Both arms fall asleep at night when sleeping

[Ang2127]

I hope someone can give me an answer to my problem I am fed up with my arms falling asleep at night I just want to cry!

It started with my 1st child in 2000 my right arm use to go to sleep I would actually have to get up and walk around shaking my hand to get the feeling, tingling and numbness to go away. This happened every night constantly. It sort of tappered off after my child was born it happened every now and then.

Then last year I was pregnant with my 2nd child. Needless to say I slept on the couch for the last 5 months because the pain would bring me to tears. But this time it is both arms. It starts at the top of my arm on the inside the side that is pressed against your skin then travels down and around to the inside crease of my arm then straight down to my wrist and fingers. Well I figured it was from the swelling of pregnancy so I tried to deal with it by chiropractic visits, circulations pills cold packs, sleeping on couch but nothing helped. And now my baby is 4 months old and I still have the problem in both arms. Even during the day if I sit in my recliner to hold my baby to feed him my arms go to sleep.

If you have never had this happen you would never know the pain.
But it is unbearable. I have to get out of bed and continously shake, shake and shake my hands to I get the feeling back and the tingling which hurts goes away and as soon I lie back down there it goes again. My arms are so sore after this all night, please,please I hope you have an answer and a remedy for me!!!!!

[ladyheart]

Have you considered the possibility of it being carpal tunnel? My mom had it in both arms and got to where she could drop an iron skillet without realizing it.

[cugirl]

Have you talked to the Dr about carpal tunnel, you are very likely to get it when pregnant.  My mom had it in both hands but hers was because she works on a computer all day long.  She has had surgery on both hands and now dont have any problems at all. Hope that helps!! Jen

[Ang2127]

Is that the symptons of carpal?
I did work on computers for 10 years before I started staying home 3 years ago. Plus when you have the surgery you can't use your arms for awhile right, I can't do that with a newborn plus I stay home with my 4 yr. old plus 3 others I watch to make extra money. Do you know what kind of doctor I would see for this?

Thanks in advance!

[cugirl]

I think your general Dr could tell you and then send you to a specialist.  Theres also wrist splints you could use, maybe just at night to help you sleep.  I believe the usual symptoms incluse your arms or hands falling asleep, tingling, dropping stuff.  I think surgery before more damage is done might give you a better outcome.  But if you cant right now I would discuss it with the Dr and maybe check into the splints at night.  I know when my mom had it she could only sleep on her back with her elbows bent and her hands (palms facing up) beside her face.  Sounds crazy but it gave her relief and a good nights sleep.

[momanddad]

I had the same problem w/both my pregnancies...it was carpel tunnel.  With 2nd pregnancy, I got a shot of something (forgot what!) in one arm as a 'test', it did relieve the discomfort -- I never went back for the other arm as I delivered 3 weeks early.  Carpel Tunnel went away after births.

[Ang2127]

Well I tried to contact a doctor this morning about carpal tunnel and the receptionist said she thought it was something else some kind of neurological nerve I forgot the name she gave it. Has anyone ever had this problem, I am going to try and make a appoinment with a neurologist. As far as having carpal during pregnancy I understand but why after? Why am I still having it?

[Adevotee]

do you sleep on your arms or with them above your head? Mine fall asleep if I sleep on them and if I sleep with them above my head, by morning I can't even move them, it's like they are dead. It's awful!!

[Ang2127]

It does not matter how I lay on them they still fall asleep. Front, Back, This Side, that side up or down I have tried everything! Nothing works. I wonder if it is pinched nerves but I have not had any accidcents just the birth but it was like this during pregnancy.

[twinsmommy]

I also had carpal tunnel in both hands in my first pregnancy and it's starting to come back again (I'm 21 weeks). I read at babycenter.com that you can see an orthopedist if it's really bad. They also have a messageboard where you can find more people with this problem:
http://www.babycenter.com/refcap/pregnancy/prenatalhealth/234.html

[carolannrod]

My hands and arms up to the elbow fall asleep at night as well. The minute I wake up with this pain I elevate my arms, put them up on a pillow, and the sensation goes away.
I also experience tingling when I am holding something n my hands for a period of time, while shopping for example or reading. It's really irritating and debilitating as you know.
I went to my doctor and was scheduled for a test but the thought of them putting needles in my arms and sending electric shocks through them scared me more than waking up with dead arms.
I have worked on a computer for about 12 years but only mouse with my right hand so I'm not sure why my left hand and arm are being affected, perhaps pregnancy but that was  seven years ago.  
I am going to try acupuncture and will post the outcome after the treatment. Wish me luck and I hope my findings can help you as well.

