do I have sporadic fatal insomnia

[j9889]

About a week ago I woke up with a strange feeling of rocking in my head.  Everything I looked at when I opened my eyes seemed to be rocking and my body wanted to rock with my mind.  I tried walking and couldn't balance.  This feeling would again happen everytime before I fell off into a deep sleep(only).  It happened again the next night also.  Since then I haven't been able to sleep in 14 nights and I'm more tired than I've ever felt on my life, but still can't sleep.

All my tests, such as MRI, ct scan, EEG, came back normal.  The only thing found wrong with me was a hyperthyroid, but that doesn't explain the mental feelings I had that night or inability to sleep.

There have been a fee nights where I have what I believe to be dreams and I was unresponsive when my name was called, but this was only for
30mins to 1 hr. It feels like I go into a daze for 30 mins to an hr and create some type of dreams or daydreams in my head.  I'll wake up after 30 mins and then do it again 4-5 more times, then no more.

Along with this my memory is bad, I have dark circle under my eyes, I'm fatigued, and I just can't think clearly.  I also get these strange tingling feelings in my hands and feel cold.

Could my very hyper thyroid cause all these crazy problems or do I maybe have SFI?.  I'm scared and don't know what to do.  I didn't think SFI just hits you one night with a strange mental rocking and then your just not able to sleep.  At least I've had these 30 min dazes the last few nights.  I've always been a great sleeper and should go into a deep sleep with the way I feel.

My EEG showed I went into a stage 2 sleep, but I was aware of everything around me.  My eyes and the way I feel show I haven't had any sleep though.  I do believe SFI goes through 4 stages and gets progressively worse.  This has been a constant same feeling since that one night and I just can't sleep no matter what. Please help. I don't know what to do. Could hyperthyroid cause such a mental episode and no sleep?

[Jon540]

Hey man do you still experience this

[Boog41]

Have u ever smoked synthetic marijuana?

[j9889]

Thanks greatly for the response. I saw a neurologist, but she would not listen to what I was saying and set up an appointment for me to see a psychiatrist.  She did find a slightly high thyroid level and referred me to an endo,  but he said it wasn't of significance.

All I know is that I was a completely normal college student, who slept well before that night with the head rocking and loss of balance.  Now I can't sleep.  I get so so tired, but I just can't get passed a stage 2 sleep.  I get the same really tired feeling I used to get right before I fell into a deep unaware sleep, now I just don't. I'm going to go to the mayo clinic or see another neurologist.  One question:  Sporadic fatal insomnia is progressive and doesn't just hit you one night with a strange rocking feeling does it?

I do have dreams(sometimes vivid and easy to remember), but I still feel like I'm in a very light
sleep when I have them and I wake often.  Every morning I get up with dark circle under my eyes, time still seems to move much faster, I'm fatigued, and my memory is terrible compared to what it was.

[S. Kaul, MD]

Hi there!

Well, without a detailed clinical evaluation it would be difficult to determine the cause of your symptoms. Possibilities that may need to be considered include stress/ anxiety, sleep disorders, neuro-psychiatric causes etc. Hormonal/ endocrine disturbances such as hypothyroidism could be linked to neuro-psychaitric-depressive states. I would suggest considering a detailed evaluation by a neurologist at this time. After a specific cause is identified, it can be managed accordingly.
Hope this is helpful.

Take care!