How to Manage Wrist Pain and Discomfort

Sleeping with “T-rex arms” is a common habit that has resonated in parts of the neurodivergent community online. Some TikTok users say that bending their wrists and tucking them close to their bodies helps create a sense of comfort or manage sensory overload. They may even keep the same posture when awake but resting.

“It feels good initially because you’re relaxing some of those muscles,” said Emily L. Casanova, PhD, an assistant professor of neuroscience at Loyola University.

Despite anecdotal reports of T-rex arms being common among autistic and ADHD individuals, the posture hasn’t been studied extensively.

Casanova said that T-rex arms might help neurodivergent people relax their forearm muscles. “Your muscles are actually more taut when you hold your hand and wrist out straight,” she added.

Research shows that autistic people often experience imprecise proprioception, meaning they have difficulty sensing their body’s position in space. For example, they may bump into furniture more often or slouch for hours without realizing it.

Casanova also noted that people with proprioceptive or hypermobility issues might stay in one position for too long before their brain registers pain or discomfort.

She, who is diagnosed with ADHD, shared a personal experience of working from home, where she sat on a lounger for a long time without noticing the strain on her joints.

“I realized a little too late that I was hyperextending my hips, which ended up becoming a really bad problem because I ended up causing a lot of micro-tears in that joint area and it took a long time to heal,” she said.

Can Sleeping With T-Rex Arms Cause Wrist Pain?

If you’ve ever slept with your wrist bent all night, you may have noticed a painful ache the next morning. Many neurodivergent people report wrist and elbow pain as a common side effect of sleeping in this position.

“There’s a tunnel in your wrist, literally a tunnel, and through the tunnel runs the median nerve and a bunch of arteries and tendons, so when you keep your wrist flexed or bent, especially severely, it compresses everything running through that tunnel,” said Patricia A. Gentile, OTR/L, DPS, a clinical assistant professor of occupational therapy at NYU Steinhardt, told Verywell.

Gentile added that the elbow joint is tighter, and the ulnar nerve, which causes the tingling sensation when you hit your funny bone, runs through it.

“If everything is bent for a long time, you’re likely to experience some pain and numbness as well,” she said.

How Can You Avoid Wrist Pain If You Sleep With T-Rex Arms?

In neurodivergent people, T-rex arms are often a way to self-soothe and find comfort. Gentile suggests observing why someone seeks this comfort to better address their needs.

For those who frequently sleep with their arms in the T-rex position, Gentile recommends stretching both before bed and after waking to improve circulation. These stretches are similar to those recommended for carpal tunnel syndrome.

“You should try stretching your arms in the opposite position you were sleeping because that’s going to elongate everything that was tightened up,” Gentile said. She added that doing this in the shower can be especially helpful, as hot water provides soothing relief.

Gentile and Casanova also suggest using a body pillow for individuals who are open to trying a different way of meeting their sensory and tactile needs, which may help them relax by improving their awareness of body position in space.

Casanova added that self-regulating strategies like meditation can help calm the body’s fight-or-flight response, especially when the sympathetic nervous system is activated. Breathing techniques and relaxing routines may also improve sleep quality.