# Waking up with numb arm - is it harmful? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [November 17, 2006, 1:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/waking-up-with-numb-arm-is-it-harmful/380763 "2006-11-17T01:04:51Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 11\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Mrs\_Johnson](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/7cd45c/32.png) [@Mrs\_Johnson](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mrs_Johnson)\ **Post date:** [November 17, 2006, 1:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/waking-up-with-numb-arm-is-it-harmful/380763/1 "2006-11-17T01:04:51Z")
About 4-5 mornings per week I wake up with one (sometimes both) of my arms asleep/numb. Usually it’s because I sleep on my stomach with my arm under the pillow and it cuts off the circulation. Once I realize my arm is numb, I reposition and wait for it to regain function. The fun part is when both arms are numb - ya gotta flop around to reposition. :smack: Can it cause any long term problems? ---
**Author:** ![Shagnasty](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/9dc877/32.png) [@Shagnasty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shagnasty)\ **Post date:** [November 17, 2006, 1:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/waking-up-with-numb-arm-is-it-harmful/380763/2 "2006-11-17T01:19:11Z")
IANAD but I have the same thing happen. Both arms is scary. Body parts falling asleep are almost never a problem with long-term damage. Nerves just shut down when circulation is restricted although the tissues still have enough to be fine. Almost everybody has limbs fall asleep at some point. ---
**Author:** ![bouv](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/bc8723/32.png) [@bouv](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bouv)\ **Post date:** [November 17, 2006, 1:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/waking-up-with-numb-arm-is-it-harmful/380763/3 "2006-11-17T01:39:55Z")
[QUOTE=Shagnasty] Nerves just shut down when circulation is restricted although the tissues still have enough to be fine. Almost everybody has limbs fall asleep at some point. [/QUOTE] But you’re not cutting off circulation. All you’re doing is pinching a key nerve or two for a long period of time, cutting off sensation. It’s the same thing as ‘pis and needles’/you’re foot falling asleep, but for a whole limb, and odds are for a longer period of time, cause who knows how long you might have been sleeping on it. ---
**Author:** ![Turek](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/turek/32/18782_2.png) [@Turek](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Turek)\ **Post date:** [November 17, 2006, 3:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/waking-up-with-numb-arm-is-it-harmful/380763/4 "2006-11-17T03:40:20Z")
Ah yes, the joys of waking up with “meat hand.” 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Mrs\_Johnson](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/7cd45c/32.png) [@Mrs\_Johnson](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mrs_Johnson)\ **Post date:** [November 17, 2006, 4:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/waking-up-with-numb-arm-is-it-harmful/380763/5 "2006-11-17T04:17:40Z")
You call it “meat” hand? Care to explain? I know it happens to other people - my only reason for concern was because it’s nearly every day. ---
**Author:** ![corkboard](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/e9bcb4/32.png) [@corkboard](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/corkboard)\ **Post date:** [November 17, 2006, 1:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/waking-up-with-numb-arm-is-it-harmful/380763/6 "2006-11-17T13:50:59Z")
[QUOTE=Mrs Johnson] You call it “meat” hand? Care to explain? I know it happens to other people - my only reason for concern was because it’s nearly every day. [/QUOTE] I think “meat” hand means it feels like a disembodied slab of meat. This happens to me 3-4 nights a week for a few weeks, then I can go 2 months without it happening at all, then it happens again. It’s a little scary because not only can I not detect any sense of touch with that arm, but it’s cold. It’s like having a cadaver arm laying across your chest. ---
**Author:** ![Turek](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/turek/32/18782_2.png) [@Turek](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Turek)\ **Post date:** [November 17, 2006, 1:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/waking-up-with-numb-arm-is-it-harmful/380763/7 "2006-11-17T13:52:55Z")
[QUOTE=Mrs Johnson] You call it “meat” hand? Care to explain? [/QUOTE] Because when you wake up with your arm totally numb, you hand feels like a piece of meat when you try to use it or when it touches another part of your body. ---
**Author:** ![MostlyClueless](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/ba9def/32.png) [@MostlyClueless](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MostlyClueless)\ **Post date:** [November 17, 2006, 2:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/waking-up-with-numb-arm-is-it-harmful/380763/8 "2006-11-17T14:00:23Z")
You can always have it amputated… (Obscure reference) ---
**Author:** ![brewha](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/91b2a8/32.png) [@brewha](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/brewha)\ **Post date:** [November 17, 2006, 2:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/waking-up-with-numb-arm-is-it-harmful/380763/9 "2006-11-17T14:46:39Z")
[QUOTE=MostlyClueless] You can always have it amputated… (Obscure reference) [/QUOTE] I was going to use that “House” reference. You beat me to it. ---
**Author:** ![solkoe](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/919ad9/32.png) [@solkoe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/solkoe)\ **Post date:** [November 17, 2006, 4:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/waking-up-with-numb-arm-is-it-harmful/380763/10 "2006-11-17T16:34:14Z")
[QUOTE=McNew] I think “meat” hand means it feels like a disembodied slab of meat. This happens to me 3-4 nights a week for a few weeks, then I can go 2 months without it happening at all, then it happens again. It’s a little scary because not only can I not detect any sense of touch with that arm, but it’s cold. It’s like having a cadaver arm laying across your chest. [/QUOTE] I used to get this all the time until I changed my sleeping position. The position I was in when I fell asleep seeming to make a differenece. I haven’t had this for years. ---
**Author:** ![TLDRIDKJKLOLFTW](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/51bf81/32.png) [@TLDRIDKJKLOLFTW](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TLDRIDKJKLOLFTW)\ **Post date:** [November 17, 2006, 6:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/waking-up-with-numb-arm-is-it-harmful/380763/11 "2006-11-17T18:46:58Z")
At least is buys you enough time for a “stranger.” 😛