A full, sound sleep indicates that the human nervous system is functioning stably and there is no reason for concern. However, people of different ages can wake up in the middle of the night due to unpleasant sensations - numbness in arms and legs. Doctors call this disorder paresthesia. As a rule, it is accompanied by a feeling of tingling and aching pain. If you move a numb limb, the unpleasant feeling will only intensify. To ensure that numbness in the arms and legs no longer appears during sleep, it is necessary to understand the prerequisites for the occurrence of this problem.
Causes of numbness in arms and legs during sleep
If loss of sensation in the arms and legs occurs occasionally, only at night, most likely, there is no talk of a disease. Unpleasant sensations in this case arise due to impaired blood flow. In addition, due to minimal mobility, nerves and tendons can be pinched. Some patients manage to say goodbye to paresthesia without the help of a doctor. To do this, they get rid of negative factors:
- incorrect postures: during a night's rest, it is advisable not to tuck your legs, not to hide your hands under the pillow, or to put them behind your head. Incorrect position disrupts blood flow and causes discomfort;
- Tight clothes: If clothes that are too tight are used as pajamas, problems with blood flow may occur. Unpleasant sensations also appear in those who do not remove jewelry (bracelets, rings) at night. By eliminating tight clothing and jewelry during the night's rest, you can effectively prevent numbness;
- uncomfortable pillow: using too soft or, on the contrary, hard sleeping material, the cervical spine may bend. As a result, blood will flow poorly to the limbs, which is why the legs and arms will begin to numb.
If an uncomfortable pillow and tight clothing are eliminated, but numbness in the arms and legs does not go away during sleep, this indicates health problems. It is noteworthy that sensitivity can disappear not only in the arm, leg, but also in the fingers. In most cases, discomfort is caused by blood flow disturbances of various origins. Numbness can also occur due to diseases of the spine, which are associated with problematic transmission of nerve impulses.
Why do my hands go numb at night?
The so-called numbness, due to an uncomfortable position or constant tension, can be observed at any time of the day and in relation to different parts of the body (back, chest, ears, nose, fingertips, etc.), but most often, especially at night, limbs go numb ( mostly hands) or neck. Symptoms of this painful condition do not develop immediately. At first, a person may feel how the problematic arm (or both) tingles, suffers and gets a little cold, then feel how the limb ache, swells, twists and even cramps. When you move your hand, this negative symptomatology initially sharply worsens, after which it gradually decreases and completely disappears.
The negative factors that cause pain and numbness in your hands during sleep and the reasons for this phenomenon can be very diverse. The main reasons why arms and hands go numb at night and during sleep should be sought in the system of their blood supply and innervation , also not excluding, albeit more rare, but sometimes much significant diseases and pathologies. Only by making an accurate diagnosis and finding out the cause of numbness in the hands at night, treatment of such conditions can lead to the desired positive result.
In the article below we will look in more detail at why our hands go numb during sleep, why our hands and fingers go numb at night, the causes and consequences of these painful sensations, what this can mean and what it can lead to, we will advise what to do in this case and what to do. which doctor to consult, and we will also recommend the necessary studies and adequate treatment.
Symptoms
Paresthesia manifests itself in the form of numbness of the limbs, as well as in the form of various symptoms that can be observed throughout the day. This list includes:
- sensation of “goosebumps” on the skin;
- too cold feet, fingers, toes;
- tingling in the arms and legs that occurs while walking;
- temperature fluctuations, lack of reaction of nerve endings.
In some cases, numbness accompanies a rash in the thighs and knees. Such symptoms complicate making a correct diagnosis.
Why do my fingers go numb?
In addition to the reasons already described above, which answer the question of why the fingers on the left hand go numb and why the fingers on the right hand go numb, there are a number of pathological and other conditions mainly affecting the hands, which is why the fingers on the hands go numb.
Pregnancy
Quite often, women during pregnancy experience a painful feeling of heaviness and numbness in the extremities, which primarily affects the fingers. The main reasons why fingers cramp in pregnant women include: anemia , water-salt balance disorders, hormonal changes , vitamin deficiency, weight gain , and decreased physical activity.
Naturally, only a doctor can draw conclusions about the etiology of such negative phenomena, and even more so prescribe drug therapy, first of all, paying attention to the state of pregnancy . This means that if these symptoms are not associated with any serious disease and do not require urgent treatment, then it is better to limit treatment methods to various external means, including baths, rubbing, etc.
Raynaud's syndrome
The reasons why fingers go numb with this disease can be very different (hypothermia, smoking, stress, taking medications that affect vascular tone, excessive coffee consumption, etc.), but the consequences are always the same - damage to capillaries and small arteries, which leads to poor circulation in the fingers.
