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280418 tn?1306325910

Insomnia: Jerking awake or "Hypnic Jerks"

Does anyone else experience this jerking awake with their heart pounding, as if they had been falling?  I can do this multiple times a night, even with my sleep med.  I am so easily pushed into an anxiety attack over insomnia, that I think I'm at risk for simply making it worse with anxiety - a vicious cycle.

I'm so concerned because being pregnant means I'm putting my little one through stress and exposing him/her to stress hormones, like cortisol.  I can actually feel when I have these chemicals coursing through me, as though I am ready to jump out of my skin.  I feel guilty that I can't stop it.  

I will try exercising more, relaxation, bath before bed, warm milk, all of the above today and tonight, but history tells me that these are almost in vain.  

Just wondering if I am not the only one...
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Avatar universal
I have had the jerking awake thing like as if I was falling, but I never woke up with my heart pounding. I can tell you this much though that when I was pregnant I numerous nightmares eventhough I was avoiding stressors and I even avoided all news yet still had them. It may be a combination of hormones and Lyme in your case. I agree what others say about magnesium. You can also take a B-Complex and eat bananas for potassium.
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428506 tn?1296557399
I have not had this exact problem.  I think that one of the strangest ways that my sleep has been affected is that I occasionally get sleep paralysis.  In sleep paralysis, the mind wakes up while the body is still asleep.  When it happens, I wake up but can't move at all, or even make a sound.  It can be very creepy, and has caused me to go into a panic state.  However, now that I know what it is, I try to just tell myself to go back to sleep when it happens.  

Yes, Lyme sure can irritate our poor brains!  (I have a big head, so I can't call mine little.)

We should all consult our docs before changing/adding supps, but esp. Hope given the pregnancy.  I agree that I find Mg helpful, at least with muscle cramping/twitching.  I sleep much better now than I did earlier in my illness, but it took time to get well enough to sleep soundly.
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Avatar universal
Hope, this sounds similar to my first symptoms of Lyme and babesia 4 years ago.

Looking back I think it was magnesium deficiency and irritation of my poor little brain.  

I still take Mg every day and I sleep very well, but I think I'm unusual that way compared to many Lyme patients.  If your MD okays Mg supps, then I would recommend trying it.  
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1297538 tn?1278546102
I can definitely relate to you here! Insomnia was one of the first symptoms I noticed with my Lyme and I still struggle with it every night. I take Lunesta 3mg for sleep nightly but once it wears off after a few hours, I wake up in a state of unreal anxiety. My heart pounds and sometimes I wake up with that jerking feeling too! My anxiety is through the roof! I don't sleep and then all day I feel like I am on edge all the time.

Something that you might want to look into which has been helpful for me is Magnesium. Magnesium has many benefits and it is used in over 350 processes in our bodies. I take magnesium for a few reasons. First, it can help with detox during Lyme treatment. Secondly, it is a natural relaxant which DOES help calm the anxiety and promotes sleep. Now don't get me wrong, when I have a horrible panic episode, I do have to take a very small dose of anti anxiety meds but I will tell you that if you can take the Magnesium before you feel anxious, it will really help to prevent those feelings. I also think that Magnesium would be a better option for you too because you are pregnant. I would definitely ask you doctor before starting any new supplements though as I am not medically trained.

I am taking my supplements under my doctors care. There are different types of Magnesium out there and some have more side effects than others. Mainly being upset stomach and bowel disturbance. I tried a liquid form and it tasted horrible and gave me the worst bowel problems. SO my MD had me switch to another form called Magnesium Glycinate. This is a capsule and it is MUCH easier on my stomach and does not cause many of the bowel issues for me. Any way, if you want to talk more, send me a private message and I'd be happy to share with you what I'm doing.

Take Care
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