"The only thing we have to fear is fear itself."
The vagus nerve reaches down from the brain into the esophagus and is a central nervous system main line. When pressed by gas it can trigger extra heart beats, cause pain, desensitize you (numbness) from your head to your toes, interfere with your breathing (shortness of breath), generate arthritic type pains in the hands and feet and more. Compressed it generates a "nerve" pain that feels like the center of your chest is humming or quivering even though your heart is healthy.
Intestinal gas that is trapped is the main culprit. The gas, once released, suddenly cause the symptoms to abate and one feels fine - and relieved. Unfortunately, recurring gas starts the cycle again and after the gas forms a pocket in your diaphragm it can find it again and the symptoms return. Partial release brings partial relief. Even the smallest amounts of gas when placed properly against the nerve interfere with the nerves electrical impulses.
Lying down to sleep at night makes matters worse because as we sleep, we suspend consciousness and the autonomic nerves take over and the vagus nerve is a major highway. With the vagus nerve compressed, as soon as you drift off to sleep its problems become worse because your conscious "over-ride" is now off. So one awakens with a startle, and can have any one or a number of magnified symptoms at this time from numbness to irregular heart beats.
Addressing the gas which causes the nerve to be stressed is the primary goal. Eating late at night or before bed is not a good idea. Shifting meals up earlier and eating smaller portions makes a lot of sense. Reducing carbohydrates and excess sugars from meals also makes sense. Sugar overload is the number one cause of indigestion. If one is lactose intolerant, cutting out milk products also makes sense. If one is overweight, reducing weight is also always a good idea. If you smoke, quitting is one of the best things you can do for your body. Sometimes one receives a physical injury to the diaphragm area and it can start a cycle of disruption. The vagus nerve is responsible for the gastric balance and when it is distressed an imbalanced gastric juice balance may result causing everything one consumes to trigger bouts of gas - and possible return of the distressing symptoms.
The bottom line is that fear only exacerbates the problem. The unknown is always the most feared and nerve/heart issues are great food for fear. So RELAX. Go to your doctor and see if he/she agrees you may be having gas/vagus nerve issues and what he/she recommends. Make some changes in your eating habits and diet, live a bit healthier - exercise more to help dislodge gas from settling against the diaphragm. Once the cause is addressed a long-term or short-term bout with these symptoms can be ended and folks all over the world with similar mysterious symptoms, stress-filled nights and uncomfortable days can breathe a collective sigh of relief.
Note: This is not meant to replace the advice of your physician or competent medical personnel. It is not a diagnosis but merely presented for discussion purposes.
The vagus nerve reaches down from the brain into the esophagus and is a central nervous system main line. When pressed by gas it can trigger extra heart beats, cause pain, desensitize you (numbness) from your head to your toes, interfere with your breathing (shortness of breath), generate arthritic type pains in the hands and feet and more. Compressed it generates a "nerve" pain that feels like the center of your chest is humming or quivering even though your heart is healthy.
Intestinal gas that is trapped is the main culprit. The gas, once released, suddenly cause the symptoms to abate and one feels fine - and relieved. Unfortunately, recurring gas starts the cycle again and after the gas forms a pocket in your diaphragm it can find it again and the symptoms return. Partial release brings partial relief. Even the smallest amounts of gas when placed properly against the nerve interfere with the nerves electrical impulses.
Lying down to sleep at night makes matters worse because as we sleep, we suspend consciousness and the autonomic nerves take over and the vagus nerve is a major highway. With the vagus nerve compressed, as soon as you drift off to sleep its problems become worse because your conscious "over-ride" is now off. So one awakens with a startle, and can have any one or a number of magnified symptoms at this time from numbness to irregular heart beats.
