sleeping on my side, waking up with numb arm

k3v

k3v

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For quite a number of years my nightly routine is fall asleep on my side as unless I'm drunk its the only way I seem to be able to get comfy, then probably 3-4 hours later I wake with a numb arm. I move to get rid of the tingles, then go back to sleep and repeat the above a couple more times until its time to get up. Is this a part of getting older? I can't remember if it coincided with me going to the gym and putting weight on but its annoying at times.... going off on one here but does this process cut off the circulation to my arm causing stress to my heart which will finish me off when I get old??

edit. typing this on my pda with my arm on the settee arm with my weight on it has just sen my arm numb!!!
 
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Knock one out before the feeling returns...



lol


Seriously though, it happens to me sometimes, it never gets old though, waving it around like I just don't care, then go to sleep when the pins and needles come in
 
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Bordering on medical advice but I had the same. Personally, I went to see my GP and my consultant looking after my long term illness. The latter thought it could be a reaction to my long term medication but it wasn't and resulted simply from sleeping arkwardly with arms bent, possibly trapping a nerve. I was advised to sleep with straight arms and wrapping a towel around my elbow to keep it straight. I gave up on that after a few nights ad it happens from time to time...no big deal for me (I hope!).
 

k3v

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Bordering on medical advice but I had the same. Personally, I went to see my GP and my consultant looking after my long term illness. The latter thought it could be a reaction to my long term medication but it wasn't and resulted simply from sleeping arkwardly with arms bent, possibly trapping a nerve. I was advised to sleep with straight arms and wrapping a towel around my elbow to keep it straight. I gave up on that after a few nights ad it happens from time to time...no big deal for me (I hope!).


I think I do sleep with my arm bent too. maybe ill just have to force myself to change
 
Soldato
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Happens to me when I've got my arm under me head, its so numb at times I can't move it so I use the other one to fling it off the side of the bed to let the blood rush back :D.
 

k3v

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I'm sure it is lack of blood that does it. but does this lead to high blood pressure and the my heart going pop..... I'm laying on my back tonight!

edit my arm isn't normally fully numb, I seem to wake up the just take my weight off for a while then go back to sleep
 
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Knock one out before the feeling returns...



lol


Seriously though, it happens to me sometimes, it never gets old though, waving it around like I just don't care, then go to sleep when the pins and needles come in

As soon as I saw the thread title I knew some one was going to make a reply like that. :p
 
Soldato
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I'm sure it is lack of blood that does it. but does this lead to high blood pressure and the my heart going pop..... I'm laying on my back tonight!

This isn't supposed to be medical advice, but I have to say that you'd have to be super hypochondriac to think that!

As for those saying that it's lack of blood supply, I disagree, I believe it's more nerve compression. If it was cutting off blood circulation, it would start to hurt pretty damn fast, and you'd wake up (or rather be woken up) with a painful arm, not a numb arm.
 
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I'm sure it is lack of blood that does it. but does this lead to high blood pressure and the my heart going pop..... I'm laying on my back tonight!

edit my arm isn't normally fully numb, I seem to wake up the just take my weight off for a while then go back to sleep

Probably caused by a compressed nerve as well as blood supply, mixture of both perhaps. There is no risk of your heart going pop just because you sleep on your arm so don't worry about that! :D As others have said, it's just a matter of trying to sleep on your back and not squash your arm
 

k3v

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This isn't supposed to be medical advice, but I have to say that you'd have to be super hypochondriac to think that!

As for those saying that it's lack of blood supply, I disagree, I believe it's more nerve compression. If it was cutting off blood circulation, it would start to hurt pretty damn fast, and you'd wake up (or rather be woken up) with a painful arm, not a numb arm.



sounds plausible, don't worry all advice given on this forum will not necessarily be taken literally. I think I've spent too much time listenung to the ricky gervais podcast at work today and carl pilkington has got my brain thinking about things it doesn't normally
 
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