Ok, this is taking the stranger a bit far..concerned?
 

Bear with me on this,it gets interesting :D

For the last few years my most comfortable sleeping position has been on my right side with my right arm under my pillow extending straight toward the side of the bed (were the pillow not there my head would rest on my bicep).

Every few nights my arm will "fall asleep" and wake me (the standard painful tingling asleep). I then switch sides to the exact opposite position which will also fall asleep(now the left arm) on occasion but MUCH more rarely and less severely. It's annoying but not a big deal.

Anyway last night I was awoken to a unique situation. My arm wasn't just asleep...that baby was dead. I mean dead dead. I couldn't move a single finger or feel any sensation anywhere on it at all, my arm just hung. I got out of bed and started weirding out a bit as I held my right wrist with my left hand and felt the dead weight of it as I manipulated it around. Very freaky to say the least.

Well I started using my left to rapidly shake and flail the right which did eventually restore flow, sensation and movement. It seemed like forever but took likely about 3-4 seconds of the shaking to start feeling that painful "limb asleep" tingling.

I guess the moral of the story is not to take the stranger too far;)

So docs, how long do I have to live? :D:D

P.S. I woke my wife while flapping my dead limb against the wall and furnishings and when I explained the deal to her she exclaimed "It's not a heart attack is it" (hey it was 3:00 A.M) to which I responded "No, I'm not that lucky".

She failed to see the humor:D

I have the same problem some nights so you are not alone.

My arm falling "really" asleep. Strange feeling it is.





BTW-My wife doesn't see the humor in comments I make, either. :)

Does yours get dead dead? I seriously mean it was like it wasn't attached to me dead. I couldn't feel any sensation at all and could not muster even a twitch from any muscle in either the hand or the arm.


It was a crazy feeling.

Yep, same thing you experienced. I think we are just getting old.
It's not consistent enough to it happens frequently so I haven't given it much thought.







Maybe more nookie with the wife would help? :) :)

Yes- I sleep like this too, and freaked-out one night when I rolled over and my dead arm hit me in the face. I've tried to reduce the 'angle of incidence' while sleeping like this by keeping my arm a little lower- this seems to help. You should be able to feel your rotator "tuck-in" a bit and that will keep the blood flowing. It will still be comfortable.

I've also tried to not sleep like this as I've had rotator cuff problems and I'm not sure if sleeping like this makes them worse.

BWAAAAAHAAA It hit you in the face? WOW! I need to get a paper towel for this coffee.

I'm no Doc but it sounds like you are cutting off circulation to your arm and that can not be a good thing.

I sleep on my belly however when I was in a motorcycle accident I had to learn to sleep on my back.

IMHO you should learn to sleep in a different position.

Yeah, my wrist popped me right in the nose. It was a surprisingly solid impact. Plus, since I couldn't feel it from the arm's perspective it felt like someone was in the room and punched me in the face. Stanger indeed.

Happens to me too. Occasionally BOTH arms are asleep. Hellava sight trying to turn the alarm off with "detached" arms.

it's sometimes called 'Saturday night palsy'
not a good thing,
poor circulation (in your case little to NONE)
getting the feeling back will in short time take longer and longer ,
and if you don't change your ways..
like me..one morning WTF...my arm ..
it just hangs there..
6 MONTHS before I got the use of my left arm back..
real beotch ..as I'm lefthanded.
if you smoke..STOP
get it checked..


Rika

Whoa, I've had this happen once in my life and it was freaky. I'm only 31, not bueno.

I have had limbs fall asleep, only woke me up about two times.
Man, I thought it was hard being a teenager. Now that I am aging I guess it is just life that is hard.

Yea, the "limb falling asleep" thing was annoying but tolerable The "Dead limb" thing is a whole new ball game. I was really freaked for those few seconds until sensation returned. That baby was paralyzed.

Again I'm not doctor (but I slept with one once) I've been told blood carries oxygen and nutrients and all kinds of cool stuff to keep your body alive so I would postulate that it is a good idea to keep a fresh supply flowing to all your parts as all times.

YMMV

Len, it can get serious overnight..
my arm was so numb..they would stick needles and draw blood...
I felt nothing..
+little electric juice just to ensure I'm not faking..
pure hell...
folks have to cut your food,
try to put on your pants and zip (use non-dominant hand)
drive..tiptronic here you come..
don't fool with this...
yrs later my L hand get's cold fast, few minutes above heartlevel=tingles then numb.
I was a few hrs away from surgery..when we decided try rehab a 2nd time.
rehab= crunch tennis ball.

Rika

Would the same effect be similar to having a cast? Or is that more so the muscle not being used due to immobilization?

I'll definitely bring it up with my doc. FWIW I quit smoking a few years back.

You could have lopped my arm off with a dull knife and I wouldn't have felt a thing, it was crazy.


Thanks.

In the words of Steven Wright,, I hate it when my arm falls asleep, then it's up all night

I see a new drug commercial in the making.

I have a similar prob. It was explained to me that it has not to do with blood flow at all, but nerve paths around shoulder. Mine wasn't just from sleeping, but got so bad I couldn't drive any of my manual trans trucks- every time I reached and tried to flop my arm and open my finger I got an electrocution like pain. Not a little tingle but a VERY uncomfortable pain. I'm also having problems with the outside of my left quad/thigh, it has been numb for about a year but is uncomfortable;e when touched and on a couple of occasions I've woken up with an unbearable burning sensation, really freaks me out as it hurts bad.

Wish I had health insurance...