Addressing the gas which causes the nerve to be stressed is the primary goal. Eating late at night or before bed is not a good idea. Shifting meals up earlier and eating smaller portions makes a lot of sense. Reducing carbohydrates and excess sugars from meals also makes sense. Sugar overload is the number one cause of indigestion. If one is lactose intolerant, cutting out milk products also makes sense. If one is overweight, reducing weight is also always a good idea. If you smoke, quitting is one of the best things you can do for your body. Sometimes one receives a physical injury to the diaphragm area and it can start a cycle of disruption. The vagus nerve is responsible for the gastric balance and when it is distressed an imbalanced gastric juice balance may result causing everything one consumes to trigger bouts of gas - and possible return of the distressing symptoms.
The bottom line is that fear only exacerbates the problem. The unknown is always the most feared and nerve/heart issues are great food for fear. So RELAX. Go to your doctor and see if he/she agrees you may be having gas/vagus nerve issues and what he/she recommends. Make some changes in your eating habits and diet, live a bit healthier - exercise more to help dislodge gas from settling against the diaphragm. Once the cause is addressed a long-term or short-term bout with these symptoms can be ended and folks all over the world with similar mysterious symptoms, stress-filled nights and uncomfortable days can breathe a collective sigh of relief.
Note: This is not meant to replace the advice of your physician or competent medical personnel. It is not a diagnosis but merely presented for discussion purposes.
Hi, thanks to everyone who managed to post. I share many of the same experiences as you all. Waking up just as i finally think i've won a sleep with a jolt and a tingling down to my hand/s... It doesnt bother me because i have had it before in the past...(that's not completely true as it is 3.41am right now and my son will be waking up in 4 hours if i'm lucky o.O ) i changed my lifestyle, began practicing Qigong, Daoyin and began eating well. Over the past 4 or 5 years i have reverted to old patterns, smoking, no exercise, junk food etc... and the symptoms returned even more annoyingly... it truely sucks because it is starting to impare my relationship with my family... So, thanks for the reminder everyone who posted... if i dont post back here, everything worked out super fantastical... great joy and luck to you all
self medicating to do list...
a. no cigarettes :-(
b. daoyin morning exercise martialarts good :-D
c. lovely food fresh good :-D
d. qi gong meditation :-D :-D :-D
i also fixed abdominal pains numb toes, head aches to name a few just from a few months practice...
thanks so much for reminding me ALL OF YOU... take care
self medicating to do list...
a. no cigarettes :-(
b. daoyin morning exercise martialarts good :-D
c. lovely food fresh good :-D
d. qi gong meditation :-D :-D :-D
i also fixed abdominal pains numb toes, head aches to name a few just from a few months practice...
thanks so much for reminding me ALL OF YOU... take care
I realize that Im only 16 healthy and in shape and young white male low very low risk of possible heart disease. I had a panic attack before, after that I noticed I am always watching my heartbeat. WHEN I DONT PAY ATTENTION AND I AM DISTRACTED, I DONT FEEL IT AT ALL AND I BREATHE NORMAL. WHEN I NOTICE IT, IT MAKES ME BREATHE HEAVY, THEN IT MAKES THIS WORSE. All of you with this problem, listen, when I used to fall asleep, I would just think about things as I was falling asleep such as what Im doing tomorrow, a girl that I really like, plans with friends in the future, and I wouldnt never even think of listening and feeling my heartbeat. It makes you want to breathe heavy. ITS JUST A PARANOIA, Id like to let you know most of you are absolutely fine. Worrying about your heartbeat is whats causing the anxiety, which is what makes you breathe heavy and which makes your hertbeat harder! Eat healthy, exercise now and then, and take some vitamins, AND NEVER WORRY AGAIN ABOUT YOUR HEARTBEAT I CAN ALMOST GUARANTEE ITS NOTHING! =]. I really do hope this helps, think about anything accept your heart beat. Have a good one guys, and beat the random heavy heartbeat phobia lol! I think if you cant do it yourself you can rely on some sort of vitamin B pills =/. Youll all be fine. Good luck =].
Cut out the aspirin for a few days and see if the pokes go away, aspirin can cause bleeding and ulceration which would feel like jabs below and left of the heart or right below. Anyway see your doctor
I am having the exact same problem. When I lie down my legs go numb and tingly, and my heart starts beating really heavily. I'll jolt awake as soon as I fall asleep, and then have trouble getting back to sleep. It's driving me crazy, and I have no idea what it could be.
