Limbs falling asleep during sleep

[weekapaugjz]

hey dr. steve!

ive always had problem with my arms and hands falling asleep while i am in bed. i always try to put them in a position that will not restrict blood flow once i fall asleep but always seem to wake up with my hands in fists and my wrists kinda tucked up underneath me. i used to always sleep with my arms over my head but have stopped doing that because my arms would always fall asleep.

there are times where it will take several minutes before getting full feeling back into my arms and hands. so, am i causing any serious damage to my muscles or nerves? is there anything else you would recommend to keep blood flowing to my limbs?

thanks a lot.

[Dr Steve]

hey dr. steve!

ive always had problem with my arms and hands falling asleep while i am in bed. i always try to put them in a position that will not restrict blood flow once i fall asleep but always seem to wake up with my hands in fists and my wrists kinda tucked up underneath me. i used to always sleep with my arms over my head but have stopped doing that because my arms would always fall asleep.

there are times where it will take several minutes before getting full feeling back into my arms and hands. so, am i causing any serious damage to my muscles or nerves? is there anything else you would recommend to keep blood flowing to my limbs?

thanks a lot.

I hate when that happens. Once in college, I fell asleep with both my hands behind my head. I awoke when two strangers walked into my apartment (I often forgot to lock the door). I tried to sit up, but my arms were completely useless and numb. Try sitting up or doing anything when your arms are paralyzed...thank god these two numbskulls just had the wrong apartment. Man, the pins and needles (caused by the nerves coming back online) after that episode I still remember.

Weirdly, the limbs can stand losing blood flow for a few minutes. I'm convinced that there is a circuit in the brain that will wake you up when a limb goes numb, so they're never numb for too long.

However, if you're drunk and it happens, you can have some long-lasting effects. There is a well known thing that happens to drunks called "Saturday Night Palsy". If you fall asleep sitting up (well, "pass out" is a better term) with your hand over your head on the top of the chair, you'll pick off your radial nerve and will awaken with paralysis of the muscles that straighten the wrist.

http://www.ncemi.org/cse/cse0918.gif

(insert obvious "limp wrist" joke here)

this paralysis can last a day or weeks, depending on how much damage was done to the nerve.

Honestly, other than training your body not to sleep in positions that cause the loss of arterial blood flow to the limbs, there's not much else to do. Mine finally quit when my brain got tired of waking up like that time after time and I started sleeping on my side with my arms down.

One thing...people who wake up with numbness in the HANDS ONLY sometimes have carpal tunnel syndrome...anyone who has this phenomenon should get checked out.

if I find out anything else interesting on this, I'll let you know.


your pal,


steve

[Bob Impact]

http://www.ncemi.org/cse/cse0918.gif
This condition is often know as "Whatley Wrist"



:bye:

[Lil oc]

nothing worse than both arms asleep and you can't turn the damn alarm off

[MC Pee Pants]

nothing worse than both arms asleep and you can't turn the damn alarm off

especially when i use my cell phone as an alarm. I end up just slapping it in frustration.

[weekapaugjz]

thanks for the help doc!

sometimes i get the sensation just in the hands but i think its because when i wake up they are in fists tucked up underneath me. ill keep the carpel tunnel syndrome in mind. thanks again.

[Dr Steve]

thanks for the help doc!

sometimes i get the sensation just in the hands but i think its because when i wake up they are in fists tucked up underneath me. ill keep the carpel tunnel syndrome in mind. thanks again.

I believe Kids in the Hall did a song called "He Slept on His Arms Last Night" ...I tried to find it on the web but was unsuccessful. If you ever get to see it, you'll relate. :-)

good luck and let us know how it goes.


your pal,


steve