Why do my arms go numb when I sleep?

If you wake up from sleep with numb hands, it might be due to two reasons. The first can be because of an improper posture that puts pressure on the hands. This is due to poor blood flow in that area as the nerves, mostly the ulnar, radial, or median, compress.

On the other hand, waking up with numb hands is quite alarming. It might be problematic if you frequently experience numbness or needle pricking in your hands, with other symptoms.

Instead of relying on home remedies or ignoring the tingling and other indications, you should seek medical assistance.

What is Paresthesia?

According to the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke, paresthesia is quite common among people, especially the elderly. They describe it as a “burning or prickling sensation” in arms and legs.

• The patients often describe it as,
• Feeling of pins and needles in arms and legs
• Something crawling on the skin
• Numbness and not feeling anything on the skin

This sensation usually occurs in the patient’s limbs, hands, and feet. Although the feeling is painless, in most cases, it is due to severe medical conditions like Carpal tunnel syndrome or Diabetes peripheral neuropathy.

Why Do I Wake Up with Numb Hands?

If you often wake up with numb hands, there might be a big problem underlying that needs to be addressed. Here, we have gathered some main reasons why numbness persists in your hands.

Nerve Compression or Damage

This most common disorder occurs when a nerve in the body compresses or squeezes from a side. The common symptoms that are associated with nerve damage or compression in hands include:

• Sharp pain shooting through hands
• The muscles of the hands become sore and aching
• Sensations of needles being pricked in the arms and hands
• Hands often fall asleep during the day or when sleeping.

In this case, the doctors usually prescribe a brace or rest the affected area for a limited time. If you frequently observe these symptoms, don’t rely on home remedies.

Ulnar Nerve Compression

When the Ulnar nerve gets compressed, it might cause numbness and other visible symptoms in your hands. This nerve originates from the spinal cord and travels throughout our hands. So, if any of these nerves entrap or compress, they can cause severe pain or numbness in the arms.

The symptoms include:

• Paresthesia in hand
• Wasting of hand muscles
• A decreased grip on objects
• Clumsiness while using both hands

The numbness in ulnar nerve compression can occur at the whole arm’s length or some parts of the hand, like the wrist. It may occur due to direct trauma, diabetes laceration, or other reasons.

Radial Nerve Compression

The nerve at the elbow passes through the muscles, known as the radial tunnel. When this nerve pinches or becomes compressed at the radial tunnel, it stems from radial nerve compressions. A persisting pain can worsen your condition, and you can feel sharp pain shooting up and down your wrist.

• Symptoms include:
• A nagging ache in the forearm
• Fatigue and weakness
• Not being able to lift your hand past a certain point.

This syndrome occurs mostly when using the hand for repetitive movements like typing or doing push and pull-activities frequently. A direct hit on the elbow or excessively bending or pinching your wrist can cause or strengthen this syndrome in your hand. Ignoring for a long time will only worsen the case, and you can end up with chronic pain throughout your whole hand.

Carpal Tunnel Syndrome

Another syndrome that causes numbness and tingling in hand is Carpal tunnel syndrome. When the median nerve in the hand gets compressed or squeezed, it can cause shooting pain or numbness in the arm.

Symptoms include:

• Numbing pain or tingling sensation in hand.
• Shock sensations radiate to the thumb and all fingers.
• Losing control and dropping things due to weakness.

The symptoms usually occur more frequently at night time. If ignored for a long time, it can cause your hand to be dysfunctional. Treatment for initial cases includes wearing a brace and anti-inflammatory medications. Surgery might be the only solution for worse cases of Carpal tunnel syndrome.

Other Medical Issues that Cause Hand Numbness

Let us look through some more serious medical conditions that cause hands to become numb.

Cervical Spondylosis

This is an age-related syndrome and usually occurs in the elderly population. In cervical spondylosis, the spinal disks tear, causing nerve compression. This, too, contributes to numbness of hands and arms.

Symptoms include weakness, lack of coordination, and numbing or tingling sensation in arms and legs. This medical condition is quite common and only worsens with each passing year.

Thoracic Outlet Syndrome

When the blood vessels of the collarbone and the first rib, known as the thoracic outlet, becomes compressed, it causes Thoracic outlet syndrome (TOS). The result is increased pain in the shoulder and neck, with numbness running through your fingers.

This serious medical condition should be treated on an immediate basis. Prolongation can cause blood clots to form in the nerves, which can be fatal.

Diabetes Mellitus

A high blood sugar (glucose level) can injure your nerves throughout the body.

• Diabetic neuropathy: One of the conditions that affect the legs and hands is called Diabetic neuropathy. This most common neuropathy often worsens at night, making the patient restless by creating a pins and needles sensation in the legs and feet. The symptoms include sharp pain, extreme sensitivity, ulcers and infections on the foot, and numbness in the legs and hands.
• Mononeurotherapy: This condition damages a specific nerve in the arms or leg. Its common symptoms are numbness in hands and fingers, double vision, and one-sided face paralysis.

While most people observe mild symptoms n diabetes mellitus, it can disable the patient entirely in most severe cases. If you have diabetes and observe these symptoms, don’t wait up and get yourself checked.

Tips to Reduce Numbness in Hands When Sleeping

Follow these common tips to reduce numbness in hands while sleeping:

• Stretch your hands and arm properly before going to sleep.
• A wrist brace helps in keeping your arms in a good position.
• Avoid sleeping in a position where your arms or nerves become compressed.
• Try changing your sleeping posture or position.
• If the symptoms continue, consult a doctor immediately.

Conclusion

The majority of people wake up with numbing hands or feet. Sometimes our improper posture puts extra pressure causing numbness. This pin and needles sensation goes away when we move our hands. Frequent numbness is the root cause of a severe problem that should be treated right away.

References:

https://www.ninds.nih.gov/Disorders/All-Disorders/Paresthesia-Information-Page

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2596705/

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC1307540/