I'm not overweight, I run daily, and I have never smoked. I don't have anxiety, as far as I know. I don't know if it's something I should get checked out, or what...
I'm not overweight, I run daily, and I have never smoked. I don't have anxiety, as far as I know. I don't know if it's something I should get checked out, or what...
I just went to go to sleep, and I'm having the heart skipping a beat. I went to the emergency room once for this, thinking that I was having a heart attack. Turns out I had GIRD, or to put it simple, a bad case of heart burn. They put me on nexium and I never had the sensation again until tonight. And as I sit here, I have heart burn really bad, and I'm looking for the tums.
Sorry this is long, but if you will please read and give me your opinions!:-) I've been keeping log since it first happen and adding to it as time goes on.
PLEASE HELP! My mom, 43 yrs. old, is having shortness of breath, chest tightness, she sounds like she is whispering when she talks because she can't get enough air to talk normal and pain in feet. This all began 3 weeks after a trip to the Beach. My dad was sick and we went to a drive in movie in the mountains- after that night she has been sick. My mom was diagnosed with bronchitis/ pneumonia on June 26; her white blood count was 17 and her lungs were bad in the x-ray. She was given Avelox 400 mg, Nohist-Plus, Preventil HFA and a shot of Roceferin. She went back on July 3 and was given Benzonatate 100 mg, Advair and a steroid shot. Still sick, she went back on July 30 and her WBC was good/ lungs were worse than at first. She was given M-End WC (cough medicine), Zolpidem 10mg, Prednisone 10 mg, Mucinex, and was told the AdVair made it worse and to not take it anymore. She still didn't get better so she went back on August 5. Her blood count was going back up and her lungs were the same. So she was given Factive 320 mg., Singulair 10 mg, Proventil HFA Inhaler, and ADvair and a steroid shot. August 7 she went to the Pulmonologist and was told her X-Rays look fine and they did the Spirometer breathing 'test' in which she passed with flying colors! The only thing he could see was that she was "Holding" a little air somewhere and was put on Singulair again! It hasn't helped at all! Everytime we've been to the doctor she has had a 98% or better oxygen level and her blood pressure is good. She doesn't smoke- no negative health before or in family history. (Her dad had a stroke at 45 yrs. old.)
She has had blood work to check for Congestive Heart Failure- and didn't show any signs of it. She has passed all lung tests. They had her on Nexium to see if it is GERD, but she knows what heart burn is and says that isn't what she is feeling. Nexium also didn't have much of an impact on how she felt. She is now on a "Fluid Pill" to help her get fluid out of her aveloi and lungs. She is feeling alot better than at first, she just has days when she feels as though she smothers a lot. If she lifts are arms above her head or tilt her head back she can't breath.
We had to take her to the ER because she couldn't breath back in early October. They did CTs, X-Rays, Blood Work, Artrial Blood Gas Test, EKG...etc... and they said they couldn't find anything!! They just gave her Doxycycline. The day after she couldn't feel her arms from elbow down nor could she feel from her knees down. Late that night she got feeling again. A day or two after she passed blood when she had a bowel movement. We were afraid it was an allergic reaction so we stopped the Doxycycline. The blood in the bowel movements stopped within a few days.
She went back to her regular doctor and he said she had Costrochondritis- inflammation where the ribs and sternum meet.
She began to feel better for a few weeks. And beginning Friday she is sick again! She began to have the chills, hoarsness, FATIGUE, smothering and chest heaviness. ** The nights she has a "Smothering Attack" she is usually nauseated before bed.** She has been taking Zoloft for her nerves for years now, but we switched her to Cymbalta to see if it would help her. Tonight she woke up not able to feel her arms or face, her chest was really heavy and she was waving her arms in the air. The days she does more physical activity or is very stressful at work are the worst days for her and she is literally too tired to move when she gets home and feels horrible. She is scared to go to sleep because she is afraid she isn't going to wake up.
