arms going numb when I sleep

animal-inside

Well-known member
Trusted Member
One of the things my chiro asked me when I first started with him is do my arms go numb when I sleep. At the time I was going in for muscle knots in my arm and some shoulder pain.

At the time, without giving it much thought I told him occasioanlly I wake up with numb arms but i didn't think it was bad.

I've been paying attention lately when I wake up and for the most part, whatever side I woke up on has a numb arm. So if I wake up laying on my left side, my left arm is numb/tingly.

Chiro said if this is happening than my issues coudl be made worse by not getting proper currculation while I sleep.

Anyone else have this issue?

Chiro said sleeping on the back is without a doubt the healthiest...
I've never been able to sleep on my back. I can only really sleep on my side.

Anyone have luck training themselves to sleep on their back?
 
@animal-inside
thats your chiros opinion but it isnt true. pros and cons to all sleeping positions. majority of people are side sleepers. from studies of tribal people and anthropologists say side position is probably the most natural position.

back sleeping can induce breathing problems and lower back issues.

changing sleep position is really hard. you probably will have to get different pillows to get comfortable and raising you knees will be more comfortable be easier on your back and prevent you from rolling on your side. will give you an excuse to buy on of those sex wedges.
 
Yes… numb hands and toes… went away when I addressed sleep apnoea


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A doctor about 6 years ago suggested I get tested for sleep appneua.. I honestly don't think I have it. I don't snore anymore, I wake up feelign good etc.. but might be worth lookign into .

It's only my arms that go number. Never legs.
 
@animal-inside
thats your chiros opinion but it isnt true. pros and cons to all sleeping positions. majority of people are side sleepers. from studies of tribal people and anthropologists say side position is probably the most natural position.

back sleeping can induce breathing problems and lower back issues.

changing sleep position is really hard. you probably will have to get different pillows to get comfortable and raising you knees will be more comfortable be easier on your back and prevent you from rolling on your side. will give you an excuse to buy on of those sex wedges.

I will disagree with you, but only based on the fact that I, and many others, do not have the same stature as humans used to.

I am now 245-250lbs and reasonably big. I think my chiro told me this specific to me by assessing me. I might have worded that wrong and implied he meant all ppl should be back sleeping. I apologize if I worded it poorly lol.

My chiro did the test that shows if your curriculation through your artery drops off based on your shoulder position. Again, I might not word trhis properly.. He found my pulse inside my armpit and moved my arm around to see how my pulse was affecred. Based on that test he told me I'm slightly affected by this, but not extreme.

I learned to do this test many many years ago in univeristy.. I Wish I could recall the name of it. Either way when I was in university I was alwasy around 300lbs and much more muscled. I failed the test horribly in class..

Either way, I'm sure my chiro's back sleeping recommendation was made to me based on what he saw in me.

I have tried pillows.. So hard to change sleeping positions like you said though
 
A doctor about 6 years ago suggested I get tested for sleep appneua.. I honestly don't think I have it. I don't snore anymore, I wake up feelign good etc.. but might be worth lookign into .

It's only my arms that go number. Never legs.

If it’s your last two fingers, its the ulnar nerve so likely coming from your neck. Is yes, google nerve flossing, it works.


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Yes I have that problem. No answers for what to do about it over the course of the evening tho. Lots of things during the day can be done if still bugging you then. Flossing is a good time! I believe the term is masochism.
Can't sleep on my back without a woman tucked up under my armpit and I can't justify the cost of one right now.
 
Sometimes people tend to curl up while sleeping and this includes the arms and hands. Many people crank their wrists into flexion and it can cause all kinds of issues. Some folks need to sleep with night splints to keep the wrists in a neutral position…. Otherwise they can experience moderate to severe carpal tunnel symptoms. If it whole arm it’s probably being slept on and impediment of circulation. Same type of idea. Mattress and pillow selection while help. But if you’re a big dude and a side sleeper no doubt you could have these problems.

i have an angry left shoulder right now that I think I caused from sleep positioning. It’s a hard nut to crack because how do you well control something you do naturally while sleeping without some type of aid? I’ve invested in a good memory foam type mattress that is better suited to support my size and limit those compression spots. As well as good pillows that provide me with enough support that limit how much compression there is from that side. But still apparently not licked yet.
 
I have this exact same issue. I have struggled to find a decent pillow and very often sleep wit my wrists bent badly. I apparently snore fairly consistently as well. I will look into the sleep apnea as suggested.
 
Same issues with me and my sleeping. I sleep on my side with my arm under the pillow. As much as I’ve tried sleeping on my back I always wake up on my side. I’ve tried doubling up pillows, I’ve tried a single much thicker pillow, with mixed results.

