Many patients report that their numbness in hands while sleeping. Should this be something that worries you, or is it no big deal? Here’s why you should be concerned about this problem and what may be causing it.

Why Am I Numbness in Hands While Sleeping?

When any body part goes numb, it means that the nerve supply to that area has been cut off. If your hands are going numb while you sleep, that indicates that some nerve that goes from your neck to the hand is being compressed. Nerves have their own blood supply, so pressure on a nerve cuts off that blood supply and the nerve becomes starved for oxygen and nutrients and shuts down.

If this happens for a short period of time, the nerve wakes up again once the pressure is removed. Continued pressure on the nerve can mean that it gets a little damaged with each episode. Months or years of numb hands at night can be a symptom of damaged nerves.

Most of the time, numbness in hands while sleeping is not cause for alarm. The loss of sensation is typically due to an awkward sleeping position, but in rare cases, may be due to a more serious cause.

Sleeping Positions

There are three major nerves that travel the length of the arm. Sleeping in certain positions, such as with the wrist flexed or with an arm wedged underneath the body, can cause one or more of these nerves to become compressed, cutting off the blood supply and resulting in a tingling or numbness in the hand.

Changing your sleep position and sleeping with your wrists in a relaxed or neutral position could help with numbness that is caused by compression.

Carpal Tunnel Syndrome

If you are experiencing numbness in hands while sleeping, it may be due to carpal tunnel syndrome, which occurs when the median nerve is pinched or compressed. It can be triggered by making the same motions repetitively, like typing on a keyboard.

Nerve Compression

Nerve compression occurs when your nerves get squeezed, pinched, or squashed. The radial, median and ulnar nerves are the three main nerves in your arm and hands that cause numbness when compressed.

Diabetes

In individuals with diabetes, the body has trouble transporting sugar into cells from the bloodstream. Having high blood sugar for a prolonged period can result in nerve damage known as diabetic neuropathy, which is a type of nerve damage that can cause numbness in your feet, arms, legs, and hands.

Vitamin B12 Deficiency

Your body uses vitamin B12 to make DNA and keep the nerve system and blood cells healthy. Without vitamin B12, repairing nerve damage and producing crucial blood cells becomes increasingly challenging.

Cervical Spondylosis

Cervical spondylosis is a kind of arthritis that damages the discs in your neck. Caused by prolonged periods of tear and wear on the spinal bones, the damaged spine can compress nearby nerves and cause numbness in the arms, hands, and fingers.

Certain Medications and Medication Side Effects

Certain medications list nerve damage as a side effect. Additionally, certain medications can cause neuropathy and the associated numbness of hands and feet. These include heart or blood pressure drugs, antibiotics, and anticancer drugs. Other symptoms of drug-induced neuropathy include weakness, abnormal feeling in your hands, and tingling.

How to Prevent Numbness in Hands While Sleeping？

We know that it is almost impossible to control your body movements when you are sleeping; as such, here is how you can prevent numbness in hands while sleeping:

Do not sleep in the fetal position. Sleeping with your elbows and arms bent can apply too much pressure on your nerves, causing them to become numb.

Do not fold your arm or arms under your pillow while you sleep. Your head’s weight can put pressure on your elbow or wrist and compress a nerve.

When you sleep on your stomach, ensure that you spread your arms out on your sides. Sleeping with your arms under your body can put a lot of pressure on them, causing them to become numb.

Most of the time, numbness in hands while sleeping is not cause for alarm. The loss of sensation is typically due to an awkward sleeping position. Mintal Tracker will give you solutions. If you have tried avoiding certain sleeping positions and still wake up with numbness in your hands and fingers, you should see Doctor.