Hands going numb while sleeping. Cant figure it out?

Yes. Common situation unfortunately.

Think about which side of your hands feels numb or dead when you wake up. It may be both, but most commonly it's either the thumb side (including the thumb, pointer, index, and half the ring finger) or the pinky side (pinky finger and the pinky side of the ring finger).

If it's the thumb side, you are most likely sleeping a good part of the night with bent wrists. This combined with carpentry is a common scenario for carpal tunnel syndrome. Even if you're sure you don't sleep this way because your wrists are not bent when you wake up, that does not rule carpal tunnel syndrome out. (You know anybody who snores loudly? They deny it, right? Because they're asleep when it happens.) Carpal tunnel syndrome generally causes hand symptoms on the thumb side of the hand. Carpal tunnel syndrome develops when the median nerve is compressed long-term in the wrist. You can read more about it by clicking this link:

https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/car...

If it's the pinky side of your hands, you are most likely sleeping with bent elbows, and again along with working in carpentry, this is a common setup for cubital tunnel syndrome, especially when the symptoms are worst when you wake up. Cubital tunnel syndrome happens when, long-term, the ulnar nerve is compressed in the elbow joint. You can read more about it by clicking this link:

http://www.assh.org/handcare/hand-arm-conditions/c...

If you have numbness and tingling on both sides of your hands, you may be sleeping with both bent wrists and elbows, or having nerve impingement of both the median and ulnar nerves from carpentry, and in that case, you may be suffering from both carpal tunnel syndrome and cubital tunnel syndrome.

You can see a regular family doctor for this, or go to a specialist such as an orthopedist specializing in upper extremities. It is treatable. It can be resolved. If you let it go too long, though, and it is one or both of these issues, the nerve damage can become permanent. It's also easier to fix without surgery if you go sooner than later. So I suggest you make an appointment soon and get this checked. Of course it's possible it's something else--but these are by far the most common causes of your symptoms.

Wishing you good luck, great care, and some relief soon.