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What Causes Numbness In Hands And Feet When I Lay Down?

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Posted on Mon, 29 Jun 2015
Question: Hands and feet get numb when I lay down?
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Answered by Dr. Ilir Sharka (32 minutes later)
Brief Answer:
Your symptoms seem to be caused by circulation or neurological disorders.

Detailed Answer:
Hello!

Thank you for your question on HCM!

Regarding your concern it doesn't seem to be related to the heart. There is no cardiac disorder causing such symptoms.

I would like to know if the numbness persists during sleeping or if it wakes you from sleep. How long have you been having these symptoms? It involves only one limb or all your limbs?

Numbness while sleeping is often caused from sleeping in positions that cut off blood circulation. This includes sleeping on the hands or arms, which places pressure on these areas for hours at night. Becoming more aware of sleep positions before actually falling asleep is a good first step to prevent this problem. So I would first recommend to try to change your sleeping position.

If the numbness still occurs when the arms and legs are at the sides of the body, it may be a sign of a deeper issue, such as a pinched nerve or a polineuropathy.

So I would recommend you to consult with a neurologist, have a neurological examination and a nerve conduction test (electroneurography) to exclude a possible nerve conduction disorder.

There are also metabolic disorders like diabetes, chronic renal and liver disease and vitamin B12 deficiency which can cause a polineuropathy with a similar clinical scenario.
So I would also advise you to perform a routine blood test, renal and liver function tests, vit B12 plasma levels to check for these possible metabolic disorders.

Another issue I would consider if the numbness involved only one limb, would be a vessel narrowing from chronic arteriopathy in that limb. In this case a Doppler ultrasound would be helpful to confirm the diagnosis.

Hope to have been of help!

Feel free to ask any other questions whenever you need!

Greetings! Dr. Iliri


Note: For further queries related to coronary artery disease and prevention, click here.

Above answer was peer-reviewed by : Dr. Chakravarthy Mazumdar
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Answered by
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Dr. Ilir Sharka

Cardiologist

Practicing since :2001

Answered : 9544 Questions

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What Causes Numbness In Hands And Feet When I Lay Down?

Brief Answer: Your symptoms seem to be caused by circulation or neurological disorders. Detailed Answer: Hello! Thank you for your question on HCM! Regarding your concern it doesn't seem to be related to the heart. There is no cardiac disorder causing such symptoms. I would like to know if the numbness persists during sleeping or if it wakes you from sleep. How long have you been having these symptoms? It involves only one limb or all your limbs? Numbness while sleeping is often caused from sleeping in positions that cut off blood circulation. This includes sleeping on the hands or arms, which places pressure on these areas for hours at night. Becoming more aware of sleep positions before actually falling asleep is a good first step to prevent this problem. So I would first recommend to try to change your sleeping position. If the numbness still occurs when the arms and legs are at the sides of the body, it may be a sign of a deeper issue, such as a pinched nerve or a polineuropathy. So I would recommend you to consult with a neurologist, have a neurological examination and a nerve conduction test (electroneurography) to exclude a possible nerve conduction disorder. There are also metabolic disorders like diabetes, chronic renal and liver disease and vitamin B12 deficiency which can cause a polineuropathy with a similar clinical scenario. So I would also advise you to perform a routine blood test, renal and liver function tests, vit B12 plasma levels to check for these possible metabolic disorders. Another issue I would consider if the numbness involved only one limb, would be a vessel narrowing from chronic arteriopathy in that limb. In this case a Doppler ultrasound would be helpful to confirm the diagnosis. Hope to have been of help! Feel free to ask any other questions whenever you need! Greetings! Dr. Iliri