[giorgia]

have you considered talking to your doctor about having your thyroid checked?  It is an easy blood test.  I have hypothyroidism and some of my first symptoms were both of my arms falling asleep at night.  I was also very tired.  This was before my three children and if you just had a child, or have children at home you may not know if you are more tired than you should be as we all know how tired we parents, especially new ones, can be.  Something to consider

[mar1234]

I read the posting you sent in 2006 about your arms falling asleep after the birth of your child.  I felt I was reading about myself.  I went to a vascular surgen and was diagnosed with thorasic outlet syndrome

[livbyfaith]

I appreciate your response. My gut feeling is that my hands-falling asleep at night and occasionally during the day (on the phone or other long activities with hands in same position) is just an ongoing symptom of my hypothyroidism. My doctor apparently relies only on the blood tests and has failed to listen to me when I describe symptoms.

[BrennaJay]

My arms fall asleep at night when I am sleeping on my side with my hands next to me. I am not sleeping on them however they are bent up at the elbow.  I do not wake up in the morning with "dead" arms, but it wakes me up during the night.  I am able to move and get the circulation back, however this happens almost everynight. Anyone know anything that I dont???

[chellfla]

I have  the same problem.  I usually sleep on my sides, and the arm that is on top is the one that is usually asleep -from shoulder to fingertips.  It's normally never the arm that I am lying on - it's the one on top that is numb.  This has been going on for months now, and is really driving me crazy.  I wake up in the middle of the night because they hurt, and then I have to pick my numb arm up with the other and shake it to get the feeling back in it.  

[Ebb95]

Did you ever find out what this was? I am experiencing exactly what you have described and it is extremely stressful not knowing

[Concerned555]

I had this for a few months.  I thought it may be related to my neck (since I had whiplash a few year back).  I tried different things.  I FOUND ONE THING that did work for me.  I adjusted my PILLOW HEIGHT, when sleeping on my side it would be likely around 2 and a half inches, so my head would be straight.  It took about 1 month of sleeping like this, and then my arms stopped falling asleep.  I hope this can help someone else.

[kmllmt]

My arms have been doing this since 2003 but gets worse on occasion.   I have hyoptyroid and was off my meds for a month and it is terrible now!!   I also am a Massage Therapist and I have helped many people with carpal tunnel and thorasic outlet syndrome, both which are muscular and dont require surgery if you can get help through MT.  I would encourage everyone to try MT before you have surgery!!!  It cant hurt and it can certainly help.   As my hands are currently asleep I shall stop typing...

[Natalielawson28]

I want to tell of you...thanks.  I found out a month ago that i was pregnant.  I th

[blindfex]

Every morning for the last 5 years I wake up with numb hands and now  numb and tingly arms as well. It started after skiing with the kids and holding onto the tow rope. I went for traction shortly after and that helped.  But now after working extensively on the computer for the last 3 years it is pretty bad.  I have been seeing a chiropractor but that has not helped my numb hands.  My general doctor says it might be carpal tunnel and suggested I sleep with splits.  I have not tried this yet.  My thyroid was checked a year ago and was fine.  My next step is to see a neuroligist.  Does anyone know how they test for carpal tunnel or any suggestions at all?

[juliestevenson23]

You know Ang, I believe, especially with the computer use history, that it most likely is something stemming from carpal tunnel. Make sure to go see a general doctor, he'll know what to do for sure.

- Julie, consultant for PN

[numb_limbs]

I not only have problems with my hands and arms falling asleep after being on a computer for a long time or holding them up while working on house projects (hanging pictures, etc), but now, recently, my feet! At first it was just at night, but now it's through out the day, espeicially if I sit too long. I have been dx with reynaud's syndrom, an autoimmune disease related to poor circulation, but I was wondering if there is more to this. LIke maybe Peripheral Artery Disease (PAD). Has anyone had this experience with feet falling asleep even when standing??
Thanks!

[Cherie762]

numbness/ tingling can be a compressed spinal disk  or a sign of multiple sclerosis...also could be from a lot of minor things like just sleeping wrong etc....me and my mom both (me 47 her 72) where taking Lipitor had the same probs with night time arm hand numbness discontinued med and it decreased a lot I have heard statin drugs can produce this side effect  just a theory not proven.

[H_____]

I believe my arms falling asleep is related to CREST scleroderma. This autoimmune disease started for me 2 months into pregnancy (pregnancy is known to trigger a lot of autoimmune diseases). My initial symptoms began with ankle swelling and toe numbness, swelling of the fingers, and little "pimples" on my cheek bone areas which later turned out to be diagnosed as telangiectasias.

Years later things got worse, and during that the arm numbness problem began.I experience this falling asleep of my arms up to 5 times a night. It turns out that many scleroderma patients do. This April 2009, a study showed that vasculopathy of the ulnar artery (artery running through the arm) is quite common in scleroderma. In fact, even prior to this it was well known that scleroderma causes all sorts of vasculopathy. Go google "CREST scleroderma" and see if you have any of the other signs of CREST. If you do, get to a rheumatologist for testing.

[H_____]

P.S. Like me, a lot of scleroderma patients complain of their arms falling asleep at night. You can read more about it at sclero.org.