Numbness

[Martian]

I woke up this morning with numbness throughout my entire right arm. (I think it was the way that I slept, wth my shoulder bent against the side of the couch.) But the strange thing was that I could not feel nor move any part of that arm. I used my left arm to investigate it. I lifted the numb arm up and it felt like someone elses arm because I didn't feel I thing from the arm. And when I let that arm go, it just dropped on my belly. I couldn't do anything with it. This numbness in my right arm lasted for probably 15-20 seconds, but I suspect that it was that way for most of the night without me noticing.

Questions:
Is this really bad for my arm?

Can someone explain what scientific reason for this type of numbness is?

[mith]

Loss of blood flow.

[dipjyoti]

Probably the way you sleep is one of the reason for numbness and what mith said Loss of blood flow is one of point. But if still persists and the period is more than >15-20seconds then it may be Paresthesia.
Because the exact reason is unknown it might be Transient Paresthesia.

[himmel]

it happened with me many times , and yeah exaclty ... after about 15 to 20 seconds everything is running well

if we think of it , we will CONCLUDE that the reason of Loss of Blood flow

__________________

if it happens with you frequently and lasts for more than 30 seconds , you have to seek physician advice ..

Hochachtungsvoll
himmel

[numbness]

Hey, does anyone have info on paresthesia / numbness? Is it basically the same thing? What is paresthesia or how is it different?

- Links removed. We can smell spam a mile away you know, we're just that good.

[Mikey]

Just as a non-scientific FYI,
I woke up several days in a row with complete numbness in one arm, and then I switched to a softer mattress, which allowed more blood flow...

[jwalin]

i have a question.
is the nrvous system also affected???
if not, then why does the arm seem like someone elses????

[TheVirus]

Technically, yes, the nervous system is affected, but only the peripheral nerves (in this case, the ones in your arm), not the brain , or brain stem, or spinal cord, etc. Here, when you sleep with your arm in that position, you put pressure on the blood vessels, stopping the blood flow to the nerves (as well as muscles, skin, etc). When the nerves don't get blood, they can't work. Numbness (or paresthesia, which is the more...scientific name) is caused when the nerves responsible for the feelings of pressure, touch, pain and temperature, and even the ones that control the arm muscles, can't do their job because of blood shortage (basically, they start dying), which leads to the numbness or tingling sensations.
It shouldn't mean anything serious, unless you feel it for hours, in which case it's not the acute or normal type, but the chronic type, which could mean something's causing your nervous system to fail.

[QuestionGuy]

It usually oocurs when you put your arm(s) in an extended armpit position, like under your pillow or as support for head/neck as you lay. It can also occur in the closed armpit position, say if you have a futon like me and sleep in the couch mode and an arm might rest at my side but under my body in the crease, but that results in a more tingly numbness and not the painful numbness of the extended position.

The extended position which I have found to be incredibly painful and can mess up your should joint(s) very easily if your sleep and position is prolonged.