Ever wake up with a hand that feels like it belongs to someone else?

It is strange the first time and annoying by the tenth. For most people it is a position problem, not a disease.

The usual cause

If it is your pinky and ring finger, you probably slept with your elbow bent tightly under your chest or head. That position presses on a nerve at the elbow, and the numbness shows up in exactly those two fingers.

If it is your thumb and index finger, the pressure is more likely at the wrist. Sleeping with the wrist curled under your chin does it.

Both resolve in a minute or two once you move. That is the ordinary case.

What helps

• Stop sleeping on your stomach with your arms folded under you. That is the single most common trigger.
• If you sleep on your side, put a pillow in front of your chest and rest your top arm on it so the wrist stays straight.
• A soft wrist brace at night keeps the wrist neutral if you curl it without knowing.
• Shake the hand out and open and close your fingers when you wake up. That speeds the feeling coming back.

When it is worth asking a doctor

Numbness that does not go away within a few minutes is a different situation. So is numbness that happens during the day, comes with weakness, or shows up in both hands at once.

Also pay attention to whether it is getting more frequent. Once a month is one thing. Every night for two weeks is a pattern worth investigating.

A note on pillows

A pillow that is too thick pushes your head forward and your shoulder up, which changes the angle at the neck and can also cause hand tingling. Mine started the week I switched to a thicker pillow, which is how I worked out the connection.

Try a thinner pillow for a week and see.