Hands go numb at night, during sleep: causes and treatment for decreased sensitivity of hands and fingers

In every person's life there are difficult and stressful days that cause severe fatigue. At these moments, you especially want nightfall to come soon so that you can “collapse without your hind legs” and get a good night’s sleep. And when this happens, it happens that something interferes with sleep. One of the common reasons is numbness in the hands during sleep. This is not the most pleasant moment when long-awaited sleep is disturbed, and uncomfortable sensations begin to act irritatingly, and sleep fades into the background. To ensure a sound sleep and nothing to interfere with it, it is worth understanding the causes of numbness in the upper extremities and how to deal with it.

Hands go numb while sleeping

Signs of hand numbness

Paresthesia is numbness and sensory problems due to poor blood flow or damaged nerve endings.

Main! Paresthesia is not a disease, it only signals other problems in the body. It is periodic and does not harm human health. If your hands go numb constantly or very often, you should pay attention to this. Paresthesia is characterized by tingling, goosebumps, heaviness or pain in the hands. Most often, the pain spreads to the wrists, fingers, or entire arm.

Paresthesia is not a disease, but a symptom of some pathology

Numbness of the right hand

This happens in a pre-stroke state, provoked by a narrowing of the lumen of blood vessels in the neck. You need to contact a specialist. The right hand may go numb with the following disorders:

Incorrect posture while sleeping.
Spinal disorders.

If you understand the causes of the disorder and the factors affecting the state of the body, you can determine the method of treatment.

Paresthesia of fingers

The cause of this phenomenon can only be determined in a hospital. During the examination, the doctor may refer you for additional examination to a neurologist, traumatologist and cardiologist.

It is worth contacting a specialist to determine the exact cause of this problem.

If the cause lies in neurological pathology, the specialist will prescribe drug therapy and vitamins. In some cases, physical therapy will be required.

Important ! If we are talking about excessive muscle tension or injury, the traumatologist will prescribe his own course of treatment.

It is necessary to do an electroneuromyography, which will confirm or refute suspicions of certain diseases.

Electroneuromyography

Detailed study of internal causes

Cervical osteochondrosis. Occurs in 75% of people over 55 years of age. Nowadays, even the younger generation is not immune from the disease. But there are other reasons that only a professional doctor can identify. The earlier the disease is diagnosed, the sooner treatment can begin. Osteochondrosis may indicate more severe problems - protrusion of the intervertebral disc, and later - herniation of the cervical spine.

Hernia of the cervical spine

Locations of the disease in the lower cervical vertebrae indicate areas of numbness in the hands during sleep:

if the C7 disc is damaged, the inside of the entire arm becomes numb;
touching the C6 disc leads to numbness in the shoulder area, index and ring fingers;
damage to the C5 disc causes pain and numbness on the lateral side of the arms, involving the thumb and index finger.

Where numbness will be felt depends on the location of the hernia.

Vascular disease. It is a very serious reason why the upper limbs go numb during sleep. If, in addition, blood pressure rises, dizziness and unclear consciousness are noted, there is a risk of a mini-stroke. As a rule, the reason lies in severe fatigue, tension, stress and constantly fluctuating blood pressure.

Ischemic stroke is also accompanied by numbness of the hands at night. There is a disturbance in blood flow in any part of the brain. Dizziness and increased blood pressure also occur.

Ischemic stroke

Discomfort during sleep can be caused by smoking, especially at night. Smoking causes blood vessels to constrict, and the body responds in the form of numbness in the limbs.

Important ! A similar phenomenon is observed when drinking alcohol at night. Alcohol leads to a short-term dilation of blood vessels, and subsequently to their sharp narrowing.

Why does numbness develop at night?

It is difficult to answer the question, since there may be several mechanisms. There are also general physiological factors that lead to the development of symptoms in the dark.

Drop in blood pressure

Because the strength of heart contractions decreases. Blood does not flow to the extremities in the same quantity as usual. Accordingly, local nutrition is disrupted.

Since nervous tissues are very voracious, this is immediately noticeable. The patient experiences tingling in the fingers and a feeling of cold. Sensitivity in the arm or both limbs is also partially or even completely lost.

Depends on the degree of decline and the individual characteristics of the body.

Decreased blood flow

For the same reasons. Vessels may also be involved. Often, changes in sensitivity and tactile sensations occur against the background of atherosclerosis. That is, blockage of a large artery with cholesterol, when plaques form.

