One common, yet highly detrimental, variant of side sleeping is what has been humorously dubbed the "T-Rex" position, where the sleeper curls up with hands and wrists tucked tightly near the chest. While this posture may feel instinctively comforting, often adopted during times of stress or anxiety, it is physically harmful because it compresses major nerves running through the elbows and wrists. This compression frequently results in "nocturnal paresthesia"—the distressing sensation of tingling, numbness, or "pins and needles"—and, if consistently repeated, can lead to persistent nerve damage, reduced blood flow to the limbs, and chronic pain in the shoulders.
