Brain shock sensations when trying to fall asleep

[GuamBaybe]

I'm having this problem with my brain that right before I fall asleep I get this weird sensation in my brain that wakes me up again right when I'm falling asleep. The feeling I get is either a falling sensation (not the kind you dream of falling off a cliff or tripping over something then waking up), a "shock" to my brain or like my brain is preventing me from sleeping on purpose. I hope I'm describing it okay.... but it's very frustration because my body is SOOOOO tired but my brain will not let me sleep due to these brain twitches that prevent me from fully falling asleep. Has anyone else had this? If so, does anyone have any answers of what this is? or what i can get tested for or talk to my doctor about? I've gotten an MRI and an MRA done and everything was normal.... I use to have hypochondria before and I've been told by my doctor it MIGHT be due to anxiety but I don't like when doctors say "might be..." I would rather them tell me they don't know so I can ask another doctor...... please help someone!!! :(:(:(:(

[samsterog]

I've been getting these brain shocks since I was about 13 they usually happen to me at night randomly  threw out the year ..... I get very very sleeping and a feeling that something is trying to pull my soul from my body  .....the weird thing is that I experience THE PARANORMAL  sometimes I can remember but its very short let me also add that while this brain shock is happening the rest of my body is totaly disabled and I can't move for the exception of my eyes neck  nd on occasions  I've even herd my self talk but not in English or Spanish something very very weird ...I've seen things that people wouldn't believe nd have learned to pay attention while this is happening the only thing that wakes me Is fear the longer I tolerate the shocks the more I feel like I'm slipping away from my body ....if this has happen to you email me ***@**** I want to hear your experiences thank you  

[jones42]

this is new to me i have had these Zaps for a month now. i am not medicated in any way i just turned 30 and was worried it may be an early symptom of something awful. when it starts i sit up and meditate deep breathing, but that seams to have little affect. the Zaps can be so powerful they twitch my face or slam my upper body strait up. and not only can i feel them in my head i can hear them and form time to time i can see this flash of a blueish white lite inside my eyes. this is annoying and frustrating, however in a sick way it is becoming a pleasurable torment. the sensation is unlike anything else.

[angelabradford23]

omg i thought i was  going crazy this happens to me every night im so scared i keep thinking im dying its so scary i am happy i found this

[jayssababy]

I have had this for about 6 months. As I am falling asleep I feel a shock between my ears as if it is passing through my skull/brain. It is actually almost painful and uncomfortable and makes my eyes squint. It is usually followed by a visual component kind of like a day dream and very loud noise like being in a very powerful wind tunnel with the sound of extremely loud wind rushing past my ears and body. My entire body feels turbulent. If I just allow myself to experience it for up to 5 minutes I can call asleep and it is gone, but getting through that 5 minutes is a lot to endure. It is very distressing, uncomfortable and like nothing I have ever heard of in my 43 years. I don't know what is going on and I can't seem to find any answers. I am not entirely asleep when this is happening and am aware of mg body slightly twitching, for instance my arms or face or leg. Totally crazy. I guess I have accept this because there does not seem to be an answer. Some nights are better than others, but I do often dread the thought of going to bed.

[M117]

I know this is an older question, but I'm just glad that, I'm not alone. I'm not very old yet,so it's not like I can really go to the doctor on my own, but from all that I've read here, its stress related. I've had this on and off for a couple months now, and recently they got really bad after I found out a friend passed away suddenly. My solution has been to distract myself with Youtube or my video games. Once I've calmed down, it's easier for me to sleep.

[vic305]

Another update,

Hello,

I am currently having the severe anxiety zaps when I am trying to go to bed, I've been having them for maybe 8 weeks now and it seemed to be getting worse and more often to the point that later on the zaps filled my whole body rather than just my head. I was on Gabapentin 900 mg x3 per day for 3 months after having started at 300 mg x3 per day almost exactly a year ago but found out that it was the Gabapentin causing the anxiety state, heart palpitations, difficulty breathing, as well as the zaps of anxiety that plunges my eyes open right when I am drifting into sleep. So I then dropped to Gabapentin 600 mg x3 per day for two weeks and now with a doctor's help I stopped the Gabapentin entirely without further tapering.

You situation may be that it was one of your medication causing this. It seems that any of the medications you are on, one of them may list anxiety as a side effect and anxiety can indeed cause these zaps when falling asleep.

I am currently being treated for this problem. The doctor asked me to discontinue Gabapentin and take medication that will help with the withdrawal symptoms. I have taken those medications and I am already feel less anxious and capable of falling asleep.

On other news, I was on Seroquel for 2 months when I started having anxiety attacks/episodes for about 15 minutes - 1 hour every other hour. I discontinued the Seroquel but the anxiety episodes yet continued as well as the brain zaps of anxiety than began. It was only with research that I realized that Gabapentin was the cause to my surprise because I was o Gabapentin for about 10 months before these side effects began.