** This is not my normal mom- she is usually active, laughing and enjoying life. PLEASE HELP WITH IDEAS!! I can't find anything on the internet and I can't get any doctors around to find out what is going on.
PLEASE HELP! My mom, 43 yrs. old, is having shortness of breath, chest tightness, she sounds like she is whispering when she talks because she can't get enough air to talk normal and pain in feet. This all began 3 weeks after a trip to the Beach. My dad was sick and we went to a drive in movie in the mountains- after that night she has been sick. My mom was diagnosed with bronchitis/ pneumonia on June 26; her white blood count was 17 and her lungs were bad in the x-ray. She was given Avelox 400 mg, Nohist-Plus, Preventil HFA and a shot of Roceferin. She went back on July 3 and was given Benzonatate 100 mg, Advair and a steroid shot. Still sick, she went back on July 30 and her WBC was good/ lungs were worse than at first. She was given M-End WC (cough medicine), Zolpidem 10mg, Prednisone 10 mg, Mucinex, and was told the AdVair made it worse and to not take it anymore. She still didn't get better so she went back on August 5. Her blood count was going back up and her lungs were the same. So she was given Factive 320 mg., Singulair 10 mg, Proventil HFA Inhaler, and ADvair and a steroid shot. August 7 she went to the Pulmonologist and was told her X-Rays look fine and they did the Spirometer breathing 'test' in which she passed with flying colors! The only thing he could see was that she was "Holding" a little air somewhere and was put on Singulair again! It hasn't helped at all! Everytime we've been to the doctor she has had a 98% or better oxygen level and her blood pressure is good. She doesn't smoke- no negative health before or in family history. (Her dad had a stroke at 45 yrs. old.)
She has had blood work to check for Congestive Heart Failure- and didn't show any signs of it. She has passed all lung tests. They had her on Nexium to see if it is GERD, but she knows what heart burn is and says that isn't what she is feeling. Nexium also didn't have much of an impact on how she felt. She is now on a "Fluid Pill" to help her get fluid out of her aveloi and lungs. She is feeling alot better than at first, she just has days when she feels as though she smothers a lot. If she lifts are arms above her head or tilt her head back she can't breath.
We had to take her to the ER because she couldn't breath back in early October. They did CTs, X-Rays, Blood Work, Artrial Blood Gas Test, EKG...etc... and they said they couldn't find anything!! They just gave her Doxycycline. The day after she couldn't feel her arms from elbow down nor could she feel from her knees down. Late that night she got feeling again. A day or two after she passed blood when she had a bowel movement. We were afraid it was an allergic reaction so we stopped the Doxycycline. The blood in the bowel movements stopped within a few days.
She went back to her regular doctor and he said she had Costrochondritis- inflammation where the ribs and sternum meet.
She began to feel better for a few weeks. And beginning Friday she is sick again! She began to have the chills, hoarsness, FATIGUE, smothering and chest heaviness. ** The nights she has a "Smothering Attack" she is usually nauseated before bed.** She has been taking Zoloft for her nerves for years now, but we switched her to Cymbalta to see if it would help her. Tonight she woke up not able to feel her arms or face, her chest was really heavy and she was waving her arms in the air. The days she does more physical activity or is very stressful at work are the worst days for her and she is literally too tired to move when she gets home and feels horrible. She is scared to go to sleep because she is afraid she isn't going to wake up.
** This is not my normal mom- she is usually active, laughing and enjoying life. PLEASE HELP WITH IDEAS!! I can't find anything on the internet and I can't get any doctors around to find out what is going on.
I am so glad I found this site. I thought I was dying!!! For the past year, I have been having these terrifying Jolting awake just as I am falling asleep. I wake up, can't breathe, can't move, & literally am screaming to myself BREATHE! I hate going to bed for fear its going to happen again. I am only getting a couple of hours of sleep a night because its happening for hours on end. I am going to see a doctor tomorrow, but hopefully I can sleep better tonight knowing I am not the only one doing this!!! I will report back tomorrow what the doc tells me. Thank-you everyone for your posts!!
