Why do my hands go numb when I sleep?

Your hands usually go numb at night because a nerve is being compressed while you sleep, most often from your position.

• Thumb, index, middle, half of ring finger: often carpal tunnel from a bent wrist
• Pinky and ring finger: often ulnar nerve compression from a bent elbow
• Back of hand/thumb: can happen from lying on the arm or awkward pressure
• Whole arm/hand: sometimes from the neck or shoulder

Common triggers include sleeping on your hands, arms overhead, or with wrists curled. Less often, swelling, neck problems, diabetes, or vitamin B12 deficiency can make it worse.

Try tonight: keep wrists straight, avoid tight elbow bending, and use a pillow that keeps your neck neutral. A night wrist splint can help if it feels like carpal tunnel.

Get checked soon if it happens while awake, keeps coming back, causes weakness or dropping things, or spreads up the arm or to the neck.