I had numbness in my hands because the saddle to bar distance was too long, as well. Moving the saddle forward diminished optimum pedaling torque from my legs. The solution was to get a shorter stem. I also chose a stem with a greater angle of rise. The improvement was tremendous.

It is also a good idea to take your hands off the handlebars one at a time every few minutes and gently shake them in the air. It relaxes and refreshes them.