Hands and now foot fall asleep while sleeping

[elasticheart83]

Hi everyone,

This is my first time posting. I’m a 35 year old female in overall good health but have been having extreme health anxiety for the past few months. The main symptom that is causing me to panic is waking up in the night or morning with numb hands that I have to shake and move to get them to wake up. Sometimes it’s one hand, sometimes it’s the other, sometimes it’s both, sometimes it’s just a finger. It’s happened on vacation as well as at home so I doubt it’s my mattress or pillow, and I’m pretty sure it’s not my sleep position either. I’ve also had some tingling and strange sensations in my hands, mostly at night. I had convinced myself it was carpal tunnel syndrome for awhile and was feeling less anxious about it, but for the past couple nights it’s been happening to my left foot! I wake up in the morning and it is half asleep and I have to shake it out until the blood flow and feeling returns. My leg both times was positioned normal/straight when this happened so I don’t think it could be a positional thing.

Now that it’s in my foot too, it’s hard to imagine it’s juat carpal tunnel. I should mention I am taking Zoloft (75mg) and trazodone (50mg) everyday for anxiety. The trazodone I take at night. I’m wondering if the meds could maybe be the cause?? While I did start taking them again recently I had no side effects when taking them in the past. I also have scoliosis which I suppose could be a factor if the issue is musculoskeletal, but again, I’ve never had problems with my scoliosis in the past.

My main fear is MS, because I am the right age and demographic and my aunt had it. Plus, google says there’s a good chance I have it lol. I’ve been to several doctors appointments including a physical and they’ve done all the standard blood tests (CBC, wbc, b12, thyroid) and everything came back normal. I have a healthy weight and low blood pressure. I’m hoping at the next appointment I can get a referral to see a neuro. But I’m very scared about that as well.

Anyway, I’m wondering if anyone has had similar symptoms and can give me some reassurance. Thanks in advance.

[Halle0587]

I’m 31 and started having this a few weeks ago. I chalked it up to anxiety bc it hasn’t happened since I stopped thinking about it. Like you, it was random. I told my husband we needed a new mattress. I’m a stomach sleeper with my hands next to me and they were constantly falling asleep.

[elasticheart83]

I should add I also have reynauds (self-diagnosed) where my hands and feet get really cold if it’s even just a chilly summer day. I’ve wondered if that could be related. But I’ve had that (the reynauds) for years.

[nomorepanic]

I get numb arms and hands every night and have done for over 7 years now.

It is my posture causing it and it only happens at night in bed.

Yours could be similar as well.

[Pkstracy]

Posture, also perimenopause can cause this, you can have symptoms way before it starts and you can start it at your age, if all your test came back fine then you don't have an issue do you sleep on your stomach, on your side, does your pillow support you neck and shoulder, how do you sit when at computer do you slouch? If so you're putting a strain on your lower back and neck and shoulders this can cause what you are having. See at night our bodies work to repair itself and if something is overstimulated it has to work hard to move the blood to the area.

[elasticheart83]

Posture, also perimenopause can cause this, you can have symptoms way before it starts and you can start it at your age, if all your test came back fine then you don't have an issue do you sleep on your stomach, on your side, does your pillow support you neck and shoulder, how do you sit when at computer do you slouch? If so you're putting a strain on your lower back and neck and shoulders this can cause what you are having. See at night our bodies work to repair itself and if something is overstimulated it has to work hard to move the blood to the area.

Thank you for the response. It could definitely be musculoskeletal/posture related, though I’m weirded out that it’s now affecting my feet too. I’ve also wondered if it could be hormone related as you mention. I stopped breastfeeding my daughter about a year ago and I notice my body is still changing. Still whenever I get the dreaded numbness I assume the worst, that I have MS.