What Really Happens When a Part of Your Body Falls Asleep?

Sitting in certain position may compress your nerves, leading to a body part "falling asleep."

Oftentimes, after keeping pressure on a particular body part for an extended period, you may find that it's difficult to move the limb or that it feels tingly, as if it's on pins and needles. This sensation is known as a body part "falling asleep."

Function

The sensation of your limbs falling asleep is due to your nerves being compressed. Your nerves run throughout your body and carry messages between your body parts and your brain. When you compress the nerves, they can't send messages back and forth, so you can't really feel anything at all.

Remedy

After you move your limbs and stop compressing the nerves, the feeling soon returns to them. Though this may feel tingly or slightly painful, the feeling passes.

Considerations

There is no reason to worry about a limb falling asleep --- unless the sensation never returns, which may be an indication of a more serious problem. However, compressing your nerves for a period typically has no undue effect on them. To prevent your limbs from falling asleep, avoid compressing nerves by paying attention to how you sit, lay or rest your limbs.

References

• Kid's Health: Why Does My Foot Fall Asleep