Sleeping on arm

[bashlin]

last night i woke about 5:00 am with my arm tucked under my pillow..i try to move it and it's as numb as it can be. it's completely dark in my room, and i'm not even sure my arm is still attached.. so i jump up out of bed with my arm hanging at my side..rub it for a few minutes and finally the feeling starts to return..but it was weird..

so is it possible to sleep on you arm so long that it causes damage, and possible lose your arm..?? am i the only person that has ever had this happen..??

[stvnscott]

I know a guy who knows a guy who...

In all seriousness, I once dated a girl in Florida whose best friend got drunk and passed out laying on his arm funny. Since he was inebriated, he couldn't wake up when things started to go wrong. The blood supply to his arm was inhibited long enough that doctors eventually amputated after several days of trying to save it.

[rhinocaster]

I've wondered about this.

I've had a few nights in my life where I've woken to an arm that is TOTALLY dead. Ice cold. I've physically had to lift it when I got up, and it's taken several minutes to come back to life. How long before permanent damage takes place?

[bashlin]

kinda scary..:crazyguy

[Rabidclam]

How does this affect playing...?

[D.Cooper]

How does this affect playing...?
Gives you a fatter tone of course!!! :JAM

[Lacking Talent]

last night i woke about 5:00 am with my arm tucked under my pillow..i try to move it and it's as numb as it can be. it's completely dark in my room, and i'm not even sure my arm is still attached.. so i jump up out of bed with my arm hanging at my side..rub it for a few minutes and finally the feeling starts to return..but it was weird..

so is it possible to sleep on you arm so long that it causes damage, and possible lose your arm..?? am i the only person that has ever had this happen..??

It's been reported that during the height (depths?) of his drug use, Eddie Money fell asleep (passed out?) with one of his legs in curled under him, and as a result, lost the use of that leg until almost a year of painful physical therapy helped him regain mobility in the paralyzed limb.

[captain_bob]

I hate that. Had it happen real bad a couple of weeks ago. It was kinda tingly for a day or so but all came back.

[CyberFerret]

Happened to me a couple of times. Interestingly, when I spoke to my doctor about it, he said that 'drunks arm' was a fairly common thing. It is so names because it especially afflicts those who pass out with their arm pinned underneath them.

He said that normally, it is a case of restricted blood vessels which causes the numbness. He told me that most cases wouldn't be a problem, but if there was a case where full weight was applied to the limb and very little blood got through, then there would be serious tissue loss.

He also said that another factor was when the nerve was compressed. Happens especially if you sleep on, say, a park bench with your arm flung out the side over the edge of the hard bench. That will compress the nerve running down the back of your arm, and it can take a full week for the feeling to come back 100%.

Soft bedding etc. shouldn't cause a major problem apart from a few minutes of discomfort, however if you are pinned by something hard then you're in trouble.

You will see quite often earthquake victims who survive for days when pinned under concrete etc. die almost as soon as they are rescued. That is because, and limbs that get pinned and have degraded blood flow will build up toxins, and when the restriction is removed, those toxins spread to the rest of the body and kill them. It is known as "Toxic Shock Syndrome".

[claudel]

I started wearing a wrist splint to bed after I almost gave myself carpal tunnel problems by sleeping with my left wrist folded up under my head.

That and a taller pillow reversed what could have turned into an ugly, ongoing ordeal...

[cvansickle]

David Mustaine says he lost functioning in his arm after falling asleep with the arm hanging over a chair. He went through months of rehab to be able to play again.

[B Money]

happens to me occasionally. It's no big deal, but I do tend to freak out a little when waking from a deep sleep to find that your arm is completely dead.
I've even slept on both arms crossed in front of my chest, that sucked pretty bad when I paniced and tried to lift myself out of bed, but couldn't because my arms were useless.
Hasn't affected my guitar playing at all; I'm still terrible.

[Tonekat]

You can pinch your Median Nerve, the one that causes Carpal Tunnel and some other conditions. I gave myself a half numb hand recently that way. Finally almost completely gone.

[freedom's door]

David Mustaine says he lost functioning in his arm after falling asleep with the arm hanging over a chair. He went through months of rehab to be able to play again.

I just finished his autobiography- he went through a lot to be able to play again.
I think i remember something similar happening to Miles Davis- it might be something Miles wrote about in his autobiography.

[FlyingDutchman]

Happened to me last nite. I put my hand under my pillow to help it wake back up. The weight somehow gets the blood flowing again..Still hurts now though as I type this..

[king-albert]

Happens to me once in a while too. It freaks me out but it's great if you're into "The Stranger."

[buddastrat]

You should be fine, just keep off it and give it rest...and don't do it again! The outer sheath of nerve will rebound. Think of it like a garden hose, it got kinked. Let it work the kink out.

I've had some nerve issues going on for a 1.5 years, both hands. Nerves are amazingly stubborn and you can't do much for them, 'cept time and rest. They heal very slowly. Ice can help. Massage and advil (didn't help me) is often suggested.

My prob is mine keep trying to heal, but due to work (playing) I keep aggravating them. Slowly improving.

[Dr. Tweedbucket]

This is weird! Last night my hand went to sleep and half of it is still numb. My left pinkie is totally numb and the ring finger is probably 75% numb as is the left side of my palm. I've has a very slight numbness in the past, but nothing this extreme. It really bums be out because now I can't play the guitar or type worth a crap. I hope it comes back soon. :cry:

[bashlin]

My left pinkie is totally numb and the ring finger is probably 75% numb as is the left side of my palm

sounds like you pinched your ulnar nerve..aka "funny bone"..they can come back in a week, or up to a year..but also may require surgery..but we'll hope for just a few days..