How to Keep Feet From Falling Asleep

When your feet fall asleep you may lose feeling in your feet, they might feel heavy, or you may get the feeling of "pins and needles". The reason that your feet fall asleep is usually because you have compressed the nerves. Nerves send messages back and forth from our brain to our body parts. When the nerves are compressed the messages can not get through.

Instructions

1. Relieve pressure on areas of your body that are being squished or compressed to keep your feet from falling asleep. Avoid sitting on your feet and crossing your legs because both of these positions compress nerves.

2. Change positions frequently if you are sitting for an extended period of time. Changing your sitting position allows compressed nerves to recover before the falling asleep feeling occurs.

3. Get up and move around every hour or so if you are sitting or laying for a long time. Not only does this relieve pressure on compressed nerves, but it gets your blood flowing and improves circulation to your extremities to help keep them awake.

4. Massage your feet if they start to feel tingly or cramped. Sometimes before you feel actually fall asleep you get a hint that it is happening. Changing positions and massaging your feet helps to prevent them from falling asleep.

5. Loosen the laces on your shoes if they are tied too tight. Tight shoes also can cause compression on the nerve cells in your feet and cause them to fall asleep.

Tips & Warnings

• If your feet do fall asleep, allow them to wake up before standing and walking. Jumping up and moving around after your feet have fallen asleep could lead to you falling.