I sleep on my sides (almost exclusively on the left side) and my left arm is the one that falls asleep all the time.

I'm wondering if it's not the MS causing my problem, but possibly laying on my side is causing some sort of ischemia from laying on my arm. I've tried moving my arm forward and away from my body, but I still have one bit of anatomy that gets in the way of my upper arm, and I'm thinking that may be pressing on my upper arm and making my arm fall asleep from compression on a nerve or an artery.

I wonder if I can re-train myself to sleep on my back...

I've been experiencing the whole arms/hands falling asleep and waking me. I then have pain in my joints for several hours after waking.

EMG didn't show CTS. But a quick test by O.T. to put my elbows on a table and bend hands at the wrist. Within 30seconds the tinglies had started.

My hands/arms can be in any position and fall asleep. But most of my MS probs are in my upper limbs, neck.

OT said it was spacisity while asleep causing my wrists to bend and create CTS sx. I had custom splints made to hold my wrists in a straight line while sleeping. Not exactly comfortable, but definitely solved the problem.

Much luck in your search for answers.

It still amazes me how many other people struggle with someone so...weird

Thanks Av8rgirl for the offer of your pillow.

I don't think I have CTS. I really think it does have more to do w/ the position of my arm/hand. Like what MSacorn described.

And it doesn't happen all the time for me either. But if it starts to be an ongoing problem then I'm gonna have to mention it.

Maybe I can wrap my wrists with ace bandages to keep them from bending. Oh Joy!

Thanks everyone for your replies and suggestions

BTB
You can buy splints and most drugstores, and stores such as Wal or K marts. I'm sure it will be less expensive the OT. I used them for CTS years ago (it really was MS, even had the surgeries) . My palms are very heat/touch sensitive so I had to go with a smoother material. It might be worth a shot. HTH

Thanks MSacorn. I'll check into that. It didn't happen last night. I've been in a flare up and just went thru steriod treatments. Maybe that has something to do w/ it.

I had the same problem. My arms and legs would fall asleep frequently while sitting, sleeping, or standing. It happened almost daily for 8 weeks, then stopped. It was fine for months, and then started again and eventually disappeared. It seems to take several minutes to get a limb back to normal and it is painful! I'll hop around if it is one of my legs or feet, or wave my arms madly, gritting my teeth from the hot, shocking needle-like pain.

Yoga and stretching help, too, as a preventative. I try to move around more and flex my writsts and feet a lot if I have to sit in the car or at a desk for a long time.

I can handle a few minutes of discomfort. If it means that I can still move my limbs, I'll deal with it and be thankful for today.

I feel sorry for you, though, and I'm not discounting your experience. I think it's a good excuse for a therapeutic massage and a new pillow at the very least!

This happened to me a lot in '92, '93. I only remember because I was stationed in England at the time.

Don't know what caused it. Don't know why it went away.

Do remember that it would wake me out of the deepest sleep and it didn't tickle.

It is important make sure this is not a circulation problem.

I get it in my arms and legs, at first thought it was limbs falling asleep for no reason but turned out it was MS. This is why I think I've had MS so long, this symptom has been with me on and off for over a decade. Do not think it is carpal tunnel in the legs.

Is yours only at night? Mine comes and goes at anytime, with no rhyme or reason at all.

There is something called "Tarsal Tunnel Syndrome" , but I think that's pretty rare.


I'm actually starting to wonder if my hands sleeping while I'm sleeping is just some bizzaro MS thing. The neuro said it's NOT carpal tunnel syndrome, and since I dont have pins&needles when I wake up and wake up my hands...the feeling just comes back after about 30 seconds to 3 or 4 minutes, I'm starting to think it's not a compression or ischemic problem.

Just another not-so-fun aspect of the stupid MS. *grumble* Why does MS have to be so freaking annoying???????

Yeah, I think you were smart to have it checked out but many of us get this and imo most times it is just another joy of MS, sigh.

I remember early on seeing an interview with Annette Funicello and she said this was her first symptom and she ignored it thinking she just slept funny.