T Nation

Hand/Arm Falling Asleep Often

Bodybuilding
#1

Over the past couple months I’ve noticed my hand starts to fall asleep very easily whenever my arm is bent for long periods of time or when I’m working on something tedious with my hands (like eating crabs or painting a room). I’ve also noticed that when I sleep I seem to be cutting off blood flow from my shoulder more easily because I keep waking up with an entire arm asleep. This also occurs with my legs to a lesser extent, in that if I bend my knees at angles greater than 90 for a long period of time I’ll lose sensation in my feet.

Obviously this can happen to everybody, it’s a question of degree. Have any of you noticed similar things?

#2

You may just have really low blood pressure. I have a similar problem, and also have really low blood pressure. Not that I’m complaining. With a family history of Hypertension I’m kinda the freak.

Just be sure to get up and move around if sitting for long periods of time, which is probably good advice anyway.

#3

I have really bad wrists. Sometimes if I bend my wrists too quickly or at a sharp angle, my entire hand will lock up. One time, my middle finger involuntarily curled in so tight, I thought it was going to break. I had to literally pry my finger open with my other hand.

Other times all my fingers will just go very stiff and I’ll have to massage my hand or manually move my fingers and get them moving around again. It’s fairly painful and awkward for your fingers to bend against your will. I think I’m developing carpeltunel (sp?) syndrome in at least one of my arms. Too many years of playing video games on the computer most likely, but the damage has been done.

#4

This sounds like the sort of thing you go to see a doctor about. No need to be alarmist about it but there are a number of possible causes and a doctor should know if it is something that needs to be investigated or not.

#5

same thing happens to me. except it also happens when i wear backpacks or backsquat. i told my doctor and a chinese-pin thing doctor and they both said some shit about nerves being compressed or something. which idk i would have htought if it was a nerve that the feeling would happen immediately and then return to normal immediately but its the same to me as if my leg feel asleep it takes some time to happen and then to go back. owell.

#6

Limbs falling asleep can be due to lack of blood flow or nerve compression. When your arm falls asleep, do you mean your entire arm, only some fingers, but not all? If you don’t know, pay attention to that next time.

#7

I’ve recently noticed almost exactly the same thing. My arm falls asleep when I’m in bed fairly often now. I wasn’t really noticing it until one time it was totally asleep and numb and it came to my attention.

When I slack off on the lifting a little it goes away, so I’m pretty sure it’s related. I’d be interesed to see if any advice pops up on here. I was planning on not worrying about it too much and seeing if it gets worse or not.

#8

I’ve recently noticed almost exactly the same thing. My arm falls asleep when I’m in bed fairly often now. I wasn’t really noticing it until one time it was totally asleep and numb and it came to my attention. When I slack off on the lifting a little it goes away, so I’m pretty sure it’s related. I’d be interesed to see if any advice pops up on here. I was planning on not worrying about it too much and seeing if it gets worse or not.

#9

I had similar symptoms. Started using a grip strengthener from time to time and it seems to have done the trick: no aching fingers/tendons at the end of the day and no numbness in any of my arms upon waking.

I’m usually on a keyboard, constantly typing for 8 hours a day and I thought I was doomed to chronic pain in my hands (well, at least it’s been postponed for the time being)–doing something to promote vascularity in the extremities seemed like an obvious thing to try and it’s worked for me so far. I felt results within a couple of weeks.

#10

u can masterbate with it and pretend it’s someone else

#11

sounds like what is happening to me the past 2-3 months with my wrists, fingers and grip strength, i am starting to believe that i have carpal tunnel syndrome and that’s it’s worse in my left hand (i’m left handed)

#12

when my gf would sleep over and insist we spoon, the arm that is under her head would inevitably fall asleep.

sonofabitch.