# Every morning I have to 'switch on' my little finger. **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [April 10, 2005, 7:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/every-morning-i-have-to-switch-on-my-little-finger/298688 "2005-04-10T19:25:07Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 5\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Lobsang](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lobsang/32/4067_2.png) [@Lobsang](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lobsang)\ **Post date:** [April 10, 2005, 7:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/every-morning-i-have-to-switch-on-my-little-finger/298688/1 "2005-04-10T19:25:07Z")
I know asking for medical advice here (or anywhere online) is not the done thing, but this question is fairly mundane and a matter of curiosity more than anything else. Also I am not the type of person to go drinking bleach if someone says it will cure a sore thumb. So, here it is: Every morning I wake up with no sense of feeling in my little finger (whichever finger it is depends on which side of my body I’m lying on). If I shake and flex my fingers rapidly the sensation will return slowly, but here’s the odd bit. If I rotate my wrist and cause a click sound (and feeling) sensation returns instantly. It’s as if I’m switching my little finger on. I’ve got stronger than average hands/wrist/lower arm, and the phenomenon is more common in my stronger left hand. Any wrist-doctors in the house? (what would one of those be called?) ---
**Author:** ![DougC](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/7feea3/32.png) [@DougC](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DougC)\ **Post date:** [April 10, 2005, 7:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/every-morning-i-have-to-switch-on-my-little-finger/298688/2 "2005-04-10T19:54:58Z")
- - - I am not a doctor, and do not play one on TV–but it is common for people to wake up with hand numbness, because they rest their heads on their hands while sleeping and restrict circulation/compress nerves in the hands. The clicking business I don’t know anything about, but if you start vomiting black sludge you may have the [Ebola](http://www.cdc.gov/ncidod/dvrd/spb/mnpages/dispages/ebola.htm) virus, or you are eating way too much [black licorice](http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&q=black+licorice&btnG=Google+Search). ~ ---
**Author:** ![BobT](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/8e8cbc/32.png) [@BobT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BobT)\ **Post date:** [April 10, 2005, 7:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/every-morning-i-have-to-switch-on-my-little-finger/298688/3 "2005-04-10T19:59:54Z")
My fingers are almost always a little bit like that when I wake up because I sleep with my hands under my head. I also am starting to develop pain in my knuckles because of some poor ergonomics with my computer. Warming up them while I take a shower helps a lot. ---
**Author:** ![BobT](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/8e8cbc/32.png) [@BobT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BobT)\ **Post date:** [April 10, 2005, 8:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/every-morning-i-have-to-switch-on-my-little-finger/298688/4 "2005-04-10T20:10:56Z")
My fingers are almost always a little bit like that when I wake up because I sleep with my hands under my head. I also am starting to develop pain in my knuckles because of some poor ergonomics with my computer. Warming up them while I take a shower helps a lot. ---
**Author:** ![ouryL](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ouryl/32/6067_2.png) [@ouryL](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ouryL)\ **Post date:** [April 10, 2005, 8:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/every-morning-i-have-to-switch-on-my-little-finger/298688/5 "2005-04-10T20:22:45Z")
…sounds like carpal tunnel…