Sorry to but in kendranjosh but I do hope someone will be able help you soon.
I started having jolting sensations that woke me after an illness. Although the illness was not directly the cause the tiredness that came with it was. I took to sleeping in the afternoons and this is when it all started, that was about 12 years ago. At first the jolting was so 'big' I couldn't work out where the jolts were coming from I did ponder if it was from my head. I also experienced like 'white noise' on trying to wake from an afternoon sleep. These afternoon naps also produced realistic dreams, the dreams were of me sleeping and trying to wake, I would here things happening in the background like my young son running into the bedroom and even feeling the sensation of him jumping on the bed to try and wake me. Okay Im going a bit to far of the beaten track now but I thought I would just let others know to see if anyone else experiences the same.
Any way these heart jolts then started to happen during night sleep too and around that time I was able to pinpoint the electric like shocks were radiating from my heart. I have developed quite a high resting heart rate (about 100 bpm) possibly due to being unfit and 2st over weight! But I now experience these jolts during my waking hours too. I dont worry to much, as I said they have been going on for about 12 years now and I am still here to tell the tale.
I have had the usual heart test about 5 years ago but the tests were taken for genetic reasons. All tests came back fine which was a great peace of mind. Further back in this thread frequenttraveler talks of intestinal gases which comforts me as I suffer from a lot of acid reflux these days and my jolts have become more frequent.
I dont suffer with the numbness or tingling of limbs like most have described, but I do get the pounding heart. I lie in bed some nights and am convinced my partner is fidgeting as the whole bed seems to be moving when in fact it is my heart beating!
The long and the short of this is - tell your doctor and let them examine your situation, and if they can not find a problem try out the self help tips in the previous threads here, I know I will be :-)
I started having jolting sensations that woke me after an illness. Although the illness was not directly the cause the tiredness that came with it was. I took to sleeping in the afternoons and this is when it all started, that was about 12 years ago. At first the jolting was so 'big' I couldn't work out where the jolts were coming from I did ponder if it was from my head. I also experienced like 'white noise' on trying to wake from an afternoon sleep. These afternoon naps also produced realistic dreams, the dreams were of me sleeping and trying to wake, I would here things happening in the background like my young son running into the bedroom and even feeling the sensation of him jumping on the bed to try and wake me. Okay Im going a bit to far of the beaten track now but I thought I would just let others know to see if anyone else experiences the same.
Any way these heart jolts then started to happen during night sleep too and around that time I was able to pinpoint the electric like shocks were radiating from my heart. I have developed quite a high resting heart rate (about 100 bpm) possibly due to being unfit and 2st over weight! But I now experience these jolts during my waking hours too. I dont worry to much, as I said they have been going on for about 12 years now and I am still here to tell the tale.
I have had the usual heart test about 5 years ago but the tests were taken for genetic reasons. All tests came back fine which was a great peace of mind. Further back in this thread frequenttraveler talks of intestinal gases which comforts me as I suffer from a lot of acid reflux these days and my jolts have become more frequent.
I dont suffer with the numbness or tingling of limbs like most have described, but I do get the pounding heart. I lie in bed some nights and am convinced my partner is fidgeting as the whole bed seems to be moving when in fact it is my heart beating!
The long and the short of this is - tell your doctor and let them examine your situation, and if they can not find a problem try out the self help tips in the previous threads here, I know I will be :-)
I believe frequenttraveler may be on to something? - for me at least!... inasmuch as these symptoms may point to (high) blood pressure, but mine is low and i am also very slim. Other symptoms - undiagnosed by my Physician - are a pain in the center of chest, radiating into back and sometimes up the esophagus into mandibulae, zygomaticum and ears, a few thumping extra heartbeats, numbness and tingling in fingers this has been the case for several years.
