If you’ve gone to bed at night and have woken up to your hands being numb in the morning or even the middle of the night, you’re one of the many Americans who experience some type of tingling or hand numbness during sleep. And like many other people, you’re wondering what it means when your hands fall asleep at night. Often, the position you sleep in can cause the pins and needles sensation because you might be lying on a pressure point, but there are also many other causes of hand numbness to be aware of. At AICA Lithia Springs, we’re experts in diagnosing and treating things like hands falling asleep from a variety of causes stemming from neurological issues to car accident injuries. We’ve put together a comprehensive overview of what you need to know about hand numbness at night.
What Causes Hands to Fall Asleep at Night?
As you’ll see, there can be many different causes for why your hands might be numb when you go to sleep. Hands are full of nerves that wind their way through our hands’ tiny bones and joints. Bending our hands means these joints bend, too, which can compress our nerves slightly, resulting in a decreased blood circulation of these nerves. This compression can cause a tingling or numbing sensation during sleep. This compression can also be the cause of mild to moderate wrist pain. Below, we’ll detail more causes of hand numbness and wrist pain. It’s important to understand that, while most cases of hand numbness are normal, some may be because of an underlying issue that may need medical treatment.
Sleep Posture
As we discussed above, when nerves get compressed by bent joints, you can experience hand numbness. A very common cause of this is your sleep posture. If you’re sleeping on your arm or your hand, this may be putting pressure on your nerves, resulting in a temporary lack of blood circulation, which causes the pins and needles sensation. Changing your sleeping position should resolve this.
Chemotherapy
The medications associated with chemotherapy can have some negative consequences for your peripheral nerves. Medications used for cancer treatment are not the only ones that can cause peripheral nerve damage. There are some heart and blood-pressure regulating medicines, antibiotics, and anticonvulsants that also can cause peripheral nerve damage, resulting in numbness of hands while you sleep.
Vitamin B-12 Deficiency
Vitamin B-12 is a powerhouse vitamin that is critical to the healthy functioning of your brain and central nervous system. This vitamin deficiency has many causes, such as genetics, age, medical conditions, and diet. If you’re waking up to numb hands and/or numb feet, Vitamin B-12 deficiency could be a cause.
Carpal Tunnel Syndrome
You are probably familiar with carpal tunnel syndrome, as it affects more and more people now that computers are part of everyday use, although it can be caused by obesity and trauma as well. Carpal tunnel syndrome occurs when the passageway on the front of your wrist, known as the carpal tunnel, experiences nerve compression. Hand tingling and numbness are the most often-reported symptoms, along with a decreased ability to grip. If you’re waking up with numbness extending to your arm, it could be a result of carpal tunnel.
Alcohol Abuse
When too much alcohol is taken into our systems, the result can be alcoholic neuropathy, which is essentially damage to nerve tissue. Often excessive alcohol consumption is coupled with poor diet and nutrient intake, and the body isn’t able to function properly. This can result in pain and numbness in limbs, especially in the hands. If you’re waking up to numb hands and/or numb feet, Vitamin B-12 deficiency could be a cause.
Diabetes
Millions of Americans manage the chronic disease of diabetes every year. This disease causes high blood sugar by not producing enough insulin or not responding to insulin properly. Many people with diabetes also suffer from secondary nerve damage-related conditions like carpal tunnel or peripheral neuropathy that cause pain, tingling, and numbness in the hands. If you’re waking up to numb hands and/or numb feet, Vitamin B-12 deficiency could be a cause.
Peripheral Neuropathy
As we’ve described in other causes, peripheral neuropathy can include many conditions that refer to peripheral nervous system damage. This system acts as a communication center for your body, receiving and sending signals from your central nervous system. There are many types of peripheral neuropathy, and their symptoms vary but often include hand numbness, tingling, and pins and needles. If you’re waking up to numb hands and/or numb feet, Vitamin B-12 deficiency could be a cause.
Cervical Spondylosis
Degeneration of the spinal disks in your neck due to daily use is called cervical spondylosis. Osteoarthritis and bulging disks can result from this, both of which can place pressure on a nerve or your spinal cord, resulting in numbness and tingling of the hands.
Thoracic Outlet Syndrome
Like peripheral neuropathy, thoracic outlet syndrome is an encompassing term that refers to a group of disorders. These disorders can result from injured or compressed nerves or blood vessels in the lower neck or chest. As we’ve noted, nerve compression can result in pain, tingling, and numbness of the hands.
Ganglion Cysts
Like other cysts, ganglions are noncancerous and can develop in your hands, most often around the joints or tendons. These lumps may be painful to the touch, disrupt joint movement, and, when they press on a nerve, they can cause pins and needles, tingling, or numbness in your hands.
While these are not all the possible causes of hand numbness at night, they are certainly the most common ones to be aware of. Other diseases like lupus, multiple sclerosis, Lyme disease, and hypothyroidism can also cause numbness of the hands. If you think you’re experiencing symptoms as a result of one of these conditions, contact your doctor.
