[gossamer]

Once in a while, when I fall asleep at night, I'll suddenly jolt awake like I've had an electric shock go through me (adrenaline perhaps?). My heart will be racing and I'll be sweating. It goes away after a few minutes, then I fall asleep again and it happens again. I have nights where I'll wake up 3 or 4 times like this and other nights where it never happens. I usually have to take a xanax to stay asleep on nights like that. Has anyone else had this? I'm not on meds, so that can't be it.

[OnEdge]

Gossamer, yes, this has happened to me. Just as I'm falling asleep, my whole body can jolt - or just a hand or even just my head. I wasn't on meds when this was happening either. I'm pretty certain it is our hypersentive bodies full of anxiety just wanting to get out.

[gossamer]

We sound like Anxiety twins, LOL. In some odd way, it makes me feel better.

[OnEdge]

I know, isn't it funny that if we can find someone who has felt that same way or had the same experiences, it just doesn't seem that bad. The Anxiety Twins - I like it!!

Its normal. Theres a foot long medical term for it but I can't remember the name. I do remember some time ago this same thing came up in another thread and posts.

its the brains switching from wide awake to being asleep/unconscious. A person goes through different "cycles" when falling asleep. I don't remember them all but know REM is one of them. Anyway what usually happens is both the mental process of going to sleep matches the physical process of changing chemical levels, heart rate, breathing, and a chemicle that works like a paralyzing agent so that while in the REM cycle the person isn't sleep walking all over the place acting out their dreams. Sometimes when a person is over tired the mental aspects of going to sleep and the physical aspects are quite matching each other so mentally the person falls asleep first and then the body (this can happen with the body falling asleep first while mentally the person is still thinking of the days experiences and worries) any way the result is that the person experienese the "switching" from consciousness into unconsciousness like a drop of falling feeling. Which is where the term "falling asleep" came from. You can prevent experiencing this by getting plenty of sleep and rest so you don't get over tired and do something calming and relaxing before bed.

[CedarS]

That time before full sleep is called the hypnagogic state.

LOL thanks

[gossamer]

Thanks! I actually spent some time last night doing progressive muscle relaxation and deep breathing and it helped quite a bit. Nice to know I not totally losing it.