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wave of panic while falling asleep?

Aerose91

Senior Member
Messages
1,400
I reluctantly brought this up to my doctor once and he assured me that it's dysautonomia. Every night, right when I start to cross the barrier into sleep i will get hit with a wave of panic that shoots me awake. The only way for me to alleviate the panic is to stay awake for a few minutes and not let myself fall asleep again. Some nights it's only once or twice, others it's 10 or 15 times and I just won't sleep.

My doctor said that with this dysautonomia your body thinks that it's dying when it is falling asleep, therefore it does whatever it can to wake you up. Its an absolutely awful symptom. Does anyone else share this random, awful daily occurrence?
 

Nielk

Senior Member
Messages
6,970
I reluctantly brought this up to my doctor once and he assured me that it's dysautonomia. Every night, right when I start to cross the barrier into sleep i will get hit with a wave of panic that shoots me awake. The only way for me to alleviate the panic is to stay awake for a few minutes and not let myself fall asleep again. Some nights it's only once or twice, others it's 10 or 15 times and I just won't sleep.

My doctor said that with this dysautonomia your body thinks that it's dying when it is falling asleep, therefore it does whatever it can to wake you up. Its an absolutely awful symptom. Does anyone else share this random, awful daily occurrence?

I have felt this a number of times exactly as you describe. Just as I am about to go into sleep, I feel like a jolt. It is very unpleasant and like you, I wait for a while and then try to fall asleep again. Did your doctor have any advice as to how to prevent this from happening?
 

Nielk

Senior Member
Messages
6,970
I have that sometimes, for me it has to do with sleep apnea.

I have sleep apnea as well but, this is different (I think). It is like a feeling of dread. Like falling into a hole that will not end well. It's actually hard to explain but it is very scary.
 

Debbie23

Senior Member
Messages
137
I reluctantly brought this up to my doctor once and he assured me that it's dysautonomia. Every night, right when I start to cross the barrier into sleep i will get hit with a wave of panic that shoots me awake. The only way for me to alleviate the panic is to stay awake for a few minutes and not let myself fall asleep again. Some nights it's only once or twice, others it's 10 or 15 times and I just won't sleep.

My doctor said that with this dysautonomia your body thinks that it's dying when it is falling asleep, therefore it does whatever it can to wake you up. Its an absolutely awful symptom. Does anyone else share this random, awful daily occurrence?

I get this sometimes. I wouldn't define it as a feeling of panic but my heart starts racing and pounding and it wakes me up shortly after falling asleep. It sort of jolts me awake but sometimes the racing, pounding heart rate, doesn't just wake me up if I try to lay flat as I drift off to sleep, it stops me from sleeping as well. Sometimes it feels as though my heart is struggling, especially if I lay on my left side, it's weird.

I don't know if I have sleep apnea for sure or not but I doubt it because I find my heart rate goes into overdrive, and my BP goes up, if I lay flat even when wide awake, just like it climbs when I stand to transfer etc. I've always found that odd and confusing as from what I've read most people's BP goes down doesn't it? Or have I got that wrong?

Anyway as far as I know from sharing bedrooms on occasion and the fact family often quietly use the ensuite attached to my room when I'm sleeping. They say I don't snore as a rule. I often breath heavily etc. When I have blocked sinuses, a cold or a flare in asthma, but usually I don't snore or struggle to breathe when sleeping as far as I know.

What has helped me is sleeping slightly propped up. Could you manage to sleep like that? It's not always very comfortable but it does mean I can sleep and don't get this so often.
 

Aerose91

Senior Member
Messages
1,400
I'm sorry you guys have experienced this as well. I have never been tested for sleep apnea so i cant say if that may be a factor. I don't have the money to get tested for it either so I don't even think about it.

But yes it's an actual wave of panic. My doc said specifically that getting the anxiety/panic is a dysautonomia thing but to my best knowledge their isn't anything we can do.