Also about two weeks ago after I suspected that Gabapentin was the cause of my severe anxiety, I stopped taking it on my own all the way from 900 mg x3 a day after just two days of taking 600 mg x2 a day and about two days later the withdrawal symptoms kicked in so I started taking Gabapentin 600 mg x3 per days for 2 weeks before discontinuation with a doctor's prescription for withdrawal meds.
So in summary, find out the med that lists anxiety as a side effect, discontinue or taper before discontinuation (if possible) and see a doctor for help with prescribing medicine to help your withdrawals.

So for me, I'm on Vitamin E, Mogadon, and Predmisolome to help my Gabapentin withdrawal symptoms and I think it's helping so far but I'll only be sure of that once I get a good night's worth of rest which I haven't gotten in about 2 months. Good luck to who ever is reading this. You are not alone. These brain zaps almost drove me to suicide and I am hoping that getting off the Gabapentin and taking these withdrawal meds will help. Wish me luck and good luck to you as well. Much love, brother or sister. God bless you.

[vic305]

Hi,

It is now 2016 and it seems people are still going through this. It's so sad that there's not yet a comprehensive answer. Well I am going through this for the past month and half and trying my best not to go crazy. Right when I'm slipping into sleep, I get a rush sensation to my brain that jolts me awake. The brain rush doesn't exactly feel like electric shock but rather a rush or pure anxiety that feels like a shock. It happens about 4 - 8 times at night before I give up on sleep for the next few hours. It also happens when in the day time when I'm trying to nap so I don't nap at all. Sometimes when I'm really sleepy at night, it seems to not happen and I fall right to sleep, but usually it happens.

At one point I realized that laying on my back on or my side (left or right) would help me fall asleep without the rush to my head, but it only worked for maybe 2-3 days before it stopped working. I remember feeling so happy like I had found a trick to fix this problem and feeling so sad when it stopped working.

I wonder if this anxiety-rush/shock when trying to fall asleep might be due to the meds I'm on and am trying to get off. I'm currently on Gabapentin 600 mg three times a day, as well as 60 mg Nifedipine in the morning. I was recently on Seroquel a few months ago for just two months before I thought it was the thing causing the anxiety attacks and stopped it but to my surprise the anxiety attacks continued so now I think it's the Gabapentin because Gabapentin has anxiety side effects. I also found out that Nifedipine may cause anxiety too. If so, that's so ****** up that I'm basically addicted to two medications that lists anxiety as side effects and I'm having very bad anxiety most days.

I highly suspect the Seroquel to have done something to my brain that is causing the Gabapentin to continuously do this to my body even after I stopped the Seroquel. I'm hoping that it will stop eventually but reading of other people's situation that it happened for years it greatly disheartening.

[Waqaavic]

When I sleep I feel brain zaps sensation in my head that keeps me awake . Started 2 weeks back . Doctor prescribe lexotanil for 4 days . I didn't take the med right away, some days I sleep like a baby without any med but some days when I feel the zap I take this lexotanil 3mg . It is an anti anxiety sleeping pill but as soon as I take it the zap goes away like magic and I sleep for like 7 to 8 hours . I am not taking em regularly just whenever I cant sleep . Heard electrolytes or fish oil works in this . But keeping yourself hydrated works the best I think k .. anyways if anyone wants to share any success story or wants to share this with me  do email me . Iam all ears as this experience can be terrifying and annoying . Heard these zaps go away eventually ..  

[sir2009]

I have a consistent sleep pattern usually 9-10 PM to 7 AM. It just happened recently like two weeks ago for about two days. I went to sleep at 9:30 PM and woke up at 2:00 AM. I could not go back to sleep at all because every time I would fall unconscious or into light dream mode (my dreams coming into affect) a jolt or electric sensation wakes me up followed by a weird surge of energy in my brain and throughout my body. It would happen all night long when I close my eyes to sleep. It went away two days later and I don't know how it went away. Now it came back three days ago and I'm still suffering from it. I got less than two hours of sleep last night. I went to the doctor and he recommended Melatonin and I took one pill (5 mg) and it did not help. Feels like the weird sensation overpowered the pill because I felt the pill taking over but the sensation would still find a way to wake me back up. Anybody can relate to this?

[cubix]

The brain shock feeling is called Brain Zaps. You have to accept them let them be there:) For me i had them for 3 months but i don't feelit that often since they are starting to fade away.:)

[tribefan064]

Yes Marikkan, I can't believe you said that, but that is EXACTLY what has been happening to me!! Like I'm going thru a doorway and hitting the top of my head. I am glad that I am not the only one experiencing this.....I thought I was going crazy! I have found that this sort of thing usually happens most often when I am extremely tired and in need of sleep, or if I have had a very busy day.

[Corey2013]

I get this every.single.night. and it's annoying. Sort of "scares" you awake?  It doesn't hurt but it can still be scary not knowing what's going on with your body. You're not alone in this

[dbone024]

Obviously this seems like it's a newer issue. Doctors know little to nothing, there's very little on the internet. My theory is that it may have something to do with computer and phone screens. Sounds out there I know, but no one in this thread reported dealing with this issue before 20 years ago. There are both people on meds and off reporting symptoms, so that's unclear. But I'm telling you, the way we stare at screens all day, constantly jumping from one thing to the next instantly. It can't be