Strange sensation when falling asleep

[countrygirl]

This is not hypnic jerks as I do not physically move and whatever it is I have had for over 10 years on and off so its not immediately life threatening!
Within 10 mins of getting into bed and laying down as I start to relax to sleep I get evil split second sensation as if my whole body has suddenly dropped or moved although it hasn't moved even an inch and its accompanied by a whole body tingling sensation. On a good night I get it once or twice and fall asleep but I go through phases where it keeps going almost all night long and I cannot sleep.
I have been told it could be due to anxiety, or its from my damaged neck and misfiring nerves and have just had a ct scan of my inner ears to rule out a rare ear disorder and am waiting for results.
I know its a long shot but does anyone else with anxiety get this very strange symptom?

[LunaLiuna]

I do, and I've seen a lot of people talk about it on here. I think it's because we tend to think more before we sleep, when we are anxious we are over sensitive about everything and I think our minds interpret the sudden loss of thought as a threat, therefore waking/jolting us awake :)

^ Sorry I may have read it a little wrong, but I think what I said is still relevant, an anxious mind doesn't like relaxation :)

[Libra]

Yes, I used to get that. I describe at as feeling like dropping through the bed, a weird feeling.
I was told it was coming from my neck/shoulder tension though.
After physio it did stop.

[countrygirl]

Thanks both. My GP is adamant that it is from my neck problems as I have severe arthritis and a collapsed neck disc and he says its when my muscles finally relax that it happens. I do find that if I have been panicking about something usually health related that it is much worse.
I moved house recently and put my rubbish spine under awful pressure so my spine problems are much worse as is the weird sensations.
Another Dr said anxiety and or sleep disorder???????

[Andrash]

It's a textbook neck problem. In your case, probably worsened by your previous medical history with arthritis and herniated discs. Anxiety makes it worse too, as it makes neck muscles tense-and tense neck muscles do not cause only neck pains, but headaches, facial pressure, pins and needles in arms, head or face and sinus-like pains too. It has got something to do with anatomy-when your neck muscles tighten, they start pressing the facial nerves, which cause all these strange sensations.

One more thing-if you are sleeping on the side, the symptoms will be worse, as you put more pressure on your neck. They'll especially worsen if you sleep with your hand under your head. Try to sleep on your back-that's how the neck will not have to do a lot of job and therefore the muscles will tighten less.

My fiance suffered from this thing (neck muscle tightness) since she was a teenager and therefore I know everything about it :)

[countrygirl]

My sleeping position does not seem to make any difference to how much I experience this sensation and I also get the sensation even if I am sitting upright and start to drift off to sleep. It seems to be when I relax totaly in whatever position that I get it??

[Andrash]

Maybe it's astral projection and you have paranormal powers...:D

Well, as you had it for 10 years, it is surely not anything sinister-I still think it has something to do with your neck problems, as those are common causes of tingling and stiffness...

[SarahH]

Yes I get it frequently....in fact I only DONT get when I use sleeping tablets. I was told by my psych that it is anxiety related and when we are dropping off to sleep the bady totally relaxes and your heart slows right down. The brain then kicks in and jerks you awake (this may not be a physical jerk). For me sometimes the sensation is so powerful that my insides are like jelly afterwards and I have to take a valium to calm down.

[countrygirl]

Andrash :yesyes::yesyes::yesyes:

Sarah - yes thats it exactly. It is such a horrible sensation isn't it and its bad enough getting it once or twice before falling asleep but when it happens over and over again I could do with a large slug of valium as well.

[mandshere2000]

Hi
Such a interesting post, I've had this for years and it really does scare me so much
I am a regular on here in the early hours, and I've got to the point where it won't happen
for a few weeks, and I can sleep from say about 5am until 11am still not a normal sleeping
pattern I know:blush:...but then when it does happen which it has done a few times the last week, I really am to scared to sleep:unsure:with me it always happens when I been asleep say 30-45 minutes I wake suddenly and feel the panic rising and confusion and the heart racing it's sometimes been up 120 bpm then after it's over anything up to 30 mins it lasts
I become very breathless and feel I cannot breathe and bring like a mucus up by having to
cough so I can get air in
I have seen a heart specialist last year who put me on a 24 hr monitor for a week and it did not happen once, I also had a heart scan which I assume was ok because I got a very short letter saying I was referred back to the GP, i have since found out that if nothing shows up on the monitor or scan then it should be looked into with more tests, I told the GP this and he said because he was referring me to see a neurologist about the confusion and memory loss that they would look into it regarding my heart( confused neurologist is brain not heart) so feel I am being fobbed off....sorry such a long post and thanks for reading
Manda

---------- Post added at 03:18 ---------- Previous post was at 03:16 ----------

sorry if my post is confusing, I've only slept 2 hours in last 2 days:weep:

[countrygirl]

I understand your explanation. Your symptoms are different from mine in that you are being woken from sleep with them whereas I only get mine as I am falling asleep. Its good you have had heart tests as rarely heart failure can give similar symptoms but that would have been picked up straight away in the tests so great news all was well. the other explanation could be panic attacks in the night. I have read on here alot of time about night time panic attacks in other people and they describe symptoms like yours.
Have you talked to your GP about this possibility??
I totally sympathise with your lack of sleep and also fear of sleep.

[mandshere2000]

Hi
Thank you for your reply....that's what worrys me is heart failure,this is actually what I had read about and that if they do the basic tests like the 24 hour monitor and scan and still
find nothing that more tests should be done
So you think it would of been picked up by the monitor and scan:unsure:I think I would of felt more reassured if I had of gone back to the consultant after the tests and could of spoke to him in more detail about my concerns instead of just getting a very short letter and sent back to the GP
I forgot to add in my last post that sometimes I can of just literally dropped off to sleep and
will wake minutes later feeling this way but it is mostly after 30-45 minutes after
How do you cope when you feel so awful with what happens to you
Manda

[countrygirl]

Hi manda. YOu can take great reassurance from the fact the cardio did not even want to see you again so there must have been absolutely nothing on your tape or scan to indicate anything wrong with your heart. I have never heard of anyone with heart failure having normal tape and scan as for one thing you heart enlarges alot with heart failure so that alone would show up on scan.

[Worrier13]

Thank god I found this thread. It's almost 6am here and I've been on this cycle for hours. Can't get a second of sleep when it happens again and again. My biggest fear is phycosis so ofc I thinks it's because of something like that.. I also get weird sounds and images with this feeling, do u? So awful that we experience this:(

[Libra]

Would those of you experiencing this strange feeling describe it as a feeling of falling through space ?? That's how it is for me and is associated with neck.shoulder impingement.

[lee77]

My sleeping position does not seem to make any difference to how much I experience this sensation and I also get the sensation even if I am sitting upright and start to drift off to sleep. It seems to be when I relax totaly in whatever position that I get it??

Good Morning,

I do hope that your keeping and and well and I know this is a long shot as I can see the date of this particular post, but I joined today for this very reason, I have suffered with Health Anxiety on and off for a number of years, most recently (Last Two Months) it has been particularly bad, but was has changed in the last week, is this strange sensation when trying to fall to sleep, it sounds very similar to the post you added, I feel a strange sensation when trying to fall of to sleep, like everything in my body is working really slowly , then I get the falling through the bed feeling, and also the jolting when I do eventually drop off this can happen 6 or 7 times before fully falling to sleep, may I ask did you manage to get an answer as to why you had this sensation, I do hope it's no longer an issue for you.

Best Wishes
Lee