Very recently, I also feel numbness in my right leg - it feels "lame, and tingling in toes. 1:30 AM! - I just woke up with this pressure in my temples and from inside the ears, and in neck, and light nausea. Sitting up I feel a bit better - except the nausea. I need a sensible diagnosis - as (in my humble opinion) no Physician so far- has made sense of these symptoms. How do I get THE answer? MMM
Very recently, I also feel numbness in my right leg - it feels "lame, and tingling in toes. 1:30 AM! - I just woke up with this pressure in my temples and from inside the ears, and in neck, and light nausea. Sitting up I feel a bit better - except the nausea. I need a sensible diagnosis - as (in my humble opinion) no Physician so far- has made sense of these symptoms. How do I get THE answer? MMM
This is something that i've been experiencing and seems to be linked to anxiety. i was on a sleep med for a while and when i tried to quit it these episodes started to happen. the "heart stops" feeling can be an arrythmia of the heart where it skips a beat or beats too many times.
the drug i was on was designed to relax and ease into sleep so it would make sense that i now have anxiety before bed.
the drug i was on was designed to relax and ease into sleep so it would make sense that i now have anxiety before bed.
Hi Everyone,
I have very similar symptoms to the ones Max describes above (and more) and have just been diagnosed with Lyme disease.
The only really recognised test for this is with IgeneX.com. If you think it could be Lyme take the IgeneX "Complete Lyme Panel" test 6050 (if you can afford it that is). Doctors don't readily diagnose lyme or know much about it. Lyme is so hard to test for and find, that I beleive it only showed-up in a test in the 1980's - a very new bacteria. Basically Lyme is an 'into blood' insect byte, that infects your system with a bacteria that lives in your body and attacks it. The bacteria mainly goes for nerves and joints. Periphery nerve attacks causes twitching, tingling, gripping sensations - very wired sensations as your nerves back to your brain are being tampered with and distorted. Central nerves can also be attacked cause the timing of your heart's in-valve(s), out-valve(s) and pump to go out of sync and/or palpitate. This can change when you lay down as the nerve between your brain and heart becomes compressed, further weakening the lyme effected electrical impuse signals timing the hearts function. Lyme is treated with off-the-shelf antibiotics (usually Doxicycline) to kill the bacteria. The bacteria can be hard to fully eradicate thus a special program of treatment must be sort from a Lyme specialist. I am no doctor but hope this gives you the jist of it - let me know if this was helpful.
reading on Lyme: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lyme_disease
PS the jumping when falling asleep is called http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hypnic_jerk and some say it is from when we used to sleep in trees for safety and it stops you falling out of the tree when you nod off - read about it who knows!
I have very similar symptoms to the ones Max describes above (and more) and have just been diagnosed with Lyme disease.
The only really recognised test for this is with IgeneX.com. If you think it could be Lyme take the IgeneX "Complete Lyme Panel" test 6050 (if you can afford it that is). Doctors don't readily diagnose lyme or know much about it. Lyme is so hard to test for and find, that I beleive it only showed-up in a test in the 1980's - a very new bacteria. Basically Lyme is an 'into blood' insect byte, that infects your system with a bacteria that lives in your body and attacks it. The bacteria mainly goes for nerves and joints. Periphery nerve attacks causes twitching, tingling, gripping sensations - very wired sensations as your nerves back to your brain are being tampered with and distorted. Central nerves can also be attacked cause the timing of your heart's in-valve(s), out-valve(s) and pump to go out of sync and/or palpitate. This can change when you lay down as the nerve between your brain and heart becomes compressed, further weakening the lyme effected electrical impuse signals timing the hearts function. Lyme is treated with off-the-shelf antibiotics (usually Doxicycline) to kill the bacteria. The bacteria can be hard to fully eradicate thus a special program of treatment must be sort from a Lyme specialist. I am no doctor but hope this gives you the jist of it - let me know if this was helpful.
reading on Lyme: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lyme_disease
PS the jumping when falling asleep is called http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hypnic_jerk and some say it is from when we used to sleep in trees for safety and it stops you falling out of the tree when you nod off - read about it who knows!
