Experiencing hands falling asleep at night while sleeping? Do you wake up with numb hands or arms? And this tingling sensation may go away after few minutes? Occasionally, you may also feel your fingers fall asleep along with hands.
There are numerous causes for arms falling asleep at night. But don’t worry! Most of the causes are minor and some may be severe. This numbness in hands while sleeping is due to improper blood circulation, sleeping on your hands and some severe diseases.
In this article, I explained about the possible causes for hands falling asleep at night while sleeping and the treatments to overcome it.
Why Do My Hands Fall Asleep at Night while Sleeping?
Let us see in detail about the causes for the arms to go numb while sleeping.
1. Sleeping On Your Hands
If you have the habit of sleeping on your hands, then often you may experience tingling arm or hands falling asleep at night while you sleeping. The most common cause for this hand numbness at night is your poor sleeping position.
While you sleeping on your arms, your weight (from the head) gives excessive pressure to the nerves and disturbs its blood circulation around your arms. This prevents the blood flow to the arms and fingers. So sometimes along with arm numbness, you can experience fingers too go numb while sleeping. Your arms or hands fall asleep while sleeping until the proper blood flow.
2. Lack of Vitamin B
Another common cause for the numbness in hands while sleeping is Vitamin B deficiency. Vitamin B help in maintaining cell health and thereby keep you energized.
Many people get sufficient amount of Vitamin B in their diet. Lacking in Vitamin D causes numbness in arms and fingers when sleeping. The other symptoms may include fatigue, drowsiness, skin paleness, numbness in legs, burning sensation in hands, arms, and legs, etc.
If you think that you are not getting sufficient vitamin B in your diet, then go for some vitamin B supplements or natural foods(I listed below) to overcome the deficiency.
3. Fluid Retention
Insufficient water content leads to dehydration. If your body is dehydrated, it focuses on absorbing more water content than usual. So it retains the existing water content to use it in the future.
This water retention has numerous causes such as high salt intake, excess weight, fluctuating hormone levels during menstruation, etc. The water retention may cause swelling all over the body. The tingling sensation is intense at night. The pressure created on your body and the disrupt blood circulation leads to hands going numb while sleeping or tingling in both hands.
Drink at least 8 glasses of water a day to avoid water retention on your body.
4. Carpal Tunnel Syndrome
IF you feel numbness or tingling sensation on your hand, then it is due to the Carpal Tunnel Syndrome.
This occurs when the median nerve is compressed or strained. This leads to lead to pain in the fingers, hand, and forearm. The initial symptom you may feel is fingers falling asleep or becoming numb at night. Later the numbness and pain may extend to your forearm and shoulder.
Usually, doing the same motions repeatedly, such as typing, sewing or working with machinery, can trigger the numb arms at night.
5. Ulnar Nerve Entrapment
Extreme pressure on your ulnar nerve may lead to limbs falling asleep at night. This is also known as cubital tunnel syndrome.
Ulnar nerve entrapment occurs when the ulnar nerve in the arm becomes compressed or irritated. This is due to sleeping with a bent elbow. You may wake up with numb arms or hands due to this pressure. Numbness and tingling in the hand and fingers are common symptoms of cubital tunnel syndrome.
6. Peripheral Neuropathy
Are you have diabetes and experiencing hands falling asleep at night? Then it should be due to Peripheral Neuropathy.
It is a nerve damage caused by persistently high blood sugar levels. There are many medications available to treat this disease. But it is better to consult with your doctor before taking any medications.
7. Stroke
Strokes occur due to problems with the blood supply to the brain. A blockage or narrowing of the arteries that provide blood to the brain causes a stroke. The symptoms include Arm weakness, Face drooping, Speech Difficulty, etc. Call 911 immediate if you experience any one of these symptoms.
A stroke is a medical emergency, and treatment must be sought as quickly as possible.
Often this tingling sensation will go away on its own. Even some minor readjustment in your positioning can make you free from numbness in arms when sleeping.
Treatment for Hand Numbness while Sleeping
Here I listed the home remedies to treat your numb hands or tingling arms. All minor causes can be easily treated at home. But the diseases needs medical attention by your doctor. If the problem lasts for many days, then consult with your doctor to cure it.
1. Change your sleeping position
Avoid Sleeping on your hands. Change your sleeping position often to prevent any part of the body feeling numb or compressed. So that your arms will get proper blood circulation without any restriction.
2. Do some Physical Movements
The Physical Movements can improve blood circulation and help prevent your arms and hands from falling asleep. You can do walking, stretching, running, exercises, simple workouts, aerobics, etc to maintain the proper blood circulation.
3. Take breaks often.
The repetitive tasks or your routine works may strain your wrists and leads to the right or left arm numb when sleeping. So take some breaks during your work to be free from both arms fall asleep.
4. Take hot and cold water bath on alternative days
You can immerse your arm/hand/fingers in hot or cold water for few minutes to maintain proper blood circulation.
You can also wrap the arm/hand with a hot or cold towel to get rid of hands fall asleep while sleeping.
5. Take Vitamin B Rich Foods
The B vitamins include thiamin, riboflavin, niacin, folate, vitamin B6, vitamin B12, biotin and pantothenic acid.
If you are not getting enough vitamin B in your diet, take some Vitamin B medications. Also, try the below vitamin rich foods to avoid the problem of arms goes numb when sleeping.
Fish, Shellfish, Liver, Crab, Soy, Cereals, Cheese, Eggs, pork, ham, Green leafy Vegetables, Milk Products, turkey, Salmon, peanuts, Pasta, bananas, avocado, etc.
In a Nutshell,
Experiencing hands falling asleep at night while sleeping? Do you wake up with numb arms or hands? And this tingling sensation lasts only for few minutes? Occasionally, you may also feel your fingers fall asleep along with hands.
There are numerous causes for arms falling asleep at night. Most of the causes are minor and some may be severe. This numbness in hands while sleeping is due to improper blood circulation, sleeping on your hands and some severe diseases.
Hope I explained about the possible causes for hands falling asleep at night while sleeping and the home remedies to overcome it.