Because we at AICA Lithia Springsspecialize in all things back, neck, and nervous system pain, we’re well-versed with these conditions and their accompanying symptoms. If you’ve come to us as a result of a slip and fall, car accident, or work injury, we’re aware that in addition to the pain you’re experiencing elsewhere in your body, you might be experiencing peripheral symptoms of hand numbness and tingling at night.
Pursuing a Diagnosis for Numb and Tingling Hands
While waking up with numbness in your hands is typically nothing to be alarmed about, you should contact your doctor if you experience ongoing issues without relief when you change your sleep posture, increase your Vitamin B-12 intake, and/or reduce your alcohol intake. These things can account for a large number of cases of waking up in the night with numb hands.
If you begin to experience tingling and pins and needles in other areas of your body, this is a good indication that you should contact your doctor to pursue a diagnosis and potential treatment plan.
If your numbness comes on suddenly and is coupled with headache, paralysis, weakness, or difficulty speaking, these are potential signs of a stroke or medical emergency, and you need to call 911 right away.
At AICA Lithia Springs, we’re used to treating patients with hand numbness and monitoring this symptom as a part of our ongoing care for those seeking relief from car accidents or neck and back injury or trauma. Our comprehensive care team is equipped to assess your symptoms and pursue physical therapy and chiropractic options. But, while we specialize in chiropractic care and physical therapy, our team of doctors includes anesthesiologists, physician’s assistants, orthopedic surgeons, and neurosurgery specialists. We’re confident that our team can assist you with any pain or numbness you have in your hands when you’re sleeping. There are certain scenarios in which we might refer you to an outside physician or specialist when it comes to symptoms of hand numbness or tingling while you sleep.
When you see a doctor, they will consult with you about your symptoms, family history, and any medications you’re taking. Make sure you have all of this information handy, and make sure you’ve got a good idea of how long the symptoms have been happening and what you’ve done to try to mitigate them. Your doctor will then likely perform a physical exam, and they may or may not order additional tests such as an X-Ray, a CT Scan, an MRI, electromyography (which are tests of your nerve function), and blood tests. In some cases, your doctor may refer you to a neurologist for further examination.
What Treatment Will I Receive for Hand Numbness?
As you might expect, different causes of hand numbness will result in different treatment plans. Depending on your doctor’s assessment, there may not be a need for a treatment plan, and your symptoms may go away on your own. However, if your doctor does recommend a treatment plan, know that this can often be a combination of medication, physical therapy, and lifestyle changes. We’ve put together a list of common treatment options for hand numbness and tingling, according to their causes.
Exercise
Some physical therapy or exercise might be recommended to relieve your symptoms and provide you with increased strength, which should help with pain and numbness. For those who have carpal tunnel or cervical spondylosis, exercise is usually particularly effective.
Pain Medication
If you’re experiencing mild pain, over-the-counter nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory medications like ibuprofen or aspirin can give you relief from hand pain.
Wrist Guards
Sometimes keeping your wrist straight can alleviate pressure on your median nerve, which should provide you some relief from hand numbness or pain. This can be achieved through wearing a splint or wrist guard while doing your daily, repetitive tasks. You may also wear it in the evenings if your symptoms persist.
Topical Treatments
If carpal tunnel is causing numbness or pain, topical treatments can be a way to find relief. Topical treatment can come in the form of lidocaine patches, capsaicin cream, or topical menthol.
Vitamins
Because Vitamin B-12 deficiency can be one of the leading causes of hand numbness, taking an increased dosage of B-12 can be a good way to treat nerve-related pain and tingling. Your doctor may recommend eating foods that are high in B-12, such as salmon, eggs, and liver. Vitamin B-12 is most commonly supplemented with oral tablets or capsules. However, if you struggle to absorb supplements, you may be a candidate for vitamin B-12 injections.
Antidepressants
For conditions such as diabetes or neuropathic-related conditions, antidepressants have been shown to treat hand numbness and tingling by interfering with the communication signals within the nervous systems that send out pain signals to your hands. Antidepressants can treat nerve pain caused by a variety of conditions, not just related to diabetes or neuropathy.
Anti-Seizure Medication
Nerve pain can be treated by the same drugs used to treat epilepsy. These drugs, like gabapentin and pregabalin, have been shown to relieve nerve pain.
Surgery
While one of the most intrusive and extreme options, surgery may be necessary if other nonsurgical options fail to improve your condition and symptoms. Surgery can be performed in order to release compressed nerves. Surgery can also be the appropriate course of action when blood vessels are damaged or compressed due to carpal tunnel, bulging discs, or cysts.
Overcome Tingling and Numbness at AICA in Lithia Springs
Millions of Americans experience numbness in their hands when they wake up, and by and large, this is nothing to worry about. Most pins and needles sensations can be resolved through changing positions as you sleep or through minor treatment interventions prescribed by a doctor. There are many non-serious underlying causes that could be giving you tingling and numbing sensations in your hands when you sleep, and these should be diagnosed by a doctor. Treatment options vary but are typically non-invasive and will provide relief to your pain and numbing symptoms. If you find that you have a sudden onset of numbness, dizziness, slurred speech, or weakness, this could be a medical emergency, and you should dial 911 immediately for help.