Why do my hands go numb when I sleep?

[PerspicaciousGreen]

I had this in the latter stages of both my previous pregnancies and I assumed the weight of the baby was pressing on something, but I'm only 11 weeks now and I keep waking up with numb hands. It's worse when I sleep on my back, and when I sleep on my side then one hand is worse than the other. It's also not the whole hand - usually my little finger and ring finger and the side of the hand below that. It feels like pins and needles but less painful.

I'm not really concerned about it but it's bugging me that I don't know why it happens!

It's carpal tunnel syndrome, very common in pregnancy. It's from swelling around the nerves leading into your hand.

Yep carpal tunnel.

I've also been getting this. And I'm only 5 weeks.

Gosh, is it really? I thought carpal tunnel came on when you use your hands (for stuff like too much typing), not when you're by definition resting them!

No it's a classic symptom for it to come on at night when you're not using them or might sleep with them in an awkward position unknowingly. I often sleep with my hand under my cheek and that really killed it.

Yep carpal tunnel. You can try sleeping in wrist splints to keep them positioned correctly but it didn't really work for me.

How interesting, thank you! It doesn't really bother me because it goes away if I just flap my arms or clench my fists a bit, but it has long confused me :)