Tachycardia When Falling Asleep?

[pielady42]

Something strange happens to me now and then. I will be falling asleep or asleep for no more than an hour when something sends my body bolting upright. I awaken as I am forced upwards, gasping for breath with the whole bed shaking from tachycardia - it is beating that fast and hard. Once I almost fainted within the first thirty seconds. When I wore the holter the cardiologist said I was having a tachycardia but didn't know what triggered it. Has anyone experienced this during that early phase of sleep (REM?) I wake up disoriented and sure I am dying and eventually I realize "oh, it's just that thing happening again". It's very terrifying when it happens though, especially when I am so out of it and can't think straight. By the way, I have never had tachycardia when I am awake (knock on wood).

[achillea]

Google 'nocturnal panic attacks.'  You might get some interesting information.

[midiaz]

I have had these same systems for a couple of years now. Wake up the first 1/2 to and hr of REM sleep, starts sometimes  like heat rising from my feet to my head, as little numbness, than get of feeling like out of breath, fainting and heart pounding, this last around 30 seconds to a minute. What I now do is I grasp for air and raise my legs to get more oxygen to my brain. The Feeling I get is like I am going to die but I have realized it hasn't killed me yet. I can get one episode per month or sometimes could go without one. Now I know that I am not alone. I wish we could get this cleared out but for now we will have just have to deal with it.

[Tonipears]

I also have started with this just as I seem to nod off to sleep I am awakened suddenly hearts racing 100 mile an hour I'm dizzy blurry vision I feel asif I am dying it lasts around 5 mins but then leaves me too scared to go back to sleep is there tablets or anything I can do to stop these episodes????

[midiaz]

In my case when this happens it is only in the first two hrs in my sleep, so I do not believe is has to do with Sleep Apnea because then it could happen any time. When this happens elevate your legs and the symptom will quickly go away and then just chill out and go to sleep. At least this has worked for me.

[CarlyA99]

I have just had an online consultation with a cardiologist and it appears that we have a string of PVC's (extra heart beats) when asleep which triggers the waking response and then our heart over compensates by beating strongly. It is usually benign but worth getting a holter monitor to check this is what is happening.  very common apparently.

[Althenuker]

I am very relieved to know that I'm not the only one with these problems. I've learned that "sleeping" is a complicated process where the heart and brain do their own thing for reasons not well explained on the internet. Most doctors simply do not have the expertise on the subject and we are left to fend for ourselves. I am monitoring myself and trying to figure out what works best for me. I have a Phillips CPAP machine that allows me to download my APNEA events every day. I now have a BASIS PEAK watch (since Xmas) that allows me to download my heart rate data daily and plot all results using EXCEL. So far, my APNEA events (defined as periods of not breathing lasting longer than 10 seconds) do not correlate to my episodes of rapid heart beat (RHB) at 150-190 bpm. Through minor lifestyle changes and 10 lb weight loss, I have my APNEA mostly under control but I still monitor and analyse the data. Over the next few weeks, I will be analyzing my RHB in great detail to see how I can control it. Everyone concerned with RHB should get one of these BASIS PEAK watches (<$200) which you can use 24/7. Good luck everyone.

[cresta7919]

So glad to have found this forum.  Sounds just like my symptoms.  Waling with rapid heart beat usually around two hours into sleep.  I do sleep with my cell phone under my  pillow and I will now  move it.  I usually wake up hot too so I am always asking myself is this a hot flash or heart attack.  Dr. said to take a  valium and if it goes away it's not your heart it is a night panic.  It doesn't happen every day but I just know I am dying when it does.  I am a 66 year old female. I have an appointment with a cardiologist in a couple of weeks just to check it out.  My primary physician said my heart seemed fine but if I felt the need to pursue it see cardiology.  Just to ease my mind I am going.  Thanks for all the info it is so comforting

[MarMB]

My last post was Jan. 2013.  I am now 70 and continue to suffer with these same attacks.  Have had them real frequently lately.  Like I said in my last post I was 27 when all of this started.  A long time to be suffering with these and I have the same feeling of  dying as I have always had just handle it differently.  I don't get upset like I use to.  Sometimes it does happen as I am drifting off to sleep and then it is not as bad.   I rarely have more than one a night but it has been almost nightly lately.  I did go off a hormone patch and am really suffering with hot flashes which is probably not helping.  I would love an answer but I don't think there is one. Maybe someday a brilliant doctor will come up with an answer.    MarMB