Hi,I am Dr. Shanthi.E (General & Family Physician). I will be looking into your question and guiding you through the process. Please write your question below.
What Causes Numbness In Hand After Sleeping On Arm?
I have a friend who slept on his right arm all night. The next morning his hand looked droopy and he was unable to straighten his wrist up. It s very floppy. Ultrasound and MRI s were normal. I thought it maybe wrist drop but he s never had a injury on that side.
The numbness in hand after sleep as you describe is very common occurrence which is most commonly related to sleeping position .While sleeping people put there body weight on their arm usually side sleepers ,which leads to compression of nerve in arm and cause numbness .
Most of the times the numbness is short lived .What you can do is change your sleeping position and put firm and thick pillow under your head while sleeping .It is not the case of wrist drop.
If this event occur occasional and shot lived it will be corrected simply by few changes in sleeping position ,But if it occur very frequently and and is not short lived then you should consult a doctor .Because it can be a sign of some more serious problem like nerve irritation and stroke .
Hope your concern has been resolved.
Get Well Soon. Best Wishes, Dr. Harry Maheshwari
I find this answer helpful
1 user finds this helpful
You found this answer helpful
Note: For further follow up on related General & Family Physician Click here.
Disclaimer: These answers are for your information only and not intended to replace your relationship with your treating physician.
This is a short, free answer.
For a more detailed, immediate answer, try our premium service
[Sample answer]
We use cookies in order to offer you most relevant experience and using this website you acknowledge that you have already read and understood our
Privacy Policy
What Causes Numbness In Hand After Sleeping On Arm?
Hi Dear, Welcome to HCM team. Understanding your concern. The numbness in hand after sleep as you describe is very common occurrence which is most commonly related to sleeping position .While sleeping people put there body weight on their arm usually side sleepers ,which leads to compression of nerve in arm and cause numbness . Most of the times the numbness is short lived .What you can do is change your sleeping position and put firm and thick pillow under your head while sleeping .It is not the case of wrist drop. If this event occur occasional and shot lived it will be corrected simply by few changes in sleeping position ,But if it occur very frequently and and is not short lived then you should consult a doctor .Because it can be a sign of some more serious problem like nerve irritation and stroke . Hope your concern has been resolved. Get Well Soon. Best Wishes, Dr. Harry Maheshwari