Does anyone get this?

[dizzychar]

Not all the time, but some nights when I'm falling asleep I get a strange feeling that wakes me up, sometimes it feels like my hearts stopped. I'm so scared! I don't no if it's normal 😩 I do have anxiety and I'm not on any meds

Help

[Hidden]

Hi. There are several possibilities for what you experience. The obvious one is sleep apnea - the airway gets blocked and the heart does sometimes miss a beat or two before your emergency back up forces you awake very suddenly. This condition is also linked with anxiety disorder and ptsd. You an get referred to a sleep clinic to have it checked out.

Karl

[JessNY]

Hi Dizzy, what you could be experiencing is what is called a sleep start, or hypnic jerk. I get this all the time and it's very common in those you have anxiety. What happens to me is right before I actually fall asleep, I suddenly spazz out for a second. Sometimes it feels like a whooshing sensation through my head, or like a buzzing and my heart races for a second. It's kinda like your brain having the sensation you're falling so it jolts you awake. I hope this helps. Mention it to your doctor just for peace of mind. When it happens, I usually just take a deep breath, reposition myself and fall asleep. I've never had it happen more than once a night. Good luck!

[dizzychar in reply to JessNY]

Thanks, it happened to me 3 times last night. I've just been speaking to my iapt worker and she said it could be because I'm aware of my body all of the time, and constantly thinking about it. She said it's called hypersensitivity. I hate all the symptoms it drives me mad!

[JessNY]

I can totally relate! The hyper awareness can make the symptoms worse too. Hang in there!

[dizzychar]

Thanks Jess, have you discussed this with a doctor or therapist?

X

[JessNY]

yes I have mentioned it in the past, but really, I kind of diagnosed myself. The Internet can be a blessing and a curse!

[dizzychar]

I no what you mean. I seen to do it all the time, I try not to google anymore but any symptom I always think the worst x