But other options are also possible. For example, numbness of the hands and fingers at night is present in smokers, drinkers, and patients who do not eat well or do not get enough rest. We are not always talking about diseases.

Decrease in body temperature

Hypothermia is a fairly rare cause of the problem. But it becomes an important prerequisite.

Compression of tissues of the limbs, musculoskeletal system

Classics of the genre. This happens if a person sleeps on a low-quality mattress, uses an old pillow or a pillow that is not the right size or anatomy.

Basically, the vessels that are localized at the level of the cervical spine are compressed. Hence the disruption of the trophism of nerve tissue, inflammation, compression of the roots, and problems with sensitivity.

Changes in the level of hormones and specific substances

It occurs mainly in women during pregnancy and the menstrual cycle. Also in teenagers of both sexes, since their background fluctuates greatly, even with the change of time of day, not to mention something more.

The problem is non-specific. The goal is to normalize hormone levels. Provided that there is a pathological process.

These are the main pathogenetic prerequisites. Of course, they are present in all people without exception.

In any case, blood pressure levels drop. The body becomes less active, metabolism also weakens. But the disorder does not always develop.

Thus, at least one of the diseases described below must be present or a predisposition to it. Then the likelihood of a symptom will increase sharply.

Numbness of the left hand

It is worth paying attention to the cardiovascular system. Constant numbness in the hands may indicate the development of the following diseases:

angina pectoris. Numbness is noted in the forearm and hands, which intensifies during physical exertion. There is pain in the chest;
atherosclerosis. Weak blood vessel lumen is caused by a disruption in normal blood circulation. The left hand periodically goes numb and does not work well;

Atherosclerosis
heart attack Most often, paresthesia is one of the symptoms of its onset;
stroke. Problems in the left side of the brain are indicated by numbness in the left hand. Additionally, difficulties arise with speech, visual acuity decreases, and the left lower limb often becomes numb;

Stroke
thrombosis. As a rule, there is a sharp loss of sensitivity, pain and swelling of the left hand. If the pain continues for more than an hour, you should urgently call a doctor.

Spinal problems

Various diseases can manifest as numbness in the hands. Periodic numbness of the limbs, dizziness, and headaches should cause a person to contact a neurologist or osteopath. The cause of leakage can be both osteochondrosis and intervertebral hernia. Osteochondrosis is the collective name for a large complex of diseases of the spine, when a disturbance occurs in the metabolic processes of cartilage and bone tissue.

The progression of the disease leads to the destruction of the vertebrae, the spinal nerves begin to be compressed, and numbness and discomfort occur.

People who lead a passive lifestyle and work constantly at the computer are at risk. This could be office workers or schoolchildren. Few people pay attention to their posture and regularly get up to warm up; as a result, with prolonged exercise of the same type, a spasm occurs in the cervical region, and as a result, numbness of the hands both at night and during the day.

Numbness of fingers and hands

The hands are where a large number of nerve endings and blood vessels are concentrated. Numbness in the hand may indicate problems with the nervous and circulatory systems.

Numbness of fingers and hands may indicate problems with the central nervous system

Main! In some cases, numbness indicates the development of a brain disease. If your fingers suddenly turn blue or white, you may have systemic lupus erythematosus.

Brain diseases

Diagnostics

If numbness occurs due to an incorrectly occupied posture, blood vessels and nerve fibers are compressed. If such situations do not happen regularly, you don’t have to worry, but when your hands constantly become numb, you need to consult a doctor. Taking into account the general condition of the patient, specialists determine the diagnosis:

When your hands go numb at night.
Duration of unpleasant symptoms.
Problems with two hands or just one.
Cramps, burning, tingling.
Feeling of cold, peculiar sensations in the muscles.
Skin color.
Numbness in the fingers of one hand.
Does the symptom appear suddenly and what can be accompanied by it?

Collecting such information is of great importance. This determines the diagnosis and subsequent recommendations. With the above manifestations of the disorder, it is not advisable to postpone a visit to a specialist. The presence of the same symptom may indicate complex pathologies that are better recognized at first.

To determine the causes, you need to undergo a general examination. There are several options, so if osteochondrosis is detected, you need to check the organs responsible for the blood supply.

Diagnosis and identification of the causes of numbness in the fingers involves examination by the following doctors:

Surgeon.
Orthopedist.
Endocrinologist.
Cardiologist.
Neuropathologist.
Vertebrologist.