Raynaud's syndrome
In patients with Raynaud's disease , as a rule, the hands of both hands are affected, and the fingers on them may be sore and numb both at night and during the day, especially in the cold season.
This pathology can only be diagnosed by a doctor who will recommend to the patient what to do to prevent the development of the disease. Adequate treatment should be based on the treatment of the underlying disease and its consequences, which negatively affect the fingers, including surgical intervention.
Polyneuropathy
With this disease, organic damage occurs to the nerves of the carpal plexuses and fingers. In a state of polyneuropathy , a person feels numbness in their hands, their hands and fingers seem to be pulling and tingling. The frequency of such painful manifestations is observed depending on the degree of damage to the nerve fibers.
Blood flow and nerves in a healthy person and with polyneuropathy
Such attacks can occur from several times a week to several times a day. The cause of this pathology can be various infections, functional painful conditions ( diabetes mellitus , pancreatitis , etc.), iron deficiency anemia , and vitamin deficiency.
In this case, the prescribed treatment should first of all be aimed at treating the underlying disease that led to the manifestation of negative symptoms in the limbs.
Thrombosis of the upper extremities
Pathological condition of blockage located in the upper part of the limb by a thrombus One of the most serious and dangerous causes, the primary symptom of which may be numbness in the hand, starting with its fingers.
Vein thrombosis
If the feeling of numbness in the fingers does not go away within an hour, but on the contrary becomes stronger and rises higher up the arm, you should immediately seek qualified medical help in order to prevent possible tissue necrosis , which could lead to amputation of the limb .
Guillain-Barre syndrome
Also a dangerous autoimmune disease , characterized by acute inflammation in the nerves and their roots, leading to disruption of tactile and motor function. The earliest manifestations of Guillain-Barré syndrome are often numbness and tingling in the fingers and toes.
These symptoms, along with other negative phenomena (pain in the back, hips, buttocks, changes in heartbeat, weakness, shortness of breath), usually appear after a mild acute respiratory viral infection or digestive disorders that become an autoimmune process . The development of the disease, before reaching its maximum, occurs within 2-4 weeks, followed by attenuation of negative symptoms.
The main therapy consists of rehabilitation measures after the cessation of autoimmune inflammation. The recovery process is quite long (several months).
Features of treatment
If the patient’s hands have been numb for a long time and the symptoms do not go away or get worse, then it is advisable to consult a neurologist. To correctly determine the causes of paresthesia, high-quality diagnosis is required. First of all, the doctor examines the patient and provides a referral for laboratory tests. In most cases, patients are recommended to undergo hardware tests:
- CT or MRI;
- X-ray of the cervical spine;
- Dopplerography of blood vessels;
- echo and electroencephalography.
Each of the listed methods has its own characteristics. With the help of modern equipment, specialists are able to obtain comprehensive information about the patient’s health status. After identifying the disease and its characteristics, an appropriate treatment regimen is selected. Treating numbness involves eliminating the underlying causes of discomfort. Since most patients have numbness in their legs and arms due to damage to nerve endings, specialists select a comprehensive treatment aimed at improving the nutrition of the nerves. For this purpose, B vitamins and drugs that reduce blood viscosity and improve blood circulation are prescribed.
If you experience frequent numbness in your limbs, it is not recommended to delay going to the doctor. An experienced specialist will conduct a competent diagnosis and select an effective treatment regimen. Thanks to this, you will be able to get rid of uncomfortable sensations for a long time.
Magic of Sleep - orthopedic mattresses and pillows for your healthy and comfortable sleep.
Why does my left hand go numb?
If the left hand goes numb, this means that it is urgently necessary to pay attention to the state of the person’s cardiovascular system and undergo a full examination in a specialized medical institution, since numbness of the left hand, the causes and treatment of this condition must first of all be determined exclusively by a doctor -cardiologist. The thing is that any sudden change in the condition of the left hand, occurring during the day or at night, when for no apparent reason, for example, the hand becomes numb and hurts, the finger (thumb, little finger, etc.) pulls and numbs, aching pain is felt throughout the entire hand, may indicate serious heart problems, even a mini-stroke or pre-infarction condition .
In the case where the left hand goes numb due to a micro-stroke , it would not be superfluous to undergo an MRI or other similar studies to confirm or refute such a diagnosis with subsequent therapy. If the left arm goes numb due to a pre-infarction condition , and the patient has heart pain, he must immediately be prescribed a course of treatment to prevent a heart attack using appropriate medications, and also be advised what to do in the future to prevent such situations.
Another reason why the left arm is lost may be a number of neurological problems and metabolic disorders. So, due to a deficiency in the body of vitamins from groups A and B, damage to the membrane of nerve fibers is observed, accompanied by a loss of their sensitivity.
If a person’s fingers on his left hand are numb for this reason, he should replenish the lack of vitamins in the body as quickly as possible.