I am 35 right now. In the year 2000 I ran a 42k marathon and after that I started to feel the symptoms. I am very fit, I played professional soccer from the year 2001-2004. So I guess being overweight has nothing to do with this.
It all happens only and only when I am about to fall asleep. My heart beat drops or feels heavy as well as my body. I wake up gasping and with numbness on my feet and wrists... sometimes even my mouth.
I went to plenty of Doctors and the only thing that they told me was that i had VASOVAGAL SYNCOPE. I really don't know wether to believe this is the problem but... I have learned to live with this disorder .
I have recognized that when I excercise at night or have a few wines or when I eat too much at night tends to trigger this more.
good luck and if anyone has the cure to this pleaseeeeee let me know!!
thanks
Lucas
It all happens only and only when I am about to fall asleep. My heart beat drops or feels heavy as well as my body. I wake up gasping and with numbness on my feet and wrists... sometimes even my mouth.
I went to plenty of Doctors and the only thing that they told me was that i had VASOVAGAL SYNCOPE. I really don't know wether to believe this is the problem but... I have learned to live with this disorder .
I have recognized that when I excercise at night or have a few wines or when I eat too much at night tends to trigger this more.
good luck and if anyone has the cure to this pleaseeeeee let me know!!
thanks
Lucas
I,am so happy I found this site and all the replys about FALLING into sleep.
I have been going through this for about a year . I was overweight . I do smoke , I love coffee and I am a single mother of three . So I kept thinking Its all related Its my fault . I have lost 40 pounds thinking my fat was suffocating me .I cant stop coffee and smoking because I am so stressed out and tired all day from lack of sleep . Taking a nap during the day I dont feel the heavy heart beats or the not breathing correctly but at night when I try to rest I am so comfortable and close my eyes Iam suddenly on a steep rollercoaster without my consent. My eyes flash open ,I notice my tongue way in the back of my mouth I gasp for a deep breath and lay there scared to death feeling my own heart beat and concentrating on not feeling that again ....In seconds I feel it again !!! Then I feel my limbs going numb .
I described it to my doctor as "My body is falling into a deep sleep before I am ." He stared at me like I had two heads . Then I added " I am being jolted awake like someone is hitting the funny bone in my elbow . " He actually said
thats normal when it starts happening during the day come on in .
I am scared to death my kids are going to find there 30 yr old mother dead in the morning and its normal ? !
Somebody please tell me they see all these different people all ages and sizes and lifestyles and tell me why we all should start a club .
Falling into sleep , Heavy heart beats , little pains in the chest , numbness in body ,, cold feeling in feet .
If we dont find out soon were going to get a whole new list of symptoms from lack of sleep and stress from worrying about it .
I have been going through this for about a year . I was overweight . I do smoke , I love coffee and I am a single mother of three . So I kept thinking Its all related Its my fault . I have lost 40 pounds thinking my fat was suffocating me .I cant stop coffee and smoking because I am so stressed out and tired all day from lack of sleep . Taking a nap during the day I dont feel the heavy heart beats or the not breathing correctly but at night when I try to rest I am so comfortable and close my eyes Iam suddenly on a steep rollercoaster without my consent. My eyes flash open ,I notice my tongue way in the back of my mouth I gasp for a deep breath and lay there scared to death feeling my own heart beat and concentrating on not feeling that again ....In seconds I feel it again !!! Then I feel my limbs going numb .
I described it to my doctor as "My body is falling into a deep sleep before I am ." He stared at me like I had two heads . Then I added " I am being jolted awake like someone is hitting the funny bone in my elbow . " He actually said
thats normal when it starts happening during the day come on in .
I am scared to death my kids are going to find there 30 yr old mother dead in the morning and its normal ? !
Somebody please tell me they see all these different people all ages and sizes and lifestyles and tell me why we all should start a club .
Falling into sleep , Heavy heart beats , little pains in the chest , numbness in body ,, cold feeling in feet .
If we dont find out soon were going to get a whole new list of symptoms from lack of sleep and stress from worrying about it .
