It’s been a while since I last woke up from a deep sleep and realized that my arm felt like a big lump of wood attached to my body that I could neither move nor feel. I have, however, been suffering increasing problems with numbness and tingling in my hands, most likely because my work has my fingers perpetually connected to a keyboard and I am starting to get carpel tunnel.
It got me thinking about what exactly causes my extremities to fall asleep. I had heard the common explanation that it is caused by lack of blood flow, but this always seemed unlikely to me because my limbs have never turned blue, and such a lack of proper oxygenation to cells would most certainly cause permanent damage.
I did some research, and discovered that an extremity will begin to “fall asleep” when pressure is applied to nerve pathways, causing them to loose their electrochemical connection with the brain. This interruption in signal causes the impulses coming into the brain from the extremity to become garbled and random, resulting in the tingling sensation we are used to feeling when our body part begins to go numb. Interestingly, this can also be caused when pressure is applied to an artery, restricting blood flow to the extremity and depriving nerve cells of nutrients. The initial tingling serves as an early warning system to tell us that we should adjust our position so that we can avoid the serious nerve damage that could result should the blood flow be restricted for an extended period of time.
The random signals interpreted by our brains as tingling are usually all it takes to get us to adjust position and solve the problem, but occasionally, we are so sound asleep that we don’t notice it and the extended pressure causes a total loss in nerve connectivity. When this happens the extremity goes completely numb and our brain is unable to move or feel it at all. Since we have passed the early warning system at this point, I am unsure what exactly stirs in our brain to alert us to the situation, but I can attest that the sensation of having a totally dead feeling arm attached to my body is disturbing to say the least. As is the extended period of tingling when the limb comes back to life.
At least I now know why it happens.
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For me, the most disturbing part is poking my numb hand with my good hand and not feeling the poke. I usually find that I can still move the extremity even when it’s numb (although I can only tell it’s moving by looking at it), but from what I’ve read it’s already on it’s way to waking up if I can move it.
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Cool I’m glad I found this post, I had the exact same symptoms yesterday. I woke up from a deep sleep, and my left arm was like a log. I was like, “what the heck”. I couldn’t move it or feel anything, so I sat up, extended it, and moved it around with my right arm. Eventually the sensation went away, and my arm felt normal again. It didn’t really scare me, but it was weird how my arm was literally dead.
I hope my brain waves will wake me up next time!
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I always feel both my arms a sleep all the time especially at night.
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I think it can be part of neuropathy and vitamin absorption I also have gastritis with other symptoms I think its more serious indication of another condition Im working on the answer.
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My arem didn’t go to sleep when in bed at night, it started in the middle of the day. I started useing SPLENDA, the sugar substiute, I was useing it on everything. I take medication to lower my cholestrol and triglycerides so now I’m afraid to use it any more for fear of the substitute could work against the medications that I take and cause a bigger build-up of the cholestrol and trglycerides. Does that sound likely to you? I don’t want to go to the doctor about the arm because he didn’t tell me to use the SPLENDA. Thanks
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have had it happen with both arms, last year was right one few times, scared me to death, no feeling at all, was dark, so no idea where arm even was. last night awoke with dead right arm, had been sleeping with it bent, still scary, cant sleep on back, never could, now what ?????????
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My arms have been falling asleep almost everynight. My carotoid artery dissected last November and I am wondering if anyone else has had that happen. I was diagnosed with FMD a disease of the arteries. But when my left artery dissected 5 years ago this never happened with my arms.
Anyone else have this happen???
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I have had my arms, and hands fall asleep while I am sleeping for over 20 years. I used to have a lot of pain tingling sensations while the feeling was returning, but no longer. It’s a very strange feeling using hands that are asleep.
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Considering the fact that this has happened to me a number of times in the past, it has freaked me out a lot. Im sure the cause of this could be as simple as this article stated however, i also know that it could in fact me signs of something more serious going on with your system.
My father was diagnosed with MS when he was in his early 30’s as was his sister when she was in her late 50’s. This arm just so happens to be a symptom of MS however its also a symptom of many other things.
As for the person who posted the reply regarding the splenda, do your research. Splenda, thought derived from sugar, still isnt entirely safe for you. Like other artifical sweetners, they go through such extreme processes that it it changes the chemical makeup of the product. Our body doenst know how to break down or digest thing in their not so natural state therfore can cause undesirable effects to our systems.. not neceserally something we notice right away however if you read up on this as well as some of the diseases that effect our neuro pathways you will see that they instruct you to stay clear of these products, including splendia. I would suggest stevia.
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My arm(s) have been falling asleep in my sleep for a while now ( at least six months ). I wake up and its like paralysis in arm until I shake it and “wake it up”, which is bringing the blood flow back into my arm. I can actually feel the blood coming back into my arm and it hurts a little but after it is fully recovered I can move it again. Its just that its really dangerous because if I am half asleep and do not realize that it is asleep, I could potentially break it by putting pressure on it or trying to use it to hoist myself up. Does anyone know what this is from?
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My arms fall asleep every night. This condition is clearly aggravated by manual labor. When I do lots of digging or house painting or screw driver work, it gets much worse, to the point where I cannot sleep much past 4 am. I have to dangle my arm off the side of the bed, but then the other arm gets all prickly. No fun.
Massage? Acupuncture? Not sure what to do.
