Last updated: October 2026
Pins and needles is a tingling, prickling or numb feeling, usually in your hands, arms, legs or feet. Most of the time it happens because you’ve sat or slept on part of your body, and it passes within a few minutes of moving. See a GP if it keeps coming back or doesn’t go away.
Below: why your arm or leg “falls asleep”, the conditions that cause pins and needles to keep happening, pins and needles at night and with anxiety, what helps, and when it needs urgent help.
Call 999 straight away if pins and needles or numbness comes on suddenly with weakness in an arm or leg, a drooping face or slurred speech (possible stroke), or with numbness around your bottom or genitals or new problems peeing or pooing (a possible serious back problem).
Why you get pins and needles
The NHS explains that pins and needles happens when the blood supply to the nerves is cut off, usually because you sit or sleep on part of your body. It’s most common in the arms, hands, legs and feet, and it usually stops once the weight comes off and blood reaches the nerves again. It’s the familiar leg that “falls asleep” after sitting cross-legged.
Researchers have recreated this in the lab. In one small study, 10 healthy volunteers had steady pressure applied to the nerve at the wrist for 24 minutes. Tingling and numbness built up the whole time, peaked when the pressure was released, then faded gradually as the nerve recovered. Occasional pins and needles like this is harmless. It’s worth looking for a cause when it keeps coming back or turns up without any obvious pressure.
When it keeps happening: possible causes
The NHS lists these causes of pins and needles that keeps coming back or lasts. Other symptoms are the best clue, but don’t self-diagnose: a GP can examine you and arrange tests.
- Carpal tunnel syndrome. Pressure on a nerve in the wrist causes tingling, numbness or pain in the thumb and fingers, often worse at night. It’s more likely if you’re pregnant, overweight, have diabetes or arthritis, or do work that involves repeated wrist bending or hard gripping.
- A trapped nerve in the back or neck. Sciatica causes pain and pins and needles that travel from the bottom or back of the leg down to the foot. The NHS also lists a trapped nerve in the neck, and says neck pain with pins and needles or a cold arm needs a GP check. See our guides to lower back pain and a stiff neck.
- Vitamin B12 deficiency. The NHS lists pins and needles, numbness and balance problems among its symptoms, alongside tiredness and a sore, red tongue. Read more in vitamin B12 deficiency symptoms.
- Diabetes and peripheral neuropathy. Diabetes is the most common cause of peripheral neuropathy (nerve damage in the hands and feet) in the UK. The NHS estimates almost 1 in 10 people aged 55 or over are affected by peripheral neuropathy.
- Anxiety and breathing too fast. Hyperventilation can cause pins and needles, often with trembling hands. See anxiety and pins and needles below.
- Raynaud’s. Fingers and toes change colour when you’re cold, anxious or stressed, and can also hurt, go numb or get pins and needles. See our guide to Raynaud’s.
- Drinking too much alcohol over a long time can damage nerves.
- Some medicines and treatments, such as chemotherapy, some antibiotics and some seizure or HIV medicines. Never stop a prescribed medicine without talking to your GP or pharmacist.
- Multiple sclerosis (MS). Much less common. Numbness or tingling in different parts of the body is a common MS symptom, often with fatigue or vision problems.
Where it is, likely cause and what to do
A quick guide based on NHS information, not a diagnosis.