The only thing I find that does cut it down is the nerve flossing. I do a few minutes before bed, and when I get up. Has brought my average numbness from a 7 down to a 5 ish
 
If it’s your last two fingers, its the ulnar nerve so likely coming from your neck. Is yes, google nerve flossing, it works.


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It's doesn't feel like just two fingers.. Feels like my entire arms, more so the forearm than upper arm. I'll read about nerve floossing anyways
 
Sometimes people tend to curl up while sleeping and this includes the arms and hands. Many people crank their wrists into flexion and it can cause all kinds of issues. Some folks need to sleep with night splints to keep the wrists in a neutral position…. Otherwise they can experience moderate to severe carpal tunnel symptoms. If it whole arm it’s probably being slept on and impediment of circulation. Same type of idea. Mattress and pillow selection while help. But if you’re a big dude and a side sleeper no doubt you could have these problems.

i have an angry left shoulder right now that I think I caused from sleep positioning. It’s a hard nut to crack because how do you well control something you do naturally while sleeping without some type of aid? I’ve invested in a good memory foam type mattress that is better suited to support my size and limit those compression spots. As well as good pillows that provide me with enough support that limit how much compression there is from that side. But still apparently not licked yet.

good info.. thanks..

It's funny, my chiro told me to not sleep on my left side as my left shoulder was cuasing issues for months before I finally went to him. So I switched sides of the bed and stopped sleeping on my left side.. then about 3-4 weeks of sleeping on my right side, my right shoulder/arm starting causing issues..

By fluke, I had to go back to the other side of the bed and started sleepign my left side. like clockwork that left shoulder injury started creeping back.

We have a Endy mattress.. memory foam, thick etc.. I like it, but I was going to ask my chiro which mattress brand/firmess/type I should be using.
 
Mine did this so bad i was getting broken blood vessels as well both hands id have to shake them frequently,the fix for this was fixing my thyroid.
 
Same issues with me and my sleeping. I sleep on my side with my arm under the pillow. As much as I’ve tried sleeping on my back I always wake up on my side. I’ve tried doubling up pillows, I’ve tried a single much thicker pillow, with mixed results.

The only thing I find that does cut it down is the nerve flossing. I do a few minutes before bed, and when I get up. Has brought my average numbness from a 7 down to a 5 ish

That's how I sleep.. If I lay on my left side, my left arm goes under the pillow and aorund the top.. if I fall asleep on my right side, my right arm goes under the pillow and around the top.

So it's like my arm is under my shoulders/head and all that weight pushes on my arm/shoulder that's under the pillow.


I remmebered when I was in university I messed up my rotator cuff and I ended up taping tennis balls along the sides of a tight t-shirt. So if I rolled on my side, the tennis balls made me uncomfortable and I'd roll back on to my back.

I don't think this would work on me now though.. I have such a awful specific way I have to fall asleep now.. Naked, on my side, white noise or TV playing... Any bit of clothing or silence and I'm wide awake.
 
@animal-inside
its a no brainer, anyone over 200lb ish should be on a firm mattress. anyone under medium-firm. at your weight, you will crush any bed that isnt firm. a 2-3 inch topper can be added if you get pressure points. soft mattresses wreck backs. most of the world sleeps on the floor and dont have the level of back issues that wealthy nations have.

i really recommend something to raise the knees up if you want to sleep on your back. it didnt work for me. im a hot sleeper and roll around in my sleep finding cool spots and would wake when i couldnt roll with something under my knees.
 
@animal-inside
its a no brainer, anyone over 200lb ish should be on a firm mattress. anyone under medium-firm. at your weight, you will crush any bed that isnt firm. a 2-3 inch topper can be added if you get pressure points. soft mattresses wreck backs. most of the world sleeps on the floor and dont have the level of back issues that wealthy nations have.

i really recommend something to raise the knees up if you want to sleep on your back. it didnt work for me. im a hot sleeper and roll around in my sleep finding cool spots and would wake when i couldnt roll with something under my knees.

good info.. Our mattress is an Endy. Seems pretty firm to me, but I'm not sure how firm you can get etc..
 
good info.. thanks..

It's funny, my chiro told me to not sleep on my left side as my left shoulder was cuasing issues for months before I finally went to him. So I switched sides of the bed and stopped sleeping on my left side.. then about 3-4 weeks of sleeping on my right side, my right shoulder/arm starting causing issues..

By fluke, I had to go back to the other side of the bed and started sleepign my left side. like clockwork that left shoulder injury started creeping back.

We have a Endy mattress.. memory foam, thick etc.. I like it, but I was going to ask my chiro which mattress brand/firmess/type I should be using.
None are perfect but if they help in spreading out pressure points that is what you want. The new memory foam ones are good at it and aren’t hot as balls like the old ones. Some better than others…. Especially for the larger body folks.
 
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