Imagine sleeping soundly during the night and suddenly waking up in the middle with numbness in the hands and legs!! Shocking right!!
Some people experience numbness while sleeping and it has become an important issue now. Fact is that when this numbness happens frequently then consulting a doctor is a must as it might be due to a serious issue. The person with numbness in hands and legs could have a tingling sensation or burning kind of sensation. This would not allow the person to sleep continuously and the person might feel restless. The numbness in the hands and feet could be because of poor blood circulation or nerve pressure etc
There are certain reasons why we could get numbness feeling in our hands and legs while sleeping and they are
Sleeping in wrong position:
We could put pressure on our nerves and blood circulation etc, if we sleep in one position continuously for a long time. The blood flow would get disrupted during sleeping by keeping hands under the head. There would be more pressure on the veins by sleeping with folded legs or pressed under something heavy etc. Impact on the neck and spine due to improper pillow position can also lead to numbness in hands and legs. So, please be careful.
What to do:
Please never use a pillow that is too soft or too hard. It is necessary to change the sleeping position frequently.
Nerve compression:
It must be noted that pressure on the nerves could lead to tingling feelings and numbness etc. In carpal tunnel syndrome, there is pressure on the nerves present in the wrists leading to numbness. The sciatic nerve compression can also lead to numbness in the legs In ulnar nerve compression, pressure on the nerve present on the elbow can lead to numbness.
What to do:
Please try to avoid sleeping in the same posture and do light exercises to make the body free from stress.
Poor blood circulation:
It must be noted that when the right amount of blood does not reach the body parts then we could get numbness. Poor blood circulation can be due to reasons like diabetes, high BP, excess intake of alcohol and smoking etc. Truth is that increased cholesterol levels can lead to shrinking of the blood vessels and finally numbness.
What to do:
It is essential to do exercises regularly to maintain good blood circulation. It is important to drink more water and consume a well balanced diet.
Vitamins and nutrients deficiency:
There are possibilities of getting numbness in our hands and legs when we lack certain vitamins and nutrients etc. The ability of nerves to function properly would get affected by lack of vitamins B6 B12 and magnesium etc. The deficiency when persisted could weaken the nerve system and this would increase numbness in hands and feet.
What to do:
By adding fruits, vegetables, nuts, dairy products etc to our diet, the deficiency can be avoided. It is necessary that we must take vitamin B 12 and magnesium supplements etc and avoid eating too much processed foods etc.
