Helping Hands Heal since 2005
From Dr. Z - Carpal tunnel syndrome specialist
Having numb fingers while sleeping at night may or may not be an issue you need to look into. It all depends on how often it occurs.
If it's an occasional problem, then it's likely nothing to worry about. Occasional numbness affects nearly everyone at least some time in their life. But if it happens night after night for a long time, then it's something you should address.
Numbness, especially at the fingertips, could be a minor problem or could signal there's a more serious underlying condition. Here are the possible reasons nightly finger numbness can happen.
Finger numbness is an abnormal sensation. It's s sign that one or more of the nerves in your hand are (or are being) injured. The numbness is your body's way of saying, "Stop -- this nerve is getting injured!"
Those 2 main nerves in your hand that can cause finger numbness are the median nerve and ulnar nerves. They travel down the arm, through the wrist, and into the fingertips. (See illustration below.)
The sensation of numbness is known as paresthesia. It's usually accompanied by sensations that patients describe as prickling (pins-and-needles), burning or tingling. Some times it's milder, causing feelings of skin crawling or itching. But it's almost always painless.
If you feel numb fingers chronically (night after night) then it might be a sign of disease or trauma. But it can also be a sign that you're sleeping in a bad position.
There are several reasons why you can feel numb fingers while sleeping night after night. These reasons are given in order from the most to least common:
1. Holding your head in your palm.
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.
2. Sleeping with one or both hands bent.
Bending you 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 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.
3. Applying prolonged force on your elbow.
Having numb hands upon waking can happen by sleeping in any of the positions shown at the left. Note where the elbow is in each sleeping position, indicating a potential nerve crush.
For example, sleeping on your back with one or both hands over your chest can force those elbows against the mattress. That pressure can crush your elbow (and ulnar nerve). The result will be pinky-side numbness in the morning.
Similar crushing can happen if you sleep on your stomach with your arm beneath you. Again, the ulnar nerve at the elbow can be affected. In fact, Dr. Andrew Bang of the Cleveland Clinic emphatically states that sleping on your stomach is the worst position you can use.
Note: Other ways to crush your elbow while asleep includes pushing it against a headboard or nightstand.
Do you still have numb hands upon waking but didn't crush your median or ulnar nerves? If so, it means something else is happening.
More than likely, you're feeling the numbness on the thumb-side of your hand. (Recall, this indicates a problem with your median nerve.)
When this occurs, the usual suspect is that you're experiencing the onset of carpal tunnel syndrome. This condition occurs in about 1 in 20 people in the USA. So it's a good guess this is what's causing your numb hands upon waking.
Numb hands or fingers are just one early warning sign of carpal tunnel syndrome. The other signs include:
This is the easy fix. If you have numb hands upon waking due to median nerve or ulnar nerve compression, it's relatively to eliminate the problem.
It's not a simple thing to "change your sleeping position". As soon as your eyes close, you'll be back in your usual contortion. Therefore, you have to either
train
your body to sleep in a position that will avoid damage to your median or ulnar nerves. Or else you'll need to
protect
your wrist and elbows.
The best and most long-lasting solution to having numb hands upon waking is to try to change your sleeping position.
But be mindful that "deciding" to change position won't work. (As soon as your eyes close, you'll be back in your usual contortion.) Therefore, use physical measures to avoid damage to your median or ulnar nerves.
For example, a good temporary measure is to use a restraint. This can be a rope to loosely hold your hands to your sides. The rope restraint works well. But it's uncomfortable until you become accustomed to it.
Other people use the "tennis ball method". This means putting a tennis ball in a pocket on the side of your body you don't want to sleep on.
You can also use a high tech method. Sleep position trainers are available which are essentially electronic monitors. Basically, they mildly zap you when you're in an incorrect position.
This is perhaps the most popular solution to having numb hands upon waking up in the morning. A simple night brace will keep your wrist in the neutral position (meaning "straight"). This way, you won't over-bend your wrist.
There are a variety of elbow protectors available. Wearing one can protect your ulnar nerve from being crushed in a potentially harmful sleeping position.
This is a more challenging fix. When you have a numb hand on the thumb side, and it's NOT due to sleeping improperly, it means you probably have carpal tunnel syndrome.
If your numbness is due to carpal tunnel syndrome, don't despair. There are multiple ways to treat it without the need for surgery.
The most widely used non-surgical method to treat carpal tunnel syndrome focuses on healing your median nerve. The method is actually a combination of 4 distinct treatments:
There are particular ways to perform each one of these treatments. Learn more about them here.
Having numb hands upon waking up in the morning is usually due to problems in the way you sleep. In particular, certain sleeping positions can compress or crush the nerves in your hand. That crushing can lead to temporary nerve damage - and therefore numbness. Using specific methods to avoid the nerve crushing will relieve the numbness.
