[ForeverLonelyGirl]

I've written before about my long term insomnia related to withdrawing from klonopin, it is still ongoing. My stressors increased dramatically a few days after some really bad family drama, so immediately my sleep issues revved up!

I just learned a term for what I have been experiencing. It's called hypnogogia. "Hypnagogia is the experience of the transitional state from wakefulness to sleep: the hypnagogic state of consciousness, during the onset of sleep. In opposition, hypnopompic denotes the onset of wakefulness"

Also, "Mental phenomena that occur during this "threshold consciousness" phase include lucid dreaming, hallucinations, and sleep paralysis"

For what that is worth, I now have a name to put to my horrible night terrors and HALLUCINATIONS that I have never had in my entire life, even with alcohol use and lots of klonopin. Wish it would have happened then rather than now when I am stone cold sober.

So the last 3 nights I have had the hallucinations when I wake up, which is frequent still. I sleep for about an hour, then wake up and think I see bugs either on me or somewhere close to me. Once I woke up and 'saw' a gigantic spider hovering over me in my bed. That was the worst one, I starting screaming bloody murder!!! Didn't sleep with the lights off for months. The last 3 nights, I have woken up seeing bugs or something moving, that makes me sit up straight in the bed and be too wide awake for 3 am. Then I am really anxious, feeling like something is crawling on me.

The weird thing is that I just started having these hallucinations and creepy crawly feelings in the last 4 months, when I have actually been off the klonopin now for 22 months. This is awfully distressing and discouraging, makes me think my brain is terribly damaged. The possibility of ever having another full night's sleep does not look good! I am so, so exhausted. It is after 2 am right now and I have been slaving away in a kitchen all day but wide awake. I wonder if sleep or rest will ever come. Also I never feel that feeling you get when you are falling asleep. I will be laying down, trying to get to sleep, then the next thing I know, I have been asleep for a while. There is no normal transition to sleep. So very strange!!! I sure dread nighttime every day. It is very scary to me now, not just a problem with insomnia. It is terror sometimes. So strange and incredible that this is happening still after so long off the klonopin.

[gayleggg]

I'm so sorry you are experiencing this. I was lucky and had not withdrawal symptoms when I came off of klonopin. It must be really hard to deal with. I hope it subsides soon,

[ForeverLonelyGirl]

Wow! I am astounded, and you were really lucky. There are thousands of people literally on the benzo withdrawal support sites that are in the same boat as I. That is how I found out about the hypnogogia. Some people are so debilitated that they are bed bound and have to have constant care. Horrible. Only thing about the sleep issue is that it affects you 24 hours a day and on the long term. I keep getting these articles from various sites about the negative long term effects of sleeplessness. I quit reading them! Plus after a night of terrible sleep, you feel like hell in the first half the day. Thank goodness it does get a little better after a few hours.

[seaecho]

I get night terrors quite frequently, and I am on Xanax, 1.5mg XR per day. I have to be on it, or my nightmares and night terrors are even worse. The Xanax has cut them down to about 1/7th of what they were! I never know what will happen when I go to bed at night. I also do not remember going to sleep, like you. I will wake up and sit straight up in bed, talking about being something in the room, and my husband has to keep telling me I'm asleep. I insist I am wide awake. Sometimes I won't remember it in the morning. And I've had the spider hallucinations too. And I'm not afraid of spiders! I think that one is fairly common, from what I've read. I don't know what all this means, but it seems like forever since I could go to bed and really enjoy sleeping without all the drama. Sleep should be RESTFUL!

[ForeverLonelyGirl]

Wow seaecho, that is rough. So you started having them prior to any psych drugs? Yeah, I am not afraid of spiders but one the size of a queen bed is more than I could handle. I just don't get the whole thing of it except that my brain is trying to heal, so they say.

Every night without fail, I go to sleep and wake up in an hour, out of breath like I have been wrestling with someone. That just revs up any anxiety I might have which usually I do. It's insane! I truly do believe that I must have a bad case of sleep apnea. I sure do not want to have that testing done and find out that I would have to wear CPAP at night. That is awful. I guess I would feel like jumping off a high bridge for sure. I know, bad attitude.

Thanks for the reply!

[Rushedamac]

It is unfortunate that you're experiencing sleep terrors I have learned about this in my psychology class and I hope that you get better soon. I strongly believe that your hallucinations are cause from the side effects of Klonopin usage. I truly feel sad about your situation I also think you should try to get some professional help with these problems that you're currently undergoing

Best Regards,
Rushedamac

[ForeverLonelyGirl]

Thanks. I would like to, especially if I really thought it would help. Still had hallucinations last night at 3 am. They jolt me out of the bed!