Many people experience their hand feeling tingly, numb, or briefly unable to move after waking up. This can sometimes come with mild pain or weakness. In most cases, it happens temporarily because of an awkward sleeping position or prolonged pressure on the hand.
If a hand gets trapped under the body during sleep, or if someone sleeps with a hand under their head, it can put pressure on nerves and blood vessels. Similarly, if the wrist stays bent for a long time, it can temporarily change sensation in the hand. If the problem goes away quickly after waking up and moving the hand into a different position, there is usually no cause for concern.
However, if a hand regularly goes numb after waking up, or if the numbness lasts a long time, it could be a sign of another underlying health issue.
Could be a sign of carpal tunnel syndrome
One cause of repeated tingling or numbness in the hand is carpal tunnel syndrome. This occurs when pressure builds on the median nerve as it passes through the narrow tunnel of the wrist. Tingling, numbness, pain or burning in the fingers and hand may be felt particularly at night or in the early morning.
Sometimes hand strength can decrease, making it difficult to hold objects. If such symptoms occur regularly, a doctor should be consulted.
What to do if your hand goes numb
If your hand feels numb after waking up, start by slowly moving your hand and wrist. Gently make a fist and open your hand. You can also slowly rotate your wrist. If your hand was under pressure, change position and wait a while.
However, avoid shaking your hand vigorously, massaging it with excessive pressure, or forcing exercise while in pain. It also helps to develop the habit of not sleeping with a hand under your head at night, and not keeping the wrist bent for long periods.
When is a doctor’s advice necessary?
Occasional brief tingling or numbness in the hand is generally not a sign of a serious problem. But if it happens almost daily, if the numbness lasts a long time, if there is regular wrist pain, or if hand strength decreases, a doctor’s advice is needed.
It’s also important to identify the cause if a hand or fingers stay numb during the day, if objects repeatedly slip from your hand, or if pain or tingling spreads from the neck to the hand.
Be alert to sudden hand numbness
If sudden hand numbness occurs along with weakness or numbness on one side of the body, a drooping face on one side, slurred speech, vision problems, severe headache or dizziness, it should be treated as an emergency. These symptoms can indicate a serious neurological problem, even a stroke. In such cases, seek emergency medical care immediately, without delay.