For a correct diagnosis, the patient needs to undergo the following procedures:

X-ray.
Ultrasound of the circulatory system.
Ultrasound of the thyroid gland.
Regular measurement of blood pressure.
Electroencephalography.

The following types of analyzes need to be carried out:

Feces, urine.
Checking hormone levels.
Sugar tests.

Only after such procedures can the doctor voice the reasons why the sensitivity of the limbs is worsening.

Consequences

Consequences of hand numbness.

Reducing activity during work.
Excessive fatigue.
Danger to life and health when performing certain work (driving a car or operating other mechanical devices).
Tissue death as a result of poor blood flow.

The worst consequence of this condition is tissue death.

When should you contact specialists?

You should not hesitate to visit a doctor if:

paresthesia, which lasts a long time, is manifested by painful sensations and occurs not only during sleep;
numbness prevents you from concentrating on work;
numbness of both hands;
sudden onset of numbness. Accompanied by deterioration of vision and emotional state.

If numbness occurs suddenly and does not go away for a long time, do not hesitate to visit a doctor.

Which specialist should I contact?

First, you should consult a therapist for help. After a complete examination, he will refer you for examination to a highly specialized doctor to diagnose the disease causing paresthesia.

The first place to start is to see a therapist.

It is also worth paying attention to combating symptoms.

Drug treatment.
Taking vitamins.
Massage of arms and hands.
Therapeutic gymnastics.

Your doctor may prescribe vitamins

How to help yourself?

Hands are the main assistant of the brain, sending it important signals and carrying out its commands.

Numbness in the hands interferes with this connection, negatively affecting brain function. Often paresthesia manifests itself as a sign of the development of multiple sclerosis and other brain pathologies. The general health of a person depends on the health of the hands.

You can massage the area where there is numbness

Treatment results:

blood flow and functioning of the nervous system are improved;
The immune system is strengthened and the body’s ability to fight back diseases, even cancer.

Important! To cope with hand problems, you should do simple gymnastic exercises that will take a little time. They are able to effectively cope with cramps, discomfort, pain and numbness in the hands, improve blood circulation and restore the functioning of the body. Gymnastics should be performed every day, without taking breaks. As soon as the condition begins to improve, you can take a break from classes a couple of times a week.

You can spend time doing simple physical exercises that will help improve blood circulation.

Effective exercises.

Lie on your back on the bed, raise your arms up, clench and unclench your hands. Repeat 70-90 times. Lower and relax your arms, stretch them along your body and repeat the exercise. Thanks to this, blood flow increases.
Face the wall. Stand on your toes, stretch your arms up, trying to reach for the ceiling. Stay in this position for 1-2 minutes. Return to the original position, take your hands behind your back and clasp them in a lock. Try to lift them up. Do the action 20-30 times or until you begin to feel tired.
Keep your arms straight in front of you and rotate your hands.

Performing the exercise

How to deal with numb hands at home

The situation cannot be ignored if a person is haunted by a feeling of discomfort every night. You can cope with the problem at home, but after mandatory consultation with a specialist in order to exclude diseases dangerous to humans.

If no means help restore restful sleep, neither changing the pillow, nor daytime contrast procedures, then you need to look deeper for the cause.

Folk remedies will help alleviate your condition. Contrast baths are quite

, when hands are alternately lowered first into hot and then into cold water.

After completing the procedure, an ointment containing turpentine is rubbed onto the hands and special gloves are put on to retain heat.

Hands may become numb due to weakened blood vessels; hot water, which should be drunk in small sips on an empty stomach, will help to cope with this problem.

Treatment recommendations

In the fight against numbness in the hands, it is necessary to increase the flow of blood through the vessels. In this case, daily physical activity will help.

Long walks and exercises in the morning will help cope with discomfort and pain that bother you at night. A therapeutic massage will not be superfluous, but it is worth resorting to when an accurate diagnosis has been established.

It's worth taking more walks in the fresh air

Important ! Hand paraffin therapy, physiotherapy, magnetotherapy, phonophoresis, and electrophoresis are also effective.

Phonophoresis

Hands cramping - what to do?

If you become hostage to paresthesia, then the first thing that is recommended to do as soon as possible is to visit a doctor. After examination and an accurate diagnosis, treatment is prescribed.

If the body is healthy, then it may be due to external factors that need to be corrected. In other cases, therapy is usually aimed at eliminating the main diagnosis, and as a result, attacks of paresthesia are reduced. To reduce symptoms, some physical procedures may be prescribed, often these are:

physical therapy under the supervision of a trainer;
physiotherapy;
massage;
electrophoresis;
warming up.

