unusual 'fast feeling' in my head

My Daughter (9yrs 2mths) had her first episode last night before bed and again this morning. On both occasions it came suddenly and then went after about 5 mins. She said everything was going fast... her hands were spongey .. if she sat down she wanted to stand up. If she stood up she wanted to lie down. She said everything was big and going fast.. afterwards she said she was trying to tell her brain to stop it but couldn’t. She was quite distressed during the episodes. She said it was like the nightmare she had a couple of nights ago. She is reluctant to talk about it but that’s all the info we have got so far. We found this website when looking up the symptoms. This site has been a great help. She has had a viral infection recently (still getting over it) and a lot of excitement over Christmas. We will monitor for now and take to GP if this happens again. #DEC17

I used to have episodes often as a child, when I was in my early 20s, and I just had the first one in about 13 or 14 years two nights ago (I'm 35 now).

As I recall, the episodes I had as a child mostly fell into the category of distorted perception of space. This would occur at night as I was laying in bed trying to fall asleep. It felt like I was suddenly in a very large space (or that I was very small). I remember enjoying the sensation quite a bit and keeping my eyes closed to to keep the feeling going for as long as possible.

When I was around 20 years old I began having episodes that were more characterized by the so-called "fast feeling". These episodes would occur during the day, and would scare the bejeezus out of me. I was in flight school at the time, and became very concerned that I was going crazy, but didn't want to talk to anyone about it because I was afraid it would end my career before it started.

Eventually, the episodes stopped and I hadn't had one in years... until two nights ago. This most recent episode happened while I was laying in bed trying to fall asleep, and went like this:
*gradual onset of spacial distortion (room began to feel very large around me)
*the 'fast feeling' in my brain started to ramp up (the best way I can describe it is this: it's like you can suddenly perceive (or 'hear', kind of) all of the background stuff happening in your brain. it's a bit like listening to a thousand people talking very loudly all at the same time, but you can't hear any actual words)
*at this point the fast feeling became very overwhelming and I opened my eyes to try and make it stop (this would always stop the feeling of being very small in a large space)
*opening my eyes did not stop the fast feeling and I realized that my spacial perception was totally off in the other direction
*as I laid in the bed, it looked like the room was barely big enough to contain me, as if I was filling the entire space with my body
*the fast feeling in my brain slowly faded and the spacial distortion faded right along with it until both were completely gone

I think this whole episode lasted maybe 10 minutes. It's totally bizarre, but I'm no longer alarmed by it, especially after reading all of these replies!

It seems like alot of people first experience it around the age of 7-9 years of age. I had it when I was 8 years old and just experienced it again at the age of 24.

I’m 13 and I’ve had this since I was really small. The first time I got it I was on holiday and I was freaking out. I told some people but they didn’t really understand what I was talking about. Sometimes in lessons I would get it and I couldn’t understand anything my teacher was saying. When I get it I fell really calm and I just sit still and watch it happen. I haven’t had it for a long time but I got it yesterday for some reason. Do most people get it? Is it something to be worried about? It’s kinda exciting and cool in away

Hi, young person here to leave a comment. I'm 13 and I also get these, very hard to explain episodes. I find that I usually get them once a week and on the day I do get them, it happens between 3-5 times that day. Very strange, and I laugh at my self for being terrible at having a talk while having one because their tone sounds so fast, and I giggle. However I thought this may have something to do with my ADHD, but still not sure. Also while having these, I for some reason have the urge to check corners, and look around the place and try to see everything, don't know why, it's just what happens.

Wow, this just happened to me again. I've never looked into it before but I decided to now becuase I got curious. I'm also glad to see I'm far from alone. I don't know if I ever told anyone about it when I was young (around 6 yrs old) but it used to happen to me every few nights when I woke up at midnight. I'm 17 currently and it hasen't happened in quite a while until just a few minutes ago.

"it's a bit like listening to a thousand people talking very loudly all at the same time, but you can't hear any actual words"

That's the best way I could describe it myself, this just happened to me about 5-10 minutes ago while I'm playing Fallout 4. I heard voices speaking fast and could only make out one word here and there and I started wanting to build very fast and trying to play the game fast.

I have it right know, that's why I looked it up

same here. Im atually having one right now. Dont know Y...

I first had it when I was 4. I had a very scary dream. I was in an abandon old house. then, I walk toward somewhere and I saw my dad. he was standing across the room. he far away. I ran towards him. but I never seem to be reaching him. he was smiling at me. then, I saw something. I saw a big heart behind my dad. then I feel everything was slowing down like in a slow motion. then my dad turn to something that I didnt understand. then everything became so fast. like im having right now. and I woke up. then the fast thing keeps happening randomly until now.

just want to share how mine started

I also got this. When i was a kid it happened a lot, but now it only appeared a little.

In my case, for example, there's this certain scene i saw or experienced, it would replay in my head really fast. Then when i was a kid, i could see this black line inside my head speeding up in circles then it would slow down....then fast again. I dont know really..... but since then i know that there is something wrong, i mean, we know ourselves.

I've been experiencing these episodes since I was 8 or 9, and am 47 now; as a child I used to experience the more 'physical' symptoms (ie the room feeling giant) and auditory nonsense-word noise/spam in my head, as well as everything seeming like it was moving at 10x normal speed, etc. I still may experience the time distortions if the room I'm in is silent for too long, or saccadic eye movements occur. May only happen once/twice a year, but still happens. I'm oddly comforted to read so many similar experiences and symptoms, and to finally, after nearly 40 years have a name for what's happening =)

I am so relieved to know other people have experienced this. It is hard to explain it happend to me very often as a child i would wake up feeling like i was getting smaller and everything around me seemed to move really fast. It still happens from time to time. What is it?

Me too ditto, I’m 42 and don’t get them no more, probably tottaly stop when 25, kind of miss it now but started about age of ten and it scarred me then but that only made it worse. Soon learnt it will pass within a couple of minutes and started to enjoy it. Mostly happened when I woke up in middle of night

Thank god I’m not the only one! Again, I got it a lot more when I was younger and I always used to get it when I was ill with a big or flu and haven’t had it for years. However I have flu at the moment and last night I woke up sweating and had that feeling again. Feels like I’m moving super quick even though consciously I know I’m not. Everyone around me looks like they’re are moving quick too. It used to really freak me out when I was younger as my mam never knew what I was on about. I do suffer with anxiety and panic attacks so I don’t know if that’s what spurs it on? As I feel super anxious whilst having this feeling. Good to know I’m not the only one that has it though :)

wow, this is pretty cool. I finally found people that have the same thing i do. Well not exactly the same. Let me explain, when the fast feeling happens to me its almost as if everything becomes faster. peoples voices, chewing food, ect. seem to accelerate. It is impossible for time to speed up but when i feel the neurological difference in speed i assume its because im crazy but it only happens to me at night. maybe we have some type of connection we should really continue to investigate. who knows we could be capable of something that could become really important to sdoctors and scientist .