Do you feel tingling all over your body when trying to sleep? 

In this blog post, we are going to answer the question, “Do you feel tingling all over your body when trying to sleep?”. Tingling sensation, medically known as paresthesia, is a condition which affects millions of people worldwide. 

Usually, it is a symptom of some underlying health condition that has not been diagnosed by your doctor yet. This blog will list all the possible reasons that may make you feel tingling all over your body when you try to sleep. 

Why do you feel tingling all over your body when trying to sleep?

You may feel tingling all over your body when you try to sleep because of one of the following reasons:

• Diabetes mellitus 
• Systemic diseases
• Deficiency of some vitamins 
• Excessive alcohol intake
• Toxic substances 
• Some infections 
• Autoimmune and hereditary disorders 
• Multiple sclerosis 
• Injuries 
• Certain medications 

Diabetes mellitus 

Diabetes is one of the most common reasons for paresthesia or nocturnal paresthesia. Experts believe that some people suffer from high blood glucose levels especially at nighttime. 

This elevated BGL can cause paresthesia or worsen your tingling sensation at night and you might not feel it that much during the day time. Diabetes is known for a number of complications. 

It can restrict the blood flow to some small capillaries by increasing the viscosity of the blood. This can result in tingling in those tissues which are supplied by those affected capillaries. 

Unmanaged diabetes can also silently cause nerve damage, a condition often called diabetic neuropathy. This can contribute to your numbness and tingling sensation. 

If you continue to feel that way, make sure you immediately reach out to your healthcare provider and start managing your blood glucose level more efficiently in order to prevent any diabetes related complications. 

Systemic diseases

Systemic diseases are diseases that can affect your organs and the systemic function that organ is meant to perform. These diseases can be a disease affecting your kidneys, liver, heart, blood vessels, brain etc. 

Some diseases like amyloidosis and chronic inflammations can also make you feel tingling all over your body. Some other diseases like cancers and blood disorders can also damage your systemic functions and may make you suffer from paresthesia. 

Sciatica is also known for causing numbness and tingling sensation in your lower back and legs. Make sure you rule that out in case of experiencing numbness in lower extremities with pain. Certain kinds of tumours are associated with nerve damage. 

This can also lead to the numbness and tingling sensation. Make sure you talk to your doctor and rule out the possibility of any tumour inside your body. 

Deficiency of some vitamins 

Vitamins are vital for our normal body functions and deficiency of some of these vitamins can make you feel tingling all over your body. There are two types of vitamins in your body. 

Fat soluble vitamins, including Vitamin A, D, E and K, and water soluble vitamins including vitamin B-complex and Vitamin C. Make sure you have enough of these, especially vitamin B1, B6, B12 and E. These vitamins are essential for nerve health. 

The weakness of nerves is one of the most common reasons associated with tingling all over your body. It may feel much worse when you’re relaxed and trying to fall asleep. However, research suggests that sometimes, people have too much of these vitamins which can also make them feel tingly. 

Excessive alcohol intake

Excessive alcohol intake can result in nerve damage. Experts revealed that too much alcohol consumption is linked with vitamin B complex deficiency, which leads to potential nerve damage. 

Make sure you cut back on alcohol as alcoholism is indeed a disease in itself, which can also make your other health conditions worse. 

Toxic substances 

Toxic substances or toxins can significantly increase the risk of nerve and systemic damage that may give rise to a number of different kinds of complications in your body, including tingling. These substances can include heavy metals like lead, arsenic, mercury etc. 

Heavy metal poisoning is quite common and it can disrupt your normal physiological functions. Other than that, some chemotherapeutic agents are quite toxic in nature and they can kill healthy cells along with cancer cells. The death of these healthy cells can make you suffer from tingling or burning sensation. 

Some infections 

Certain viral and bacterial infections can also make you feel tingling all over your body. These include herpes virus, epstein barr virus, lyme’s disease etc. Make sure you rule that out. 

Autoimmune and hereditary disorders

Autoimmune and hereditary disorders can also damage your nerves. Rheumatoid arthritis is an autoimmune disease that affects your joints and bones. 

It not only causes severe pain and discomfort, but can significantly cause nerve damage and make you feel tingling all over your body, especially in those joints which are severely affected. Other autoimmune diseases like lupus and Guillain-Barre syndrome can also do the same. 

Multiple sclerosis 

Multiple sclerosis is a problem that can cause severe nerve damage, pain and tingling sensation as you begin to lose the feeling sensation that is provided by the damaged nerves. 

In this disease, the body’s own immune system starts to damage the fatty protective covering around the nerves and attack them. 

Injuries 

Injuries are also another reason that makes you feel tingling all over your body. Some injuries can damage the nerves or a part of your brain which may make you feel tingly on that part of the body which is controlled by the affected part of the brain. 

Crushing injuries can also cause the same sensation. Some people suffer from cervical problems which can cause the same effect. 

Certain medications 

Certain medications can cause tingling sensation as a side effect. Sometimes, the combination of medications end up causing synergistic side effects. Make sure your meds are compatible with one another, even your over-the-counter drugs. 

