Many people experience a feeling that their feet “fall asleep” after prolonged periods of inactivity. This sensation is the result of prolonged stress on the nerves or blood vessels that supply them. However, as soon as the stress goes away, this feeling goes away. The entire process is often referred to as poor circulation in the foot. But there are ways to quickly get rid of this strange, irritating, numbing feeling.

Why Do Feet Fall Asleep

You may experience temporary paresthesia when the connections between your feet and nerves in your brain are severed. This usually happens when you sit in one position for an extended period of time, especially when you have one foot under the other or cross your legs, which puts pressure on the blood vessels that supply blood to your nerves. The medical website explains that without nourishing the blood, nerves cannot send messages to the brain.

Influence of Sleeping Feet

Hypoxia due to lack of oxygen and poor blood circulation limits muscle growth and development. It can also cause:

• muscle pain, stiffness, or weakness
• Numbness or cramping in the legs
• skin discoloration
• The slow growth of nails and hair
• erectile dysfunction

People with diabetes or smokers are at the greatest risk of poor circulation, as are people over 50. If you have poor circulation in your feet and legs, which may be caused by PAD, it’s important to make changes to your lifestyle to reduce your risk of heart attack or stroke. Exercising and maintaining a healthy lifestyle will greatly improve your health.

How To Quickly Wake Up A Foot That Has Fallen Asleep

A sleepy foot is temporary, and the condition will usually go away on its own. But there are some things you can do to speed up the process of waking up a sleeping foot.

• Change location

Paresthesia is a decrease in blood circulation due to movements like pinched nerves and crossing your legs, so the first thing you need to do is change the position of the affected limb so the nerves can resume normal communication with the brain and the blood can start all over again flow.

• Stand up

Standing up helps to further straighten pinched nerves in the legs and feet and promote better blood circulation. Try to make small circles with the affected foot, stretch the calf muscles, and gently stand on the sleeping foot to help it “wake up”

• Shake it off or walk away

If possible, walk around to reduce the tingling and help the body return to normal function. Of course, this is only possible when the affected foot has regained some normal feeling and strength. If not, try gently rocking the numb limb to help reduce pinpricks.

• Massage

Try putting pressure on your feet, or having a friend or lover give you a foot and leg massage. This helps increase blood flow, reduce numbness, and relax tight tendons and muscles.

• Soak your feet in a foot bath

Tight muscles and poor circulation can sometimes be the cause of paresthesias, so try soaking your feet in a warm Epsom salt bath to promote blood flow and flush out muscle-contracting toxins. You may also want to try increasing your intake of minerals like calcium, magnesium, and vitamins B6 and B12. Lack of these nutrients can sometimes lead to foot and leg pain.

How To Prevent a Sleepy Foot?

Choosing a sitting or standing position can be an ongoing challenge, but there are a few things you can do to prevent your feet from falling asleep in the first place.

• Pay attention to your body

Pay attention to your body and learn to be aware of any sensations that arise. This is important if you tend to focus on the work you’re doing without realizing your feet are falling asleep.

Once you notice the needle and needle sensation, change your posture or get up and move around.

This can be a challenge if you work in an office, do some seated work for creative work, or sit on the floor while working with small children.

• Change your position often

At least once an hour, get up to walk, stretch, or do 5 to 10 minutes of gentle exercise.

Regardless, changing positions frequently is generally good for your health, so consider it an opportunity to move.

• Customize your workstation

Replace workstations as space and materials permit.

For example, sit on a cushion at a low table, sit on a desk ball or chair, or use a standing desk.

When To See A doctor?

Usually, sleepy feet go away on their own once compression and blood flow return.

But there are several reasons why you can worry about your sleepy feet, in which case you may need to see a doctor:

• long-term numbness or tingling
• Your feet feel unusual
• difficulty standing or walking

If you often feel drowsy in your feet, this could mean an underlying medical condition called peripheral neuropathy. Peripheral nerve diseases such as type 2 diabetes can lead to peripheral neuropathy, which usually affects the nerves of the feet and hands first.

While temporary paresthesias are numbness or tingling sensations, peripheral neuropathy involves the nerves of the peripheral nervous system, which are located outside the brain and spinal cord.

The Takeaway 

Sleeping on one foot is usually nothing to worry about. But if it’s chronic, frequent, or accompanied by other symptoms or problems, you may need to seek medical help.

If your feet fall asleep a lot, you may just need to move your body more often so you don’t stay in one position for too long.

Avoid sitting on your feet or placing them in positions that cause them to fall asleep. Learn to be aware of how your body feels so you can nip your sleeping feet in the bud.

Tags: Sleeping Feet