Ideally, you should change bed sheets when a bed is empty. However, if a person is on bed rest and is either not supposed to or is unable to get out of bed, you’ll need to change the sheets while the bed is occupied. This process can be strenuous for the person occupying the bed, so make sure your supplies are ready beforehand to streamline the process as much as possible. For patients experiencing pain, give a prescribed PRN analgesic thirty to sixty minutes before you change the bed linens. An occupied bed is usually changed after a bed bath.[1]