The following is a visitor-submitted question or story. For more, you can submit your own sleep story here, or browse the collection of experiences and questions other visitors have shared here.

Every Night Waking Up Overheated, With "Pins And Needles"

My overheating very predominantly comes on in the early hours of the morning; every morning Grrrrrr. I am not sweating. My skin doesn't feel excessively overheated except where insulated by the mattress. I took my temperature once and found it to be normal.


Ambient temperature is a catalyst but not really a cause. Hot summer nights (say 20 degrees plus celcius) mean the heating comes on earlier and is more persistent than say single figure temperatures.

When the heating comes on (between 1 am - 6 am typically) I can get up and lie on a cold leather couch with a sheet only then swap to a different leather couch etc etc. The cold leather dissipates the heat after a while and by swapping I can keep the surface cold. I do all sorts of things to dissipate the heat.

The sleep deprivation is distressing and it's every night. It's about heat but it also has a discomfort a bit like "pins and needles" or a bit like a rough sandpaper being against the skin but not moving. It's a discomfort more than a pain. The issue is in the torso of the body and upper arms mainly. It's like I need to jump into a fridge for a while then I can get back to sleep.

When I go to bed I am normal but I know what's coming and it's like the tide it always comes. So let's hear what advances we can make because this seems to be uncommon and my doc has yet to come up with anything to relieve the symptoms.

Comments for Every Night Waking Up Overheated, With "Pins And Needles"

Click here to add your own comments

Feb 26, 2015
 Further comment on waking heat and pins and needles NEW
by: Gator

Hi Folks - I wrote the last comment on "Every Night Waking Up Overheated, With "Pins And Needles"

By way of an update - This condition evolves a bit so it’s useful to provide more info. I have had a course of different naturopathy drops with unclear results. I am using tissue salts and while the result is also unclear I have had improvement over about 4 months of taking them.
Clearly while I feel overheated sometimes my thermometer clearly says I am not. I am thinking now that the tingling and discomfort (like sandpaper lightly rubbed on my body) is nerve or sensory receptor related. The link to temperature is very strange. Clearly while my body temperature is not raised I can lessen the effect by cooling the body down and by having so few bedclothes on that in itself it is sometimes uncomfortable. Currently I am sleeping til about 5am then getting very broken and disturbed sleep after that. Up until 18 months ago I would sleep (apart from prostate toilet stops) til the alarm woke me after 7 am. The condition is sleep derivative and confusing as to cause. Body temperature is also confusing - often I am uncomfortable with some tingling but at times I cannot actually tell whether I am hot or cold. Wacky? I sometimes pull on bed covers and sometimes get improved comfort and other times I invoke more severe tingling. Anyone sharing any of these conditions and able to comment will be really, really, welcome.


Click here to add your own comments

Join in and write your own page! It's easy to do. How? Simply click here to return to "I Can't Sleep!" Stories.



Enjoy this page? Please help us pay it forward to others who would find it valuable by Liking, Sharing, Tweeting, Stumbling, and/or Voting below.

About This Site

Welcome! This site is continuously being created by students of Dr. William C. Dement's Sleep And Dreams course at Stanford University.

We made this site as a call to action for people all over the world to live healthier, happier, safer, and more productive lives by learning about their own sleep. We have faith that reading the information provided on this site will motivate you to be smart about your sleep deprivation and strategic about your alertness in order to live life to your fullest, most energetic potential.

In fact, we challenge you to do so! What do you say, are you up for the challenge?

A Note On Visitor-Submitted Questions:

Publishing sleep stories and questions from our visitors is meant to create a forum for open and proactive dialogue about an extremely important portion of our lives (one that occupies 1/3 of it and affects the other 2/3) that isn't talked about enough. It is not meant to substitute a trip to the doctor or the advice of a specialist. It's good to talk; it is not good to avoid consulting someone who's profession it is to help you with this kind of stuff.

If you are in any way concerned about your sleep health, don't wait for an answer on here, and don't necessarily rely on them. See a sleep specialist in your area as soon as possible.

More Questions:

Ask | Answer

The Stanford Sleep Book

Stanford Sleep Book Picture

Dr. Dement's pioneering textbook has been the core text for Sleep and Dreams since 1980, but it has just recently been made available to the wider public for the first time.

In it you'll find a more detailed account of the most important things you need to know about sleep, alertness, dreams, and sleep disorders. Studies, statistics, plus plenty of Dr. Dement's classic anecdotes painting the history of sleep medicine.

Preface | Intro | Contents | Get A Copy

More Sleep Resources

The Zeo

Track Your Own Sleep With Zeo

A revolution in personal sleep tracking, the Zeo is a wireless headband that transmits your brainwaves in realtime to a dock (pictured here) or your smartphone. The result? You can wake up and see exactly what stages of sleep you were in during the night! Unprecedented personalized sleep knowledge.

Sleep Paralysis: A Dreamer's Guide

Sleep Paralysis Treatment Book

Ever woken up paralyzed? A surprising number of us have, believe it or not. But few know the actual causes of this phenomenon, and fewer still how to exert control over it. Dream researcher and sleep paralysis expert Ryan Hurd shares breakthrough insights into how to do just that.

Important Disclaimer

Please Note:

The information found on this page and throughout this site is intended for general information purposes only. While it may prove useful and empowering, it is NOT intended as a substitute for the expertise and judgments of healthcare practitioners.

For more info, see our
Terms of Use.