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i noticed that since i have been weight lefting that my arm and legs have been falling asleep i have a broke finger that i have to sleep with it bent are my are my hand and sometimes arm falls asleep what do u think the problem might be
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Hi I have booked in to a neurologist as I cant sleep without losing feeling in both my arms and now my arms are so weak during the day like i have been doing weights but i can hardly use them I beliieve this has gone on with me for 2+ years and i am 29, but i am just really noticing the effect it has on my arms during the day. It doesnt matter how i sleep it still happens. I have had a swollen finger on one hand and can hardly clench my fists…am seeing the neuroligist in 10 days for some answers.
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Kristy,
What did the neurologist say? I went to a chiropractor but don’t have confidence that he can help. I should have seen a neurologist. Both of my arms go to sleep when Iie on my back. Am I causing permanent damage? Do I need to see a doctor if I’m not in pain?
Thanks, Susan
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Extremeties feeling numb in the middle of the night while sleeping seems pretty common. My arms and legs fall asleep often during the day. When I took classes in college and raised my hand to answer a question, my arm would go numb quickly as if I had been laying on it for hours. The thing that concerns me the most these days is that after sitting at the computer for awhile, I’ll get up to go to the bathroom or something and I fall on the floor! My left leg gives out a lot. I don’t feel a tingling while I’m sitting. I just stand up and collapse and I usually laugh my arse off cause I feel dumb, but it’s soo not funny. I am a smoker and someone told me that they heard a story about a man who was a heavy smoker with circulation problems like I have..It got so bad that doctors actually had to amputate his leg!
When I repeat the story people think it’s an urban legend or something. Is it true that smoking can cause this? It’s extremely painful when the blood starts flowing back to the limb! I usually just ball up and clench my teeth until it passes.
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Kristy I’m very interested in what your neurologist tells you. I have been considering seeing one because of my left arm going to sleep during deep sleep. It wakes me up every morning about 4:30 and there is quite a lot of pain as it begins to get the circulation back.
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for two months now. and continuing.. my left arm has similar symptoms.. during time when i am a awake.. just last week i was driving to and from a 200 mile stretch.. was scared my left arm kept going numb.. i change positions. it would go away… then come back.. I smoke. and lately have been smoking alot.. due to loss of job..
well. during the drive.. tried many methods.. then started to breath very deeply the numbness and tingling would stop. however it would eventually come back so i took more deep breaths. and again would go away.
two weeks prior.. i had a doctor check up for other things. and my blood pressure was like 80/110 ..through out my adult life i have never seen it like that. i contested that-that doesnt sound right and asked if the automatic machine is functioning .. i think i should have asked the nurse to do my right arm.. but never thought of it at that time.. but since this numbness and tingling continues. it really bothers me. seeing a doctor is not good due to finances at the moment.. but….will i live to make it to one..and the question is how serious is this symptom. and is there a resolution.. currently using amox/clav for that doctor visit.. but the arm was doing what its doing before i seen the doc..ANY IDEAS?
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My Grandmother had Rhenoids syndrome and I think I have it too. Mt hands and feet are always cold. I don’t know if that has something to do with circulation issues. Last night I woke up with no feeling on my right arm. I was crying when I woke up, because I thought it was the scariest feeling. My hands also fall asleep too. I am really concerned and wonder if I have nerve damage somewhere.
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I feel a bit better knowing I’m not alone with these bizzar symptoms. And there are such a lot of people suffering because of it. I’ve often had the tingling sensation until last night all I could feel was my shoulders - so scary. I have never smoked. I sit at a desk all day - for many years, so I go to circuit training to keep a bit mobile. I’m not overweight. I have recently began using a HRT patch which helps me sleep better - aha! I take Atacand for blood pressure control. But I have a sneaking suspicion it’s got something to do with the nerves/messages from the brain mmmm….
I’m thinking I don’t want to go to sleep tonight . At 1am I got up and tried to sleep in the reclining chair once I got the feeling back. It’s a dilemma when the cost of medical help is so expensive and there is no guarantee a diagnosis or treatment can assist. My father passed away due to stroke so that could be another thing - blood clots in the brain? Just looking at all the possibilities. Good luck to everyone.
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kristy smith, did you ever get results about the swollen finger (knuckle) and arm falling asleep. I am having the same problems and so far no luck with the doctors. thanks for any reply
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Susan,, I have the same problem, when I’m laying on my back watching a movie both my arms would fall asleep even as I’m driving and talking on the phone it has me worried, It started about a week ago. I have a birth defect “wow” that sounds awful anyways I feel something simular to that in both legs left greater then right and the pain is so unbearble put it this way when my arms fall asleep and I start to feel the tingling and numbing then I starts to feel the pain well times that by 100 % thats what I feel in my legs I was diagnosis with spondy grade III, I had back surgery that just caused me with so much more pain. I’m suppose to go in for a second surgery hoping to repair the damages from the first. As for my arms I’m afraid the pain will get worse. I don’t know what it is, but for no reason at all my arms fall asleep, as they are know while I’m submitting my comment. I also notice that several of you where waiting for a response from Kristy Smith to find out what had happened with the neurologist and still no comment from her. I do hope all is well with her and with all of you who shared in there pain and discomfort. I have an appointment with one of my neurologist and hopfully I can come back with some tips or something that can help all of us understand with what we are going through and what can we do about it. So until then, I wish you all the best in health. Happy Holidays and A Very Happy But Safe New Year
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Hi
Has anyone with these symptoms gone to a doctor and gotten a definite answer as to what is causing the problem of arms going to sleep? I’m wondering because I have this same problem. I went to a doctor and asked her about this along with a problem of my thyroid gland being swollen. She gave me the answer about why my thyroid gland was swollen (cyst) but said nothing about why my arm keeps falling asleep when I’m laying down at night. Thanks.
Kerry
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