My name is Shawn and I have been experiencing a few different symptoms. When I lay down at night, I usually fall asleep just fine... but later I will be awoken by a heavy (and sometimes faster) heartbeat, and my toes will sometimes be numb. I thought at first they could be numb because of the cold, but I would put socks on and make sure they were under the covers and they would still be numb. I tried rubbing my feet and walking around until my toes would be warm to the touch, but they would still be white and numb. Eventually they would get better and go back to normal.
I am pretty sure that I am dealing with stress and anxiety. I usually don't realize it until my heart starts beating heavy, then once I start worrying about it, it starts racing. It usually stays around 80 - 85 BPM, which is a little above average, but not fast enough to be considered palpitating. I've figured out that the worst combination is Stress and Caffeine, usually from alot of soda or coffee. If I drink alot of soda or coffee, sometimes I will have the same feeling during the day, and I feel like a panic attack is coming on. I'm usually too busy to worry about it and I forget about it and move on. I know I have good reasons to be stressed out. I live a pretty happy life, but recently I found out that I will be laid off from my job at the Beginning of January. I have a car payment and other bills that unemployment will not cover. I also enlisted in the Air Force and I will be leaving for Basic Training and Tech School in March, leaving my girlfriend behind for six months... something else I'm a little anxious about.
I work a swing-shift at work... working nights and then days and back and forth. I don't get much sleep when I'm working. (An average of 3 - 5 hours a night) When I'm on a 3 or 7 day break from work, after a couple or so says of getting some rest I feel alot better.
Also, I am a little overweight. I have an average build, so in no way should I be a "skinny kid," but I am about 5'11" and I weight about 200lbs. I'm not in very good shape, but I am changing that since I leave for basic training in three months. When I am exercising (Aerobic and Weight Training) my heart rate rises to around 140 - 160 bpm. (My Maximum Heart Rate is around 200 BPM) But, after I run or work out, and I rest for a few minutes, I tend to feel alot better.
So I'm pretty confident that my problem is Stress, Lack of Sleep, and being Overweight. I've been watching what I eat more, eating home-cooked meals and Salad more, and less of fast-food burger joints. I hope this helps somebody, and if anyone has any advice or comments, bring them on. :-)
I am pretty sure that I am dealing with stress and anxiety. I usually don't realize it until my heart starts beating heavy, then once I start worrying about it, it starts racing. It usually stays around 80 - 85 BPM, which is a little above average, but not fast enough to be considered palpitating. I've figured out that the worst combination is Stress and Caffeine, usually from alot of soda or coffee. If I drink alot of soda or coffee, sometimes I will have the same feeling during the day, and I feel like a panic attack is coming on. I'm usually too busy to worry about it and I forget about it and move on. I know I have good reasons to be stressed out. I live a pretty happy life, but recently I found out that I will be laid off from my job at the Beginning of January. I have a car payment and other bills that unemployment will not cover. I also enlisted in the Air Force and I will be leaving for Basic Training and Tech School in March, leaving my girlfriend behind for six months... something else I'm a little anxious about.
I work a swing-shift at work... working nights and then days and back and forth. I don't get much sleep when I'm working. (An average of 3 - 5 hours a night) When I'm on a 3 or 7 day break from work, after a couple or so says of getting some rest I feel alot better.
Also, I am a little overweight. I have an average build, so in no way should I be a "skinny kid," but I am about 5'11" and I weight about 200lbs. I'm not in very good shape, but I am changing that since I leave for basic training in three months. When I am exercising (Aerobic and Weight Training) my heart rate rises to around 140 - 160 bpm. (My Maximum Heart Rate is around 200 BPM) But, after I run or work out, and I rest for a few minutes, I tend to feel alot better.
So I'm pretty confident that my problem is Stress, Lack of Sleep, and being Overweight. I've been watching what I eat more, eating home-cooked meals and Salad more, and less of fast-food burger joints. I hope this helps somebody, and if anyone has any advice or comments, bring them on. :-)