[kdlynn (OP)]

almost every morning i wake up with my right arm under my head and completely numb. i don't fall asleep this way... but it's almost always how i wake up. does the fact that this happens so often increase my risk of permanent arm damage? if so, how do i stop doing this in my sleep? help!

[another_someone]

Don't know if there is any cumulative damage, which is what you seem to be asking.

It is possible, if you can shut off the blood supply completely to your arm, that you would create irreparable short term harm (i.e part of your arm could develop gangrene, or just die through lack of blood).

Another problem I could imagine could be the development of blood clots, which may go by without consequence at all, but could potentially cause a heart attack or stroke.

These are not cumulative risks, but they are separate risks on each occasion it happens.

[kdlynn (OP)]

good to know. thanks george. anybody know how i can stop sleeping like that? cuz... i'm asleep when i do it...

[Karen W.]

Good question Kadie.. The sleep study questions are stupid like that..You know what I mean, they ask you "Do you grind your teeth in your sleep?" I replied ,"I wouldn't know would I as I was asleep! LOL!" Tons of questions like that! How the heck are we supposed to know if we are asleep.. I did know that when I fall asleep sitting up which by the way is easier then lying down, that I wake up biting my tongue ooh it hurts! LOL Hugs Kadie!
I have had to get used to not putting my hand up under my pillow as this was my favorite position curled up on my left sideleft arm under pillow bunching it up and under my head . that was on top of two other pillows. I bought a new pillow and only need two these days and my body pillow.. It just keeps me company! You could try putting it behind you.

[dentstudent]

I went through a period of waking up face down with both of my arms tucked under my chest, both of them asleep. Let me tell you, it is very difficult to turn over with 2 asleep limbs! I had to kind of twist myself using my legs. To combat it, I "told" myself to not sleep like this, and after a couple more occasions in the same week, I find that I've not ever done it again.

[kdlynn (OP)]

i tell myself not to do it to.... but really once i'm asleep i don't tell myself much of anything

[dentstudent]

You should be stern with yourself and give yourself a real good spanking for not listening to yourself...

[kdlynn (OP)]

lol... i'll take that into consideration

[paul.fr]

I remember reading about a man who used to fall asleep in an armchair, with one arm over his head. He lost circulation for long enough to lose all feeling in his now limp arm.

IIRC, loss of circulation over an hour in length can lead to permanent damage of the limb.

[kdlynn (OP)]

luckily it wakes me up once it starts to hurt

[Monox D. I-Fly]

I went through a period of waking up face down with both of my arms tucked under my chest, both of them asleep. Let me tell you, it is very difficult to turn over with 2 asleep limbs! I had to kind of twist myself using my legs. To combat it, I "told" myself to not sleep like this, and after a couple more occasions in the same week, I find that I've not ever done it again.

Once I slept with both my feet hanging down under the side of my bed. After 1-2 hours had passed, I woke up and felt them numb. When I get down from the bed and tried to walk, I fell of immediately because both my feet went limp.

[evan_au]

Mostly we will wake up if a limb has the blood supply cut off for too long, and it will recover after a few minutes of "pins and needles" sensations.

However, if someone passes out from inebriation, this normal waking reaction won't work, and blood supply can be cut off for many hours, resulting in "Saturday night palsy". Again, most cases will recover quickly, but some cases may take days or weeks to recover completely.
See: https://www.apexphysio.com.au/saturday-night-palsy/