Waking Up with Numb or Tingling Hands: What It Really Means (Science Based)
Change your sleeping position. Try to avoid sleeping on your arm or hand and don’t let it dangle out the bed during the night. Sleep on your side rather than on your back and change sides to avoid too much pressure on one hand.
Exercise regularly. Regular exercise will help improve your circulation and also help you get a better night’s sleep.
Good posture. Try to adopt good posture techniques throughout the day to prevent muscle and nerve strain in your shoulder in the evening time.
Take regular breaks. If you do repetitive jobs with your hands like typing, sewing, or knitting take breaks regularly. Stretch your hands and fingers and rotate your wrists.
Address any vitamin deficiencies. Make sure you are eating a healthy, well-balanced diet to ensure you get enough vitamins and minerals.
When to See a Doctor
Thankfully, occasionally waking up in the morning and not being able to feel your hand is usually due to your sleeping position. However, frequently awakening from sleep with tingling, numbness, or “pins & needles” in your hand could be a sign of an underlying health condition.
Doctors from the Mayo Clinic advise seeing a doctor for numbness and tingling in the hands that are accompanied by the following symptoms:
The tingling starts gradually and becomes more persistent, for example, waking up every morning with “pins and needles” in your hands.
The numb sensation spreads to other parts of your body.
The tingling is constant and started after a traumatic injury.
You only feel numbness in just one or two fingers.
The tingling sensation in your hands seems related to repetitive tasks.
