The wrong arm is numb

April 25, 2024 10:12 AM

I wake up with a numb arm and hand. I sleep on my side but it's the top arm that's been going numb, not the one I lay on.

This has happened 5ish times in the last few months, never before.

I'm not squishing my arm or hand and not putting it in a weird position. It's just there on my side, maybe with my hand resting lightly on the mattress in front of me.

It's happened on both sides (i.e., when I sleep on my right, my left arm goes numb and vice versa).

It's not solidly numb, just slightly numb and tingly.

The other times, it's gone away within 10-15 minutes but today I'm feeling a little residue several hours later.

This time, it's mostly my thumb, index finger, and my wrist. I didn't keep track of exact location the other times.

I'm a mid-50s, very healthy, cis woman, exercise regularly, etc.

posted by Frenchy67 to Health & Fitness (15 answers total)

Asking what may be an obvious question - is there a chance you're rolling over onto the other side while you're asleep and maybe don't know it, because you've rolled back to the "usual" side just before you wake up?

(I also have a "usual side" but have noticed that I do roll around a bit more than I thought I did.)
posted by EmpressCallipygos at 10:17 AM on April 25

You may want to look into b12 deficiency and see if it sounds like a possibility.
posted by nanook at 10:18 AM on April 25

Best answer: I don't know but in case it helps, something similar happened to me recently when camping, I chalked it up to being on a much harder surface somehow throwing my neck/shoulders into a different alignment. Maybe a soft mattress pad could help?
posted by SaltySalticid at 10:19 AM on April 25

Best answer: This happened to me. Using a pillow for support under the top arm (as if you were spooning or hugging someone) helped. Having my hand or forearm rest on the mattress was bad, having it elevated resting on a pillow was good.
posted by sixswitch at 10:27 AM on April 25 [7 favorites]

Best answer: I had my ulnar nerve relocated after experiencing this kind of numbness a bit too frequently. It had more to do with me sleeping with my arm bent (and thus putting stress on the ulnar nerve, which runs on the outside of the elbow) than with lying on top of it.

I asked my doctor about it, and he sent me for nerve conduction tests which indicated surgery would be needed to prevent a loss of strength in my hand that had already progressed a bit without my noticing it.

(I'm also mid 50s, and it affected my pinkie/ring finger the most often.)
posted by bashos_frog at 10:55 AM on April 25

Best answer: Ohhh, this totally happens to me. No answers but you are not alone and I'll keep an eye on this thread. (My grip strength is quite high, FWIW, despite noticing this phenomenon on the regular).
posted by Ausamor at 11:05 AM on April 25

Best answer: This sounds like nerve compression, and it can get worse. Start by getting a big huggable pillow(s) as sixswitch recommended. You may have to experiment with many sleeping configurations to make it actually go away.
posted by credulous at 11:48 AM on April 25 [3 favorites]

Best answer: See a doctor to be sure because this can indicate some scary shit that needs intervention, but you might also look at thoracic outlet syndrome. I had to start doing some simple and pleasant PT exercises and it manages mine very well. I already had the pillow situation dealt with.
posted by Lyn Never at 12:13 PM on April 25 [3 favorites]

Best answer: That’s happened to me a few times, very scary because the top arm felt dead. Has not happened since I started sleeping with my arms wrapped around a pillow (which is a 14” ‘hugmee’ squishmallow-brand stuffed toy), so I’m agreeing with sixswitch. You may as well try clutching a pillow in the meantime even if you’re planning to consult a doctor, while you’re awaiting for the appointment.
posted by metonym at 12:23 PM on April 25

Best answer: This happens to me (similar demographic), but with my pinky and ring fingers. Previously, I had assumed it was a boring nerve compression thing, but now I've been diagnosed with something much less boring that can contribute to nerve compression. If you have a primary care doctor, it's probably worth telling them about it, if only to get it added to your medical records, in case related symptoms show up in the future.
posted by unknowncommand at 12:49 PM on April 25

Best answer: As someone who has dealt with this same issue periodically since my 50s:

Numbness in the thumb and forefinger usually indicates nerve compression through the carpal tunnel. Unless you do repetitive work with your hands, which is the "traditional" cause of carpal tunnel syndrome, the nerve compression is probably a result of keeping your wrist bent while you sleep. Try a wrist brace for a few nights to test this hypothesis.
posted by DrGail at 1:07 PM on April 25 [4 favorites]

Best answer: Oh, sounds like my median nerve nonsense! Could be compression from your neck being tilted (thoracic outlet, say) - try (gentle) median nerve stretches/glides and see if you feel the tinglies when you tilt your neck. For that one, a pillow that keeps your neck more straight is best. Could also be in the shoulder, elbow, or wrist (although if your wrist is going numb I'd vote against the problem being *at* the wrist).
posted by Lady Li at 1:39 PM on April 25

Best answer: So this also happens to me (mdi-50s, cisgender woman). I have osteoarthritis in the cervical vertebrae. Eventually, this "wrong arm asleep" waking me up progressed to all day numbness and an inability to lift my arms over my head, get dressed or other normal human life stuff. FORTUNATELY, one steroid shot and six months of physical therapy completely stopped the tingling/arm asleep stuff and mostly restored my range of motion and strength.

If you've got decent access to health care, could not hurt to get screened for arthritis and possibly get a referral to a physical therapist who'll teach you the right way to keep things as healthy as you can.
posted by crush at 1:50 PM on April 25

Best answer: Worth getting seen - there are too many possibilities that a different pillow won't help. Do you get numb at other times - like driving or anything where your arm is held up? What you're describing sounds a lot like my carpal tunnel symptoms. After sleeping in an orthotist fit splint for a year (drugstore one made it worse) I'm having surgery next week.

In terms of diagnosis - was a mix of exam and eventually MRI to rule out spinal stuff which is more likely if it's asymetric. I have it in both arms though - one side might be spinal. And a nerve conduction test which is singularly unpleasant but definitive.
posted by leslies at 2:37 PM on April 25

Response by poster: Thank you so much everyone! I really thought I might be the only one. I'm glad to have some avenues to explore (and an excuse to buy a body pillow). Calling the doc on Monday too. AskMe is still the best place on the Internet.
posted by Frenchy67 at 5:41 AM on April 27 [1 favorite]