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Re: Poor circulation in arms while sleeping


Posted by Honest Expert (but only on mattress on July 25, 2002 at 20:58:14:

In Reply to: Poor circulation in arms while sleeping posted by Mike on July 23, 2002 at 08:48:57:

Hi Mike,

There are undoubtedly various explanations for the condition you are describing. One of those explanations can be related to either your mattress or pillow.

If your mattress does not conform sufficiently to the contour of your shoulders, your body weight pressing down on the downside can compress the tissues and nerves too much. This can lead to the problem you describe.

In fact, this is extremely common.

Or, if you use a pillow that is too short for you when you lay on your side, it forces you to scrunch your shoulder to get down to the pillow. This, too, can cause the kinds of pressures that lead to the problems you are describing.

Simple solutions? Feather beds, "egg crate" pads, or foam overlays are some. Maybe even something as fancy as a "memory foam" overlay. Or, perhaps, a different pillow may help some.

I have a friend who has positionally affected Sleep Apnea. When he sleeps on his side, he is OK. But when he sleeps on his back, his Apnea kicks in. Because he is fairly heavy, he had the same problem you are describing. Because of this, he would wind up on his back through much of the night, which was no good for him.

He bought a new mattress -- having shopped carefully to find a choice that would work well for this problem -- and his problem has practically disappeared. Now, he can sleep on his side throughout the night without problems.

This might not be an answer for your particular situation, but I thought I would throw it into the mix for your consideration.

I hope this helps some.

Good Luck,

Honest Expert

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