Helping Hands Heal since 2008
From Dr. Z - Carpal tunnel syndrome specialist
Having numb hands on waking up is one of the most common symptoms of carpal tunnel syndrome. But it could also mean you slept on your hand or arm for a long time.
If it happens once or twice a month, you have nothing to worry about. It simply means you slept with your arm in a strained position.
But if your hands are numb when you wake up every morning, then it's likely something different - and more serious.
If you have numb hands on waking up then this article will explain what's going on. It also describes ways to tell if the numbness means carpal tunnel syndrome or just sleeping with strain on your hand & arm.
More importantly this article explains how to fix the problem. But first, here's why you're having the problem to begin with.
There are 4 possible reasons why you get numb hands on waking up in the morning. But the most important factor is how often it happens.
If the problem occurs occasionally (a few times per month) then it's usually nothing to worry about. Actually, it's something most people feel once in a while.
But if the numbness happens every morning, then it needs immediate attention. There are 4 possible reasons for such constant morning numbness:
Each one of these possibilities are discussed below. Obviously, the first 3 are simple enough problems to fix. But having carpal tunnel syndrome is more challenging to fix.
Your head is heavy. The average head weighs 10-11 pounds.
If you sleep while cradling your head (palm up) then you can crush either the median or ulnar nerves directly.
This is usually most pronounced if your head exerts pressure on your wrist joint instead of your hand.
Bending your hand forward or backward pinches structures inside the wrist joint. The median and ulnar nerves deep within the joint easily suffer such pinching.
Most people unconsciously bend their hands either forward or backward while sleeping. But they usually don’t do it for a long time. If the bending is prolonged, then the nerves are vulnerable to pinching. The result is feeling a numb hand(s) on waking up.
The photo shows a woman with her hands bent while asleep. Her left hand is over-flexed and her right hand is over-extended. Both positions can pinch the nerves.
Having numb hands on waking up can result from sleeping in other positions. Most notably, it’s when your elbow is crushed against your body or the mattress.
If you sleep on your back, for example, your elbows push downward, against the mattress. Just the weight of your arm alone is enough to crush the ulnar nerve. The result will be numbness on waking up in the morning, primarily around the pinky-side of your hand.
This is the same type of crushing you get when leaning your elbow on a table for prolonged periods of time. The “funny bone” is actually the ulnar nerve. Prolonged pressure on it temporarily crushes it. This produces numbness on the pinky-side of the hand.
Also, sleeping on your stomach with your arm beneath you can crush either the ulnar or median nerves.
Are your numb hands on waking NOT due to any of the above sleeping positions? If so, something else is causing the numbness. Usually the culprit is carpal tunnel syndrome. Why?
Carpal tunnel syndrome is extremely common. It occurs in about 5% of the US population. After sprains and fractures, it's the leading hand disorder.
Carpal tunnel syndrome causes numbness only on the median nerve side (thumb-side) of the hand. Usually, it's also accompanied by other symptoms as well. These include:
Carpal tunnel syndrome can occur in almost anybody. However, doctors know that you're at higher risk if you have certain conditions or work at certain jobs.
Having numb hands on waking up due to temporary compression of the ulnar or median nerve is easy to fix. Basically, you need to remove the reason for the nerve compression. This can be most easily accomplished by:
The most long-lasting solution to relieve numb hands on waking up is to adjust your sleeping position. This can insure you don’t exert pressure on the nerves in your hand or elbow.
But it’s very difficult to “decide” to change how you sleep. Successfully retraining a new sleeping position requires physical interventions.
For instance, you can use the “tennis ball” method. Just tape a tennis ball to your undershirt on the side you don’t want to sleep on. Then put another under short over it to hold it better.
You can also use a loose restraining rope to hold your arm down. Otherwise, sleep trainers are commercially available. These devices monitor how you sleep and wake you up if you turn on an unwanted side.
Most people use this method to alter their sleeping habits. A night splint keeps your hand if a fixed position while you’re unconscious. This will prevent over-bending in any direction.
Like most physical interventions, a night splint is a bit difficult to get used to. But you WILL adjust to it.
An elbow protector will guard against exerting prolonged pressure on your ulnar nerve at the elbow. This way, no matter if you sleep on your back or with your arm beneath you, your elbow is protected.
If you experience numb hands on waking up that's due to carpal tunnel syndrome, then the solution isn't so easy. You're not sleeping in a harmful position. But you might have a disorder that affects millions. And it results in numb hands.
Take this self-test to see if you have carpal tunnel syndrome.
There are several effective methods to treat carpal tunnel syndrome without surgery. The methods most often recommended by doctors and therapists are Bracing, Rest, Exercise and Massage. These are four separate and distinct therapies:
Interested in relieving carpal tunnel syndrome? Learn more about therapy here.
If you occasionally experience numb hands on waking up then it's likely due to how you sleep. If it happens often, you must change how you sleep. However, frequent numbness in the thumb area might be carpal tunnel syndrome causing the hand problem.