| Where you feel it | Likely cause | What to do |
|---|---|---|
| An arm, hand, leg or foot after sitting or lying on it | Pressure on a nerve | Move, change position, wait a few minutes |
| Thumb and fingers, worse at night | Carpal tunnel syndrome | Wrist splint at night, cut down on gripping and wrist bending; GP if it’s not improving |
| Bottom, back of the leg, down to the foot | Sciatica | Keep moving gently; GP if no better after a few weeks |
| Arm or hand, with neck pain | Trapped nerve in the neck | See a GP |
| Both feet, or both hands and feet | Diabetes, B12 deficiency or other nerve damage | See a GP for blood tests |
| Fingers or toes that change colour | Raynaud’s | Keep warm; GP if it’s severe, getting worse or on one side only |
| Hands and fingers, with fast breathing and trembling | Breathing too fast (hyperventilation) | Slow your breathing; GP if it keeps happening |
| Different parts of the body at different times | Many causes, rarely MS | See a GP |
| Sudden, one side, with weakness or speech problems | Possible stroke | Call 999 |
Pins and needles at night
Waking up with tingling hands is very common. In a survey of 396 adults, a third had pins and needles at night at least once a week, including people without carpal tunnel syndrome. Sleeping with the wrist bent was linked with more frequent night-time tingling, as was a higher body weight. Side sleeping was linked with fewer symptoms.
The two usual reasons are your sleeping position (lying on an arm or curling your wrists in towards you can press on nerves for hours) and carpal tunnel syndrome, which the NHS says is usually worse at night. Tingling in the thumb, index and middle fingers that wakes you is a classic sign. Keeping your wrists straight in bed and your arms out from under your body is a simple first step: see the best sleeping position.
If tingling in your legs keeps you awake, it may be a different problem: see restless legs and leg cramps at night.
Pins and needles in both hands and feet
Pins and needles in one hand or foot is usually pressure on a single nerve. Tingling in both feet, or both hands and feet, points more towards something affecting nerves throughout the body, such as diabetes, low vitamin B12, long-term heavy drinking or an underactive thyroid. The NHS says to see a GP early about pain, tingling or loss of feeling in your feet, loss of balance, or a foot cut or ulcer that isn’t healing.
Cold can also make fingers and toes tingle. If they turn white or blue first, read about Raynaud’s and chilblains.
Anxiety and pins and needles
Yes, anxiety can cause pins and needles. The NHS lists “numbness or pins and needles” and tingling in the fingers among the physical symptoms of a panic attack. The usual reason is overbreathing: breathing too fast or too deeply lowers the carbon dioxide in your blood, which can set off tingling.
A lab study showed this in healthy volunteers. When they deliberately overbreathed, dizziness, light-headedness and pins and needles came on, and the symptoms disappeared when carbon dioxide levels were brought back to normal without them knowing. A Cochrane review estimates that dysfunctional breathing or hyperventilation syndrome affects about 9.5% of adults.
Anxiety tingling often affects the hands and fingers, and it fades as your breathing settles. What helps:
- Breathe slowly and deeply, as the NHS advises during a panic attack. Box breathing gives you a simple rhythm to follow.
- Remind yourself the feeling will pass. The NHS says panic attacks are frightening but not dangerous.
- Use grounding techniques from our guide on how to calm down, and our steps for how to stop a panic attack.
Deliberate fast breathing, as in Wim Hof breathing, can cause the same tingling. Anxiety can also bring shaky hands and dizziness: see anxiety symptoms. Don’t assume tingling is anxiety if it’s new, one-sided or comes with weakness: get it checked.
How to get rid of pins and needles
For everyday pins and needles, the fix is simple:
- Take the pressure off. Uncross your legs, stand up or roll off your arm.
- Move and shake it out. Wiggle your fingers or toes and walk around. It should fade within a few minutes.
- Change position often. If you sit for long spells, get up and move regularly.
For pins and needles that keeps coming back, the treatment depends on the cause:
- Carpal tunnel syndrome: the NHS recommends a wrist splint to keep your wrist straight, mainly at night, and says it can take up to 6 weeks to feel better. A 2023 Cochrane review found the evidence is limited, but night-time splints may give a better chance of overall improvement than no treatment. Cut down on repeated wrist bending and hard gripping. If it doesn’t improve, a GP can discuss steroid injections or surgery.
- Sciatica: the NHS says to carry on with normal activities as much as you can and avoid sitting or lying down for long periods.
