Why do my feet go numb at night?

Question

Accepted Answer

The common version is positional and harmless. The NHS explains pins and needles and numbness happen when the blood supply to nerves is cut off, usually by sitting or sleeping on the body part, and it stops within minutes once the pressure comes off. A leg crossed under you, an ankle pressed into the mattress, or a knee bent hard against the other leg all do it, and the tingly waking fades as circulation returns. The version that deserves attention is numbness that appears without a pressure explanation, every night, or by day too: the NHS describes peripheral neuropathy, nerve damage in the extremities, whose main symptoms include numbness and tingling in the feet or hands, burning or stabbing pain, balance problems, and muscle weakness, and it estimates almost 1 in 10 people aged 55 or over in the UK are affected. Diabetes is the biggest driver, which is why the NHS recommends people at highest risk, like those with diabetes, have regular foot check-ups. Other causes include B12 deficiency, some medicines, and a trapped nerve in the back or ankle. See a GP if numbness is recurrent, spreading, one-sided, or comes with weakness, balance problems, or foot injuries you did not feel happen, since unfelt injuries are the dangerous downstream of numb feet.

Why do my feet go numb at night?

Find answers about common symptoms

What to do

Related questions

Sources