Sleep Weirdness

[MrPooHead]

OK guys, here's a freaky one. Whenever I try to go to sleep, I have what I can only describe as a spack attack. Just as I'm about to nod off, I have a mini kind of fit. Sometimes it's linked to what I'm thinking/dreaming, sometimes not - my head kind of vibrates wildly and my tongue goes numb. Sometimes this is accompanied by a kind of heart palpitation, as if it's stopped. It only lasts for a few seconds, if that, but while it's going on, I have absolutely no clue what the shat is going on, where I am, or which way is up. The longer I stay awake (ie from the time I wake up to the time I go to bed), the worse it is. If I'm ill with say, flu or something, and I stay in bed all day, it doesn't happen. I've seen my GP, been referred to a neurologist, and no luck. I'm not epileptic, it's not sleep apnoeia, and I don't take drugs. I'm 31 now, and this has been happening since I was a teenager. Does anyone have a shaggin clue what might be wrong with me? Cos I don't!

[incitatus]

I would suspect that it may be related to one of two things: the hypnic jerk or sleep paralysis. Hypnic jerks are normally very breif but sleep paralysis can go on for extended periods.....

[bluedolphin]

My jaw jerks a little just as I fall asleep. I am semiconcious at this stage and know that I am about to drop off asleep for a couple of hours at least. It is not an unpleasant experience and I have almost come to welcome it as it lets me know that sleep is just seconds away.

[gazzawazza]

I've experienced a similar sensation (although nowhere near as often as you, probably 20 or so times in my adult life) and I can honestly say it absolutely petrifies me.

I do believe it's some kind of night paralysis; when it happens I can not move a muscle and it is more often than not accompanied by some sort of electrical activity inside my head... flashing "lights" and wierd noises almost like the click of an old-fashioned camera. Like yours, it seems to last only seconds, but when it happens, the urge to move (i)some(/i) part of my body is absolutely unbearable, but I'm also really frightened as to what might happen if I do manage to "break out" of the feeling too soon.

I really feel for you poohead, if this happened to me every time I went to sleep I'd be cacking myself all day every day.

[Sally]

I sort of have this, I tend to twitch alot, but I get a sort of rush that goes from my feet through my body and upto my head, its not unpleasant, sort of spacey in fact, but now at least I know something like this happens to other people as well, maybe we're all just freaks together eh!!!!!!

[CrazyDude11]

ive also expirience a thing like it......when i go to sleep i just happen to fall to sleep in an instant like im being forced to and my eyes seem to be opened staring out of my own body in my own room....i am also paralized... then when i wake up it happens again.. and again.. like 3-4 times in a row.....its terrable...this happens to my whole family...