How to Get Out of Bed Safely After Hip Replacement

Short answer: Always turn toward your non-operated side using a log-roll with a firm pillow between your knees. Keep the operated leg slightly abducted (away from the centre line) at all times. To get up: log-roll to the edge, drop both legs together, push up with your arms, and stand in two stages. Never cross the operated leg past the midline of your body.

Why is turning in bed scary after hip replacement?

Your surgeon replaced the ball and socket of your hip joint. For the first 6-12 weeks, the muscles and soft tissue around the new joint are still healing and have not yet locked everything firmly in place. During this window, certain movements can push the new ball out of the socket — a dislocation. The three movements that matter most are: crossing the operated leg past the midline, rotating the leg inward, and bending the hip past 90 degrees.

At night, in the dark, half-asleep, these rules feel impossible to remember. That is why having a simple, repeatable sequence matters more than understanding every anatomical detail.

The three rules that protect your new hip at night

1. Never cross the midline: Your operated leg should never cross the centre line of your body. Not when turning, not when sleeping, not when getting up. A pillow between your knees enforces this physically.
2. Turn toward the non-operated side: When you need to change position, always roll toward the good side first. This keeps the operated hip on top where gravity helps rather than hurts.
3. Keep abduction: The operated leg stays slightly away from your other leg at all times. The pillow between your knees is not optional — it is your mechanical safeguard.

Do this tonight

1. Place a firm pillow between your knees before you attempt any turn. This is your first action every time.
2. Identify which side is your non-operated side — you always turn toward that side first.
3. Bend both knees gently (keep the operated hip below 90 degrees of bend).
4. Cross your arms loosely over your chest.
5. Roll your knees, hips, and shoulders together as one unit — a log-roll. No twisting.
6. Once on your non-operated side, check the pillow is still between your knees. The operated leg should be on top, slightly behind the lower leg.
7. If you need to turn the other way, always return to your back first, reset the pillow, then log-roll toward the non-operated side again. Never roll directly onto the operated hip.

How do I get out of bed after hip replacement?

Getting out of bed is the moment most people feel the most fear. The trick is making it boring and predictable — the same steps every time, no improvisation.

1. Log-roll toward the edge: Turn onto your non-operated side facing the edge of the bed. Keep the pillow between your knees.
2. Scoot to the edge: Slide your body toward the bed edge in small shifts. Your hips move first, then your shoulders follow.
3. Legs off together: Let both legs slide off the edge at the same time. The operated leg stays supported by the pillow between your knees. Never let the operated leg drop first or trail behind.
4. Push up with arms: Use your bottom arm (elbow and hand on the mattress) and your top arm (hand on the mattress in front of you) to push your torso up. Your legs dropping off the edge act as a counterweight.
5. Pause on the edge: Sit on the edge of the bed for 10-15 seconds. Both feet flat on the floor. The operated hip should be above your knee level — do not sit on a bed that is so low your hip bends past 90 degrees.
6. Stand in two stages: Push evenly through both feet. Use a walker or sturdy furniture for balance. Stand fully, then pause before walking.

What about lying back down?

Reverse the sequence exactly:

1. Back up until you feel the bed behind your legs.
2. Reach back with both hands for the mattress.
3. Sit down slowly, keeping the operated hip above knee level.
4. Place the pillow between your knees while sitting.
5. Use your arms to lower your torso sideways onto the bed while your legs lift onto the mattress together.
6. Once on your side, log-roll onto your back if you want to sleep that way.

Common traps in the first weeks after surgery

• Forgetting the pillow at 3am: Keep the pillow attached to your person. Sleep with it between your knees so it is already there when you need to turn. Some people use a long body pillow they cannot lose.
• Rolling onto the operated side: Your brain defaults to old habits. A pillow behind your back prevents accidental rolling in that direction.
• Bed too low: If your mattress surface is below knee height when you sit on the edge, your hip bends past 90 degrees every time you sit down or stand up. Raise the bed with risers or add a firm mattress topper.
• Twisting to reach the bedside table: People dislocate reaching for a phone or water glass, not during dramatic movements. Keep everything within arm's reach on the non-operated side.
• Tucked-in sheets: A tightly tucked top sheet traps your legs and forces you to kick free — which means uncontrolled leg movements. Use a loose duvet instead.

Bed setup for hip replacement recovery

• Bed height: When you sit on the edge, your hip should be above your knee. If not, raise the bed.
• Firm pillow between knees: Always in place. Not optional.
• Pillow behind back: Prevents rolling onto the operated side during sleep.
• Bedside essentials on the non-operated side: Phone, water, light switch — all reachable without twisting.
• Loose covers: A duvet rather than tucked sheets. You need your legs free to move as a unit.
• Stable support for standing: A walker, grab rail, or sturdy bedside table at the correct position for pushing up from sitting.

When to call your surgeon

• If you feel a sudden pop, clunk, or grinding sensation in the operated hip during a turn.
• If the operated leg suddenly looks shorter or rotated compared to the other leg.
• If you cannot bear weight on the operated leg after a turn or getting up.
• If you experience sudden severe pain in the hip that does not ease when you stop moving.
• If swelling around the hip suddenly increases after a night-time movement.

Most of these are extremely rare when you follow the log-roll and keep the pillow between your knees. The rules exist to protect you, but they should not paralyse you — confident, controlled movement is safer than lying frozen in one position all night.

Where Snoozle fits

The log-roll after hip replacement depends on smooth lateral movement across the mattress. When the surface grips — a waterproof protector, a grippy fitted sheet, or pyjamas that catch — the turn stalls halfway and your instinct is to push harder with the operated leg, which risks breaking precautions. Snoozle is an Icelandic-designed home-use slide sheet that reduces this surface friction so the log-roll completes in one smooth motion. It has no handles and is made from comfortable fabric designed to sleep on — not clinical nylon. It is sold in Icelandic pharmacies and by physiotherapists, and is widely used during post-surgical recovery at home.

Related comfort guides

• Pelvic pain at night — a safer way to turn in bed during pregnancy
• Getting safely from bed to standing when you feel very weak
• When getting out of bed feels impossible — reduce the first move friction
• What is a slide sheet?
• All questions answered
• Slide sheet vs satin vs transfer sheets