Carpal tunnel syndrome: hands fall asleep

Do your hands fall asleep? Almost everyone is familiar with the feeling of hands falling asleep. In most cases, hands falling asleep is a sign that nerve tracts are pinched or nerves are undersupplied due to the pinching of blood vessels. This is often caused by carpal tunnel syndrome. Should you see a doctor if your hands keep falling asleep?

An incorrect sleeping position at night can lead to a temporary interruption in blood flow or pinched nerves. The result is tingling in the fingers or a hand or arm that falls asleep. The reason for this is that the nerve endings in the skin send a signal to the brain via the nerve tracts, which cannot be clearly assigned from there.

So if your hands occasionally fall asleep at night, this is usually a sign of a hypersensitivity reaction triggered by an incorrect sleeping position. As long as such sensations only occur from time to time, they are generally harmless. However, caution is advised if hands or arms regularly fall asleep at night or if the tingling in the fingers or pain in the hands and arms occurs frequently and regularly.

Hands fall asleep: Reason to see a doctor?

Tingling in the hands, numb fingertips and severe pain up to the elbow are typical symptoms of carpal tunnel syndrome (CTS). Carpal tunnel syndrome is a bottleneck syndrome of the median nerve of the hand in the area of the carpal canal, i.e. in the carpal canal, which often results in numbness of the thumb, index, middle and ring fingers as well as fine motor impairments.

So if your hands keep falling asleep, if your fingertips regularly tingle or you have pain in your arms and hands, then you should take action. Doctors warn that carpal tunnel syndrome is often not treated early enough. This can result in serious impairments. So if your arm or hand feels numb, weak or even paralyzed, or if you constantly feel like ants are running over your hand or arm, it's high time to see a doctor .

However, a visit to the doctor is also advisable if your hands fall asleep every night, if you are regularly woken up at night by pain in your hand or arm or if you have the impression that the strength in your hands and especially in your thumb is decreasing. These sensations are typical signs of carpal tunnel syndrome.

"My hands fall asleep"

These problems usually occur between the ages of 40 and 70, initially mainly at night: you wake up because it hurts from your hand to your upper arm or because your hand has fallen asleep again.

Around one in ten people in Germany experience these symptoms of carpal tunnel syndrome. Experts estimate that women are affected around five times more frequently than men. If the symptoms occur regularly, you should definitely consult a doctor. Because if carpal tunnel syndrome is not treated in time, it can result in serious impairments.

Find out more about Curpal - the Focus.Online experience report.