If you've ever experienced a tingling or shocking sensation while grounding indoors using a sheet or a mat, you're not alone. Many people report feeling a subtle buzz, tingling, or even mild shocks when using grounding mats, grounding sheets, or simply touching a grounded surface inside their homes. But what’s causing this? And more importantly, how can you fix it?
Here are four common reasons why you may be feeling electrical sensations while grounding indoors—and what you can do about each one.
1. Static buildup discharged onto your grounding product
Why It Happens:
When you walk around your home with slippers or shoes on, you are extra insulated from the natural ground. Then when you touch anything grounded (faucets, electronics, or grounding bedding) the positive charge that you built up will discharge with a static shock. It’s healthier for your body to have discharged this static build-up than to carry it.
Diagnosis:
Does the tingling or shock occur very briefly when you first touch something grounded? Does it go away immediately? If so, then you are just feeling a static discharge.
Solution:
Remove your shoes and slippers around your house so you aren’t as likely to build up static discharge. Otherwise, there is nothing to fix as the static discharge is healthy.
2. Increased Blood Flow to Your Extremities
Why It Happens:
When you connect to the Earth's energy through grounding, your body's circulation can improve. Many people report feeling a warm, tingling sensation in their hands and feet as blood flow increases. This is a natural physiological response to reduce blood viscosity and blood pressure. It is a clear sign that grounding is benefiting your body.
Diagnosis:
Try grounding outdoors with bare feet on grass or soil to see if the sensation feels the same. If so, it’s likely just your body’s natural response to the increased blood flow in your capillaries.
Solution:
There is nothing to fix with improved circulation. Just enjoy the increased blood flow!
3. AC Current in Your Body from High EMFs
Why It Happens:
Modern homes are filled with electromagnetic fields (EMFs) from electrical wiring, WiFi, appliances, and other electronics. Your body acts like an antenna, accumulating AC voltage from these fields. When you ground yourself indoors, this built-up AC current has a path to discharge, leading to a tingling sensation.
Diagnosis:
Move to the center of your room, or move to an entirely different room and try grounding. Alternatively, turn off power to one room within your house and try grounding when the power to that one room is off. If the tingling subsides, it is likely due to induced AC current in your body from the electrical wiring in your home's walls. If the tingling continues, it is likely due to dirty electricity in the ground itself.
Solution:
While it is healthier to be grounded than ungrounded when around strong electro-magnetic fields, the act of grounding may feel unpleasant in these situations. The solution is NOT to stop grounding but instead to find ways to reduce the non-native EMF fields you're exposed to while grounding. You may have to unplug appliances, put your wifi on an automatic timer, or even turn off power to the rooms in which you use grounding products.
4. Dirty Electricity in Your Home’s Grounding Wiring
Why It Happens:
Even though household electrical systems are designed to be grounded, they can carry high-frequency electrical noise from devices like dimmer switches, solar inverters, and LED lights. This “dirty electricity” can ride on the grounding system, creating unwanted currents when you connect to it. While most people’s homes are wired well and have very little dirty electricity, building codes do allow for up to 4 volts of AC current in the ground, which is well above levels safe for biology.
Diagnosis:
If the tingling sensation is intermittent, sharp, or stabbing and if you experience it equally, and intermittently regardless of where in the home you try grounding, it is likely your home has dirty electricity in the grounding wires.
Solution:
In this case, you should invest in a dedicated outdoor ground rod: Bypassing your home's electrical ground can reduce your exposure to dirty electricity, and provide you with a clean ground.
Final Thoughts
Tingling while grounding indoors can be caused by multiple factors, ranging from healthy circulation changes to unwanted electrical currents. By identifying the root cause and applying the right solution—whether reducing EMFs, getting a dedicated grounding rod, or simply embracing better circulation—you can enjoy the full benefits of grounding without discomfort.