According to a research article, following medications can cause numbness and tingling sensation:

• Chemotherapeutic or anticancer drugs, including vinca alkaloids (Vincristine and vinblastine), taxanes (pacitaxel and docetaxel), thalidomide etc. 
• Psychotropic drugs, including antidepressants, anxiolytics and illicit substances like marijuana, amphetamines etc. 
• Anticonvulsants, including carbamazepine, sodium valproate etc. 
• Antibiotics, including fluoroquinolones like ciprofloxacin, levofloxacin etc. 
• Cardiovascular drugs, including antihypertensives and drugs to lower cholesterol levels. 

Is there anything you can do to get rid of the tingling sensation? 

There are a few things that can help you with your tingling sensation. These include:

Get proper diagnosis 

Proper diagnosis is crucial for the treatment of underlying conditions that makes you feel this way in the first place. Reach out to your healthcare provider. He or she will suggest some diagnostic tests like HBA1C in order to diagnose diabetes. 

These tests can help determine the root cause of your problem for which the treatment will start soon after. When your condition starts to become better, your tingling sensation will start to disappear. 

Massage

Massaging is one of the best ways to increase blood circulation. Try massaging with warm oil on the affected area followed by a warm press. This will increase blood circulation which can take some of your numbness away. 

Rest

If you experience a tingling sensation, especially in your lower extremities, make sure you stay rested. If it’s difficult to move or your legs feel too heavy to walk around, avoid unnecessary movement and stay rested. If it’s too severe, contact your healthcare provider. 

Exercise 

Exercise is also one of the best ways to increase blood circulation. Opt for low intensity, relaxing exercises like yoga or pilates. Increased amount of blood circulation helps to relieve numbness and tingling sensation. 

Don’t panic 

Try to avoid panicking if you tingling all over your body. Stress can often make your side effects more heightened. Try to stay calm and it’s bothering you, talk to your doctor. Mild tingling usually goes away within 3 to 4 weeks of treatment. 

Healthy diet 

Make sure you add plenty of good, nutritious foods in your diet. Good diet helps you a lot in boosting your immunity, which helps you recover, fight against infection, repair your damaged cells and replace worn out cells. 

Avoid alcohol 

Your healthy lifestyle requires you to cut back on alcohol. Alcohol is known to contain toxic substances which can damage your nerve cells and cause tingling all on its own. Make sure you avoid alcohol, especially when you’re battling with an underlying health condition. 

Maintain a good posture 

Postural changes can cause or make your existing numbness even worse. Try stretching to fix your bad posture. Keep your back as straight as you can while sitting or walking. 

Conclusion 

In this blog post, we have discussed the possible reasons for tingling all over your body when you try to sleep. We have listed all the possible diseases and health conditions that can cause this effect. 

We have also mentioned some medications that may cause tingling as a side effect. Make sure you reach out to your healthcare provider and get proper diagnosis, in order to get rid of this sensation, for good. 

FAQs: tingling all over body when trying to sleep

What causes tingling throughout the body? 

You may feel tingling all over your body when you try to sleep because of one of the following reasons:

• Diabetes mellitus 
• Systemic diseases
• Deficiency of some vitamins 
• Excessive alcohol intake
• Toxic substances 
• Some infections 
• Autoimmune and hereditary disorders 
• Multiple sclerosis 
• Injuries 
• Certain medications 

What causes numbness and tingling in arms and legs and face? 

Diabetes is one of the most common reasons for paresthesia or nocturnal paresthesia. Experts believe that some people suffer from high blood glucose levels especially at nighttime. This elevated BGL can cause paresthesia or worsen your tingling sensation at night and you might not feel it that much during the day time. Some medications can also cause this effect.

Can cancer cause tingling sensation? 

Some diseases like cancers and blood disorders can also damage your systemic functions and may make you suffer from paresthesia. Certain kinds of tumours are associated with nerve damage. This can also lead to the numbness and tingling sensation. Make sure you talk to your doctor and rule out the possibility of any tumour inside your body. 

Does tingling mean I have vitamin deficiency? 

Vitamins are essential for nerve health. The weakness of nerves is one of the most common reasons associated with tingling all over your body. It may feel much worse when you’re relaxed and trying to fall asleep. However, research suggests that sometimes, people have too much of these vitamins which can also make them feel tingly. 

Why does the body feel uncomfortable when trying to sleep? 

There could be a number of reasons that can make you feel uncomfortable when you try to sleep. It can also be a sign of anxiety or depression. Reach out to your healthcare provider and rule out any possibility of an underlying health condition. Make sure your room and bed are not the reason for your discomfort. 

References 

• Seyed Ahmad Emami et al. Curr Pharm Des. (2016) – Paresthesia: A Review of Its Definition, Etiology and Treatments in View of the Traditional Medicine https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/26561077/ 
• Tingling in Hands and Feet https://www.webmd.com/brain/tingling-in-hands-and-feet 
• Paresthesia https://www.ninds.nih.gov/health-information/disorders/paresthesia#:~:text=Paresthesia%20can%20be%20caused%20by,cord%20can%20also%20cause%20paresthesia.