In addition to general treatment, vitamin complexes and drugs that strengthen the vascular system may be prescribed. If you have a sedentary lifestyle, the doctor recommends increasing your walking, especially in the evenings. This will help strengthen the immune system and eliminate discomfort. In addition to all of the above, it is recommended to adhere to the following rules:

give up alcohol and nicotine;
reduce the load on your hands, especially before bedtime;
do exercises every day.

Doctors recommend performing a simple set of hand exercises that will help prevent paresthesia.

Traditional methods of treatment

Cold and hot shower. Each hand is placed in turn under a cold and hot stream of water. Then the hands are wiped with turpentine ointment and insulated special gloves are put on.

It is recommended to take a contrast shower

Boil pumpkin porridge and rub it all over your arm from shoulder to fingertips. Do this every day until the condition improves.

Pour the wild rosemary with vinegar and leave in a dark place for 10-14 days. When the mixture is ready, you can wipe your entire hand until the discomfort goes away.

You can use the product with wild rosemary

Main! If your hands go numb very often, you should start strengthening blood vessels. A glass of hot boiled water, drunk on an empty stomach, will help with this.

If the numbness is neurological in nature or is caused by radiculitis, it is worth making baths from tincture of birch buds and oak bark. The duration of this procedure is half an hour. Afterwards, you need to put warm gloves on your hands and go to bed. The treatment course involves 10-13 such procedures.

Radiculitis

Preventive measures

In order to prevent numbness of the upper extremities, it is necessary to strengthen the muscles of the arms. For this case, there is a special set of exercises that can only be performed under the constant supervision of a specialist.

It’s worth strengthening your arm muscles

But it’s worth moving on to prevention even before consulting a doctor. Some simple recommendations will help:

do not carry heavy backpacks and bags on your back or shoulders;
Avoid sitting for long periods of time with your arm over the back of the chair;
ensure the correct position when sitting on a chair or armchair. A person should feel comfortable and comfortable;

It is important to sit in the correct position
take 5 minutes a couple of times a day to rest in a lying position;
Make sure your diet includes seafood and nuts.

The diet should include seafood and nuts

Cramping arms and legs during pregnancy

Quite often from women who are in an excellent position, you can hear the following complaint: at night, their arms and legs constantly cramp.

During pregnancy, the female body experiences many changes, both visual and internal.

Almost every pregnant girl faces the problem of reduced immunity, since all the forces of a woman’s body are directed to the protection and development of the baby. Therefore, these types of symptoms are absolutely normal.

There are several other factors that can affect the occurrence of cramps during pregnancy:

swelling of the limbs due to fluid retention;
lack of required vitamins and elements (calcium, magnesium, iron);
overstrain of the spinal muscles as a result of a shift in the center of gravity and increased weight of the expectant mother;
less activity, which is usually observed closer to the II-III trimester;
disorders of the thyroid gland and pathology of the endocrine system.

Sometimes the root cause of such a symptom as cramps can be varicose veins during pregnancy. In such cases, it is better to seek advice from your gynecologist. It is possible that certain medications will be prescribed or wearing a prenatal bandage or tight stockings for varicose veins.

conclusions

There are many reasons for numbness in the hands, which may be related to your usual lifestyle or the development of serious diseases.

The human body is a whole system that sends signals in case of any violations. It is worth learning to recognize them and listen to them in order to provide the necessary assistance in a timely manner and prevent the occurrence of severe pathologies.

If such a symptom does not subside for a long time, you need to consult a doctor.

If numbness in your hands continues to bother you at night, you should immediately make an appointment with a doctor. Similar symptoms should not be ignored, as they can develop into a chronic disease.

Important ! More severe cases will require a change of main job.

Factors of numbness of the upper extremities at night, as a sign of illness

Stiffness due to an uncomfortable position or daily tension can occur at different hours of the day and night, in different parts of the body. However, the upper limbs and neck often become numb at night.

Signs of such a pathology develop gradually. Initially, the patient experiences paresthesia in the affected arm, it becomes numb and cold. Then the limb breaks out, twists, and swelling develops. When the patient wants to move his arm, this unfavorable sign first rapidly intensifies, then decreases and completely disappears.

Unfavorable reasons for the feeling of tingling and numbness at night are various factors.

