Sleep Anxiety and Symptoms - Problem

[Rinbog]

Hi guys,

long time reader first time poster here. I just wanted to discuss the problems I've been having to gauge people who have the same issue or similar so I can have people to discuss this with and get feedback.

I've been struggling with sleep anxiety for some time now, probably six months. It all began after going through two weeks of continued stress. My anxiety (social) had decreased but I was so stressed with work, exams and I had also just ended up with an infection too. I hadn't had my pills (chronic condition) for two weeks and was getting seriously worried.

One night, as I was drifting off I had the most biggest hypnic jerk ever, which then begun a run of ectopic heartbeats. I went to AandE late at night to get this checked and was cleared, before then having a 24hour ECG to settle my nerves. I ended up with 100 per cent normal beats and <1 per cent ectopics or VE as they called it. I had 14 on the monitor, so nothing at all to worry about.

However since that massive hypnic jerk I've been scared to sleep, very scared. I haven't had a big jolt like the first in February since early April. The two massive ones only happened when I slept alone. Since then, the ectopics have come and gone, usually in anxious situations or when resting. They're a pain, but getting used to them as they're benign.

But more recently I've been having new sleeping anxiety symptoms so will list below. I want to know if anyone else has these or understand where I'm coming from and if anxiety is the cause. I have no pain with any of these either:

Hypnic jerk - jolting awake after just drifting off

Head rush/whooshing - hard to explain this one. Just as I'm falling asleep I get this rush to my head that feels like an internal jerk in my head. If I think about it happening I can make it stop. I'm scared to let it come over me, with a massive fear I'll pass out or something. I don't feel faint, but it has that same experience when it happens.

Heartbeat changes - sometimes it's fairly fast, but what usually scares me is when I can't feel it when putting my hand on my chest. Is that normal, just me freaking out over nothing?

Chills and Hot flashes - sometimes I get this massive rush of either hot or cold that leaves me tingling. It usually occurs AFTER I have that head rush, it makes me feel a little numb, usually in the legs or feet.

Internal body tremors - it feels as if my whole body is shaking internally, so I'm not actually shaking massively in bed but I can feel my whole body slightly vibrate.

Biting my tongue - This occurs every so often, but felt like mentioning it.

For note, I can sleep VERY WELL when I'm with my girlfriend, however I have the above problems when I sleep alone. This has been progressive symptoms over the past six months. Also, when I finally fall asleep, I sleep well. I rarely wake until I'm refreshed or the alarm goes off.

If anyone suffers these symptoms and has an idea if it is anxiety or adrenaline or anything like that please let me know. Doctors claim as anxiety and I can understand that, but want to know from people who actually have 1st hand experience of this.

Thank you!

[Westinghouse]

Hi Rinbog,

I think that the fact that you only get these alone and not with your girlfriend is a good indicator that these are psychological (=anxiety) symptoms.

If you had some kind of objective disease, damage to your nerves etc then you'd always get the same symptoms irrespective of who you're sleeping with.

As for the symptoms: I also have sleep anxiety, but with different symptoms.

Hypnic jerks I also have sometimes but that's a fairly common thing, nothing to be worried about.

As for the tremors: do you have them all over, or is it a specific location that's vibrating? I used to have "buzzing" in well-defined areas on my thighs, arms, even chest etc. The location always changed but the feeling was the same - the muscle contracting and releasing rapidly, several times a second, for a few minutes.
Fortunately it went away after a few weeks and it hasn't recurred ever since (more than half a year now). And I'm sure this was also anxiety related.

stay strong!

[Rinbog]

Hi,

thanks for the response!

I have virtually none of these symptoms when going about my day, only when trying to sleep. My main symptom when awake relating to anxiety is ectopic beats, I sometimes get this when resting to sleep. I also seem to have an increased heartrate at times during the day when resting or having climbed stairs.

As for the tremors, sometimes I get these during the day but mainly it's during trying to get to sleep. It's a whole body vibrating shake, usually arms and legs.

It's odd, because I sleep quite well last night by myself, but yeah when I'm with my girlfriend I usually sleep fairly well, compared to alone.

It started ever since I was under immense stress and anxiety and has developed into this. It's frustrating, and definitely seems to be anxiety-based and a mindset thing.

My darn anxiety is tough, considering I spend half the day (honest) searching up my health, symptoms and constantly checking my heartbeat and pulse etc.

Got to try and go about my day without checking these things, as then I'll realise it's all in the mind.

Thank you for the initial help, much appreciated :bighug1::bighug1::bighug1: