Hypnic jerks due to anxiety

[Sgs990]

ok so I experience this highly annoying jolt in my body as I fall asleep. The deeper into sleep I go the slower I start to breathe and as soon as I'm dozing off BOOM my body jerks and immediately awakens me! I have been experiencing this on & off for almost 2 years now and it's very very disturbing to my sleep. Sometimes I'll be lucky enough to get 3 to 4 hours of sleep because of it! Does anyone suffer from hypnic jerks? Have you found a solution?? Please I'm in desperate need for answers!

[Claire1981]

This happens to me too but if I don't think about it then it doesn't really happen xx

[Sgs990 in reply to Claire1981]

For me it isn't really a thinking problem it just happens.. I never think of it! It's happened so many times in a span of 2+ years. Just wish I knew how to make it stop

[Claire1981 in reply to Sgs990]

Aww poor u it's horrible my partner tells me a do it a lot I'm my sleep too. Hope u find a way to try sort it xx

[boawoman]

Me too....I know exactly what you are talking about. I spoke with a friend of mine that was a nurse and asked her about it. She acted like it was no big deal - stress or anxiety she seemed to think....but I have always wondered. I hate when I jerk up ... I always feel like I am trying to get my breathe. I cough and it is over....back to sleep. I don't know that it happens repeatedly; seems like it is one occurrence at a time. If anyone has an answer it would sure be nice to know what it is. Since it has been happening all my adult life I figure it can't be too serious. Thank goodness I can take a calm approach to it. Hope you can find some calmness with this as well....

[Sgs990 in reply to boawoman]

Yeah I've had a doctor say it was sleep apnea when that wasn't the case. Every time you mention anxiety to a doctor they will try and do anything to get you out.

[BOBKK]

I do get these jolts during my sleep, I feel suffocated! Normally it happens if missed a couple of doses of my antidepressant.....

It's horrible!!

[Sgs990 in reply to BOBKK]

I'm on Ativan at the moment and it does nothing for it

[BOBKK in reply to Sgs990]

Diazepam is the answer for me from my GP, and it worked so far!!

[Hidden]

This happens to me and it's rather annoying. There are times when I don't think about it and it doesn't happen.

[Thejosephbear]

Did you manage to find a solution to this?