Evaluation of Sleep Position as a Potential Cause of Carpal Tunnel Syndrome: Preferred Sleep Position on the Side is Associated with Age and Gender

Abstract

Purpose

To test the hypothesis that an important step in a causative mechanism for carpal tunnel syndrome (CTS) is sleeping in a lateral position (sleeping on the side), we designed a cross-sectional survey to measure the association between sleep position, age, gender, and body mass index (BMI).

Methods and Findings

We surveyed 247 patients in a primary care setting. Fifty percent of men and 73% of women prefer to sleep on their side (p<.001; unadjusted odds ratio, 2.7). In addition, the proportion of women who prefer to sleep on their side increased with increasing age (p<.001). There was no association between BMI and sleeping in a lateral position.

Conclusions

This study supports the hypothesis that sleeping on the side is an important step in a causal pathway for CTS.

Keywords

Carpal tunnel syndrome Causation Sleep position

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