Weird weird sleep

[Samantha]

Hi!
I'm hoping someone else has had this and can help me figure out what is causing it so I can get it to stop. I only sleep well about every other night - if I'm lucky. On the nights that are the worst I fall asleep and then "something" inside of me wakes me up. I feel nauesous, heart pounds hard (not fast, just hard) and any sounds make my skin crawl. If I get up and walk around I feel tired but more "normal." I go back to bed and the cycle starts all over again waking me up at least every hour until 4:00 or 5:00 and then I wake up around 7:30 exhausted. The next night I'm so tired I'll sleep better. I can't find anything to help me with this on the web so I'm hoping one of you might be able to.
A bit of my background... I know I'm prone to anxiety but I don't let it limit anything I do, I just feel crappy doing most things. I fly, shop, etc. We moved across country a year or so ago and I don't have any relatives or friends so, except for my husband, my support network is pretty thin. Any help will be greatly appreciated.
Thank you for taking the time to read... glad you're all here!
Sam

I used to have a similar problem. I didn't realise it then, but it was because my anxiety was keeping me tense & 'on guard' to the potential threats around (anxiety doesn't temporarily go away when you're asleep).

Drinking caffeine even 3 hours before bedtime can disrupt sleep. Try only drinking water/fruit juice. Some light exercise half an hour can help you feel tired. Another important thing is to stick to a sleep routine. Go to bed even when you don't feel tired, and don't go to bed before if you do feel tired.

Another important thing is to keep your sleep environment as stress free as possible. Posters of images of relaxtion, incense can help. Clear out all the junk from your bedroom, & keep hidden anything that reminds you of work. Try reading to keep your mind off things.

[vaio]

I have same problem.
I think you can make it go away if you manage to take some nights without waking up...
The most important thing when something wakes you up is to get back to sleep as soon possible without thinking you feel anxious. I know it's hard or impossible, but if you manage it is good. When I don't manage to do it, I think it's better to wake up and do something, but of course you will feel probably tired all the day.

I also noticed this is getting worse in the spring.

[vaio]

I forgot to ask, do you drink alcohol?

[Samantha]

I don't drink any alcohol. I eat really well, my bedroom is great. Cool, dark, perfect bed, no TV. The only thing I have is my ipod which I use if I wake up or know I'm not going to drift off. The heartbeat thing is one of the most disturbing symptoms. I can feel it and it is mildly painful but the beat is normal and steady (around 55 beats per minute). I have had a stress test and everything seems to be normal. Things I've thought it could be are dehydration, too much/too little calcium/magnesium, too much alone time during the day. I've worked on all of these issues but nothing seems to help. I used to be an emotional wreck when it first started, now I'm just plain sick and tired of it all. I will try anything (sort of drugs) at this point.
Thank you for responding!

[MikeMarcoe]

Samantha,

The best thing that you can do for yourself is see a sleep disorders specialist, I think. This could be a neurological issue. Doctors have probably seen your symptoms before.

[Stresshead]

Hi Samantha!

As stated above, it could be something neurological or a real sleep disorder. If not, it'll be to do with your anxiety! Now, I completely relate here...last year I had the strange sleep thing. Although slightly different it was not completely disimilar. For me, I could barely get to sleep every night, as whenever I was at that point between dozing/being awake and falling to sleep I would jolt and feel shock and my heart would pound. It was for seemingly no reason as well which made it even more annoying. However for me, it was merely stress, as I went to the doctor and was re-assured that my health was fine. After that I slept fine and only when I am EXTREMELY stressed do I experience anything remotely like it.

Best of luck! I hope its nothing (I suspect it isnt anything too serious :) )

[Samantha]

Thanks for your reply! The part about you falling asleep and then being awakened is exactly what happens to me, over and over and over through out the night. And then the next night (because I'm more tired) I'll sleep better. I'm pretty sure it is just stress since I've had almost every test available, but it's so reasuring to hear that someone else has had it and gotten over it. Did you do anything special or did it just go away on its own?

[jedg]

Another thought is it might be hormonal. My sleep started going haywire when I hit 40. I would wake at odd times, not be able to go back to sleep for a few hours. Then I'd get back to sleep and wake up again an hour later, sometimes waking up with a nervous stomach and a sore neck from sleeping all tensed up. My doctor said that although it was normal it can still be so disruptive. She precribed Lunesta for those sleep disrupted cycles. Sometimes I even take 1/2 of one and it helps.

Lastly, are you taking any cold or allergy medicine, even during the early part of the day? That has been a culprit as well.

Hope you get some real rest.

[Stresshead]

Hey Samantha! Glad I can be of (some) help. Right, seems we're dealing with a similar beast then! Especially as you mention it happened over and over in the same night. Thats what happened to me...I remember going to bed at 11 and only actually getting to sleep around 2 or 2.30 because of this thing. In turn it made me not want to go to sleep or bed as I knew what was coming. Like you, I could only really sleep due to fatigue making me...I'd get so tired that the jolts wouldnt happen.

Well for me, what helped was a mental process. As I mention in a post about myself on the welcome forum, I have an obsession with my heart, so the heart pounding thing made me paranoid. After speaking to the doctor and being assured that I was fine, I guess I subconciously calmed down as that very night I was over it. before seeing the doc. I tried warm milk, yoga...anything. But I needed to be re-assured. I had it all explained. What I went through (and you're going through) is quite common. My doctor explained it to me as basically, your brain starts to calm down to go to sleep, but the anxiety causes it to feel fear (fight or flight) and thats what wakes you up. He gave me some breathing exercises too.

basically, as hard as it seems, you need to realise that this is common. So calm down and dont think about it. Thats what I did. And once you've conquered one night, the rest all fall into place. Just try and relax...if it happens again dont freak out. Just remember that its temporary and you need to ignore it. :)
But I'd recommend speaking to your doctor. They'll help a lot to identify this and calm you!

[Stresshead]

One big thing that made it worse for me was that I'd go to bed thinking "I bet I have this jolting thing again tonight". So I'd be laying there waiting for it. And of course, that brings it on. When I just went to bed as normal, it went away.