Should I Wear My Wrist Splint at Night?

Fragile wrists may require a nighttime splint.

They Can Be Helpful

Sleeping on a hurt wrist may further injure it.

Wearing a wrist splint at night can be helpful. By "keeping your fingers, hand, and wrist from curling forward while you sleep," states TendonitisExpert.com, splinting an injured wrist at night can prevent an injury from exacerbating. Indeed, having a wrist splinted while sleeping works to relax muscles from "'squeezing all night long."

Splints May Further Damage

Wearing a splint at night may not fully protect a damaged wrist from further injury. While splinting a wrist can lessen pain, if left untreated the injury can anchor more deeply into tendons and muscles. "Splints for carpal tunnel or tendonitis may slow the progress, but they do not prevent damage," according to TendonitisExpert.com.

Bottom Line

Doctors can often offer specialized wrist splints.

You should wear a splint at night to keep your wrist in a calm position, but do not expect it to heal your condition. Splinting a wrist at night can help you sleep more soundly and relax injured tendons and muscles. On the other hand, splinting a wrist will not fix an injury. Consult a doctor regarding any wrist injury.

References

• Wrist Splinting