Hercegovina Bosna i Hercegovina Česko Česko Danmark Danmark Österreich Österreich Schweiz (Deutsch) Schweiz (Deutsch) Deutschland Deutschland Ελλάδα Ελλάδα United Kingdom United Kingdom Ireland Ireland España España Eesti Eesti Suomi Suomi Suisse (Français) Suisse (Français) France France Hrvatska Hrvatska Magyarország Magyarország Ísland Ísland Italia Italia Lietuva Lietuva Latvija Latvija Северна Македонија Северна Македонија Malta Malta Norge Norge België België Nederland Nederland Polska Polska Portugal Portugal România România Slovensko Slovensko Slovenija Slovenija Srbija Srbija Sverige Sverige Türkiye Türkiye Україна Україна Brasil Brasil United States (English) United States (English) Estados Unidos (Español) Estados Unidos (Español) Argentina Argentina Canada (English) Canada (English) Canada (Français) Canada (Français) Chile Chile Colombia Colombia Ecuador Ecuador México México Perú Perú Belize Belize Guyana Guyana Jamaica Jamaica Venezuela Venezuela Costa Rica Costa Rica Curaçao Curaçao República Dominicana República Dominicana Guatemala Guatemala Honduras Honduras Nicaragua Nicaragua Panamá Panamá Puerto Rico Puerto Rico Suriname Suriname El Salvador El Salvador الإمارات العربية المتحدة الإمارات العربية المتحدة البحرين البحرين مصر مصر ישראל ישראל ایران ایران الأردن الأردن عُمان عُمان قطر قطر پاکستان پاکستان لبنان لبنان الكويت الكويت المملكة العربية السعودية المملكة العربية السعودية Suid-Afrika Suid-Afrika العراق العراق Australia Australia India India Malaysia Malaysia New Zealand New Zealand Philippines Philippines Singapore Singapore Indonesia Indonesia 日本 日本 대한민국 대한민국 ไทย ไทย Việt Nam Việt Nam 中国大陆 中国大陆 中国香港特别行政区 中国香港特别行政区 中国台湾 中国台湾
България България Bosna i Hercegovina Bosna i Hercegovina Česko Česko Danmark Danmark Österreich Österreich Schweiz (Deutsch) Schweiz (Deutsch) Deutschland Deutschland Ελλάδα Ελλάδα United Kingdom United Kingdom Ireland Ireland España España Eesti Eesti Suomi Suomi Suisse (Français) Suisse (Français) France France Hrvatska Hrvatska Magyarország Magyarország Ísland Ísland Italia Italia Lietuva Lietuva Latvija Latvija Северна Македонија Северна Македонија Malta Malta Norge Norge België België Nederland Nederland Polska Polska Portugal Portugal România România Slovensko Slovensko Slovenija Slovenija Srbija Srbija Sverige Sverige Türkiye Türkiye Україна Україна Brasil Brasil United States (English) United States (English) Estados Unidos (Español) Estados Unidos (Español) Argentina Argentina Canada (English) Canada (English) Canada (Français) Canada (Français) Chile Chile Colombia Colombia Ecuador Ecuador México México Perú Perú Belize Belize Guyana Guyana Jamaica Jamaica Venezuela Venezuela Costa Rica Costa Rica Curaçao Curaçao República Dominicana República Dominicana Guatemala Guatemala Honduras Honduras Nicaragua Nicaragua Panamá Panamá Puerto Rico Puerto Rico Suriname Suriname El Salvador El Salvador الإمارات العربية المتحدة الإمارات العربية المتحدة البحرين البحرين مصر مصر ישראל ישראל ایران ایران الأردن الأردن عُمان عُمان قطر قطر پاکستان پاکستان لبنان لبنان الكويت الكويت المملكة العربية السعودية المملكة العربية السعودية Suid-Afrika Suid-Afrika العراق العراق Australia Australia India India Malaysia Malaysia New Zealand New Zealand Philippines Philippines Singapore Singapore Indonesia Indonesia 日本 日本 대한민국 대한민국 ไทย ไทย Việt Nam Việt Nam 中国大陆 中国大陆 中国香港特别行政区 中国香港特别行政区 中国台湾 中国台湾
Sleeping with an Ostomy Pouch ‘Learning’ how to sleep again after ostomy surgery may be odd. But when you have a stoma, your old sleep positions may need a little adjustment.

Not a me+ member yet?

Join today!

Here are some tips:

icon

Use pillows

icon

Wear a tight fitting top

icon

Try sleeping on your back

icon

Check your pouch's condition

Put pillows around you to prevent you from rolling over on your pouch.

Wear a tight fitting top

It will help keep your pouch snug against your body while you sleep.

Try sleeping on your back

It may take a little getting used to, but after a while it can become second nature.

Be conscious of your pouch’s condition

Be ready to empty or change your pouch at night, if necessary.

Pillow Talk

As these people living with an ostomy will tell you, sleeping gets easier with time.