- Vitamin B12 deficiency: needs a blood test and GP treatment, usually injections or tablets. The most common UK cause, pernicious anaemia, isn’t diet-related, so a shop-bought supplement is no substitute for testing. Vitamin B12 contributes to normal functioning of the nervous system. Evopure doesn’t sell a vitamin B12 supplement.
- Diabetes: better control of blood sugar, stopping smoking and cutting down on alcohol, alongside regular foot checks.
A note on supplements: no supplement treats pins and needles. For a calmer evening routine generally, our Magnesium Glycinate Sleep Complex is a caffeine-free bedtime drink. Magnesium contributes to normal functioning of the nervous system, as part of a varied diet. It isn’t a treatment for tingling, numbness or any nerve problem, and it won’t correct a B12 deficiency.
When to see a GP or get urgent help
See a GP if:
- you have pins and needles all the time, or it keeps coming back
- it lasts a long time or is spreading
- it comes with pain, numbness, weakness or clumsiness
- you have other symptoms such as extreme tiredness, a sore tongue, thirst and peeing more, or vision problems
Call 999 or go to A&E if you have:
- sudden numbness or weakness in one arm, one side of the body or the face, a drooping face or slurred speech. Remember FAST: face, arms, speech, time to call 999. Call even if the symptoms have stopped.
- back pain or sciatica, or a recent back injury, together with numbness around your bottom or genitals, weakness or numbness in both legs, or problems starting or controlling peeing or pooing
- chest pain that spreads to your arm, neck or jaw, which could be a heart attack
If your feet are also cold all the time, read why your feet are always cold.
FAQs
How long does pins and needles last?
Pins and needles from sitting or sleeping on a limb usually lasts only a few minutes once you move. If it lasts for hours or days, keeps coming back or is getting worse, see a GP.
Why do I get pins and needles in my hands at night?
Usually because of your sleeping position, such as lying on your arm or sleeping with your wrists bent, or because of carpal tunnel syndrome, which is often worse at night. A wrist splint and keeping your wrists straight can help.
Can anxiety cause pins and needles?
Yes. Breathing too fast during anxiety or a panic attack can cause pins and needles, often in the hands and fingers. It fades as your breathing slows down.
Can low vitamin B12 cause pins and needles?
Yes. The NHS lists pins and needles and numbness among the symptoms of vitamin B12 deficiency. A GP can check your levels with a blood test.
Is pins and needles a sign of a stroke?
Occasionally. Sudden numbness or weakness on one side of the body, especially with a drooping face or speech problems, can be a stroke. Call 999 straight away, even if the symptoms stop.
When should I worry about pins and needles?
See a GP if it keeps coming back, doesn’t go away, spreads or comes with weakness or pain. Call 999 if it is sudden with weakness, a drooping face or speech problems, or with numbness around your bottom and bladder or bowel problems.
Sources
- NHS. Pins and needles.
- NHS. Carpal tunnel syndrome.
- NHS. Sciatica.
- NHS. Vitamin B12 or folate deficiency anaemia: symptoms and treatment.
- NHS. Peripheral neuropathy.
- NHS. Panic disorder.
- NHS. Stroke: symptoms and heart attack: symptoms.
- NHS. Raynaud’s and neck pain.
- Han SE et al. Changes in human sensory axonal excitability induced by focal nerve compression. J Physiol, 2010.
- Roth Bettlach CL et al. Preferences in sleep position correlate with nighttime paresthesias in healthy people without carpal tunnel syndrome. Hand (N Y), 2019.
- Rafferty GF et al. Relation of hypocapnic symptoms to rate of fall of end-tidal PCO2 in normal subjects. Respir Med, 1992.
- Jones M et al. Breathing exercises for dysfunctional breathing/hyperventilation syndrome in adults. Cochrane Database Syst Rev, 2013.
- Karjalainen TV et al. Splinting for carpal tunnel syndrome. Cochrane Database Syst Rev, 2023.
This guide is general information, not medical advice. Evopure makes the Magnesium Glycinate Sleep Complex. We don’t sell vitamin B12 supplements.