As a result of which the hands become numb during sleep, it is necessary to consider them in the system of their blood supply and excitation. When the correct diagnosis is made and the reason why the limbs begin to go numb in the middle of the night is found, therapy can provide favorable outcomes.

Vascular diseases

One of the dangerous factors for the occurrence of numbness of the hands at night is ischemic stroke. With the development of changes in the blood flow of one of the areas of the brain, in addition to tingling, the following is also noticed:

increased blood pressure;
dizziness;
indifference.

These symptoms are signs of a microstroke or stroke.

This often occurs due to:

stress;
overvoltage;
sudden increase in pressure.

If you discover these signs, you should immediately call a medical team.

Spine pathologies

An important role in diagnosing the causes of numbness of the extremities at night is played by changes in blood flow associated with pathologies of the spine. Associated symptoms include:

frequent headaches;
orientation disorders;
temporary loss of reason;
rattling in the ears.

When these symptoms are felt with parallel numbness of the hands at night, this is a reason to visit a neurologist. It is possible that cervical osteochondrosis or a hernia between the vertebrae is developing.

Osteochondrosis of the spinal column is a combination of different problems that are observed from the metabolic development of tissues. At the stage of vertebral disintegration, the nodes of the spinal nerves undergo compression, which leads to pain in different areas of the arm (from the wrist to the sternum).

One of the main reasons for the formation of pathology and other diseases of the spine is a sedentary existence.

If you sit in a sitting position every day for a long time, a disorder of the spinal column develops. As a result, nearby muscles become overstrained and spasm. At the same time, limbs begin to suffer not only in the middle of the night, but also during the day.

This group of ailments also includes inflammation of the joints, characterized by their slow disintegration.

Vegetative-vascular dystonia

The disease often develops in adolescents, manifesting itself in various changes in the activity of the ANS. The cause of the pathology may be the formation of neuroendocrine regulation, hormonal changes, psychosomatic and mental disorders, and neuroses.

Rarely does the disease occur in old age. In women, it develops due to hormonal disorders during menopause.

The disease is characterized by the presence of cardiovascular symptoms, hyperventilation. It occurs in cardiac, hypotonic, and hypertensive forms. Only the hypertensive type is characterized by the occurrence of tingling and hidden tetany.

List of symptoms of psychovegetative syndrome.

rapid heartbeat;
pressure surges;
dyspnea;
constant migraines;
numbness at night in different areas of the body;
frequent urge to urinate;
digestive disorders.

The cause of temporary numbness of the limbs at night in patients with vegetative-vascular dystonia is GVS. Due to deep breathing, a violation of the acid-base balance occurs, causing a change in calcium metabolism. This reason leads to the development of tingling and minor muscle spasms. They mainly affect the arms and feet, with spread to other areas.

Myofascial pain syndrome

The source of numbness of the limbs at night in various places of the arms is often myofascial syndrome, which develops in people with osteochondrosis of the neck due to painful tension in the muscles of the neck and shoulder girdle.

People complain of a dull pain in the back of the head, shoulders and arms. It happens that it spreads to the palms and fingers. Unpleasant sensations can also spread to two limbs.

Rheumatoid arthritis

The disease affects more often women after 40 years. The pathology is characterized by symmetrical damage to the small joints of the hand. Patients experience aching pain in both extremities, which persists for another 2-3 hours after getting up in the morning.

The disease has a chronic, slowly progressive development. If the disease is not treated, the joint may become deformed and the activity of the fingers may be impaired. Therefore, when the first symptoms occur, you should immediately go to a specialist.

Carpal tunnel syndrome

Numbness of the limbs during night sleep is an occupational affliction. The disease is formed when the tendons are regularly strained. The pathology is typical for musicians and seamstresses. These are people who make the same movements with their hands throughout the working day.

There is a small outlet on the hand that is responsible for the sensuality of the palm (nerves and tendons stretch through it). When the nerve becomes overstrained, the hand begins to swell and go numb at night or close to morning.

If treatment is not carried out and a doctor is not consulted, the muscles on the big toe may become dead, which will lead to the inability to move it. It is difficult for a person to make a fist and bend the thumb completely.

Other ailments

With daily numbness of the hands at night, the causes include various ailments.

diabetes;
changes in blood flow of a chronic form;
hypertension;
vasculitis;
heart diseases;
lack of vitamin B.

It is especially important to take into account such a dangerous phenomenon as a blood clot in the blood vessels, which can interfere with blood flow, leading to numbness.

If the wicking does not go away for about an hour after lifting, you should immediately contact a specialist.