Secrets for a Good Night's Sleep

“I have a night drainage system so I don’t have to get up every hour to drain my bag. If I don’t sleep with my night drainage on, I just get up, drain it and go back to sleep. It’s second nature.”

Jearlean: Living with two ostomies since she was two years old

a person wearing a headdress ;

“I’ve always slept on my side, having an ostomy hasn’t changed that. If I have a leak when I’m asleep, I’ll wake up because my skin will itch and I’ll feel it and think, ‘oh, my pouch is full,’ the same way someone wakes up and says, ‘I have to go to the bathroom.’”

Stephanie Living with an ostomy since 2010

a person wearing a headdress ;

“I’ve always slept on my side, having an ostomy hasn’t changed that. If I have a leak when I’m asleep, I’ll wake up because my skin will itch and I’ll feel it and think, ‘oh, my pouch is full,’ the same way someone wakes up and says, ‘I have to go to the bathroom.’”

Stephanie - Living with an ostomy since 2010

a person wearing a headdress ;

Featured Articles

me+ Hub

10/10/2024

Travel

a man with a backpack and a hat standing in a field

Traveling with an Ostomy: What to Pack

The idea of taking long trips with an ostomy may seem daunting at first. But with a little extra preparation, you can...

Read more Read more

17/10/2025

Everyday life

Travel

a couple of women posing for the camera

Road Trips with an Ostomy

Now that you have an ostomy, the idea of taking long trips can seem daunting. But with a little extra preparation, yo...

Read more Read more

8/10/2025

Travel

a person lying on a colorful hammock

Ostomy Travel Tips

Extra security precautions are being taken at airports and other transit hubs worldwide. A little pre-planning and un...

Read more Read more

8/10/2025

Diet

Everyday life

a child drinking from a bottle

Living with an ostomy: Hydration

Drinking more is one of the simplest ways to improve your health and well-being. These tips can help you stay one ste...

Read more Read more

17/10/2025

Fashion

a man and woman kissing

Fashion Tips for Men Living with an Ostomy

After ostomy surgery you can wear the same clothes as anyone else – and do it with style! Here are some fashion tips ...

Read more Read more

7/10/2025

Fashion

a person holding a backpack

Fashion tips for women living with an ostomy

Here are some practical fashion tips from Jearlean Taylor, a successful model, author, and businesswoman who has neve...

Read more Read more

8/10/2025

Everyday life

a woman holding a lizard

Tips for Managing Anxiety After Ostomy Surgery

One of the biggest worries for people who have recently had ostomy surgery is what other people will think.

Read more Read more

8/10/2025

Everyday life

a person sitting at a table

Returning to Work with an Ostomy

From industrial jobs to the classroom, from long shifts at the hospital to dancers – and all workplaces in between – ...

Read more Read more

8/10/2025

Everyday life

a group of pens and pencils in a basket

Back to school with an ostomy

As your child begins to recover from ostomy surgery, it is normal for them to feel fearful or anxious about their nee...

Read more Read more

8/10/2025

Activity

a man running on a grass field

Exercise After Surgery: Back to Basics

No matter what level of physical activity you want to pursue, ostomy surgery shouldn’t hold you back.

Read more Read more

8/10/2025

Everyday life

a person lying on the ground

Everyday Life - Bathing with an Ostomy

Showering and bathing with an ostomy should not interfere with your regular cleaning routine.  With the right informa...

Read more Read more

27/11/2024

Everyday life

a woman's face with a person's hand holding her head

Peristomal Skin Care

Knowing how to identify irritated skin around your stoma early and keeping it healthy could help avoid greater compli...

Read more Read more
me+ Hub

Register with me+ today

Our dedicated community support program is free to join, and offers expert advice and lifestyle tips for everyone living with an ostomy. 

We need your consent to continue

Your privacy is important to us. Please take a moment to read our privacy policy to understand how Convatec uses and protects your personal data. We never share your data with other companies without your permission.
 

We need your consent to continue

Your privacy is important to us. Please take a moment to read our privacy policy to understand how Convatec uses and protects your personal data. We never share your data with other companies without your permission.
 
I agree to Convatec processing my data (Required)
We’ll process and use your data to deliver the products or services you’ve requested. This may include contacting you to verify your details.
 
We’ll process and use your data to deliver the products or services you’ve requested. This may include contacting you to verify your details.
 
I’d like to be sent information about relevant Convatec products and services (Optional)
From time to time we’ll send you our latest news, support articles relevant to your condition or product ideas you might like to try.
 
From time to time we’ll send you our latest news, support articles relevant to your condition or product ideas you might like to try.
 

You can manage your consent at any time by unsubscribing through a link in our emails, contacting us at 0800 225 4309 or by email at connection.nz@convatec.com.

You can manage your consent at any time by unsubscribing through a link in our emails, contacting us at 0800 225 4309 or by email at connection.nz@convatec.com.

You are leaving convatec.com!

This Internet site may provide links or references to other sites but Convatec have no responsibility for the content of such other sites and shall not be liable for any damages or injury arising from that content. Any links to other sites are provided as merely a convenience to the users of this Internet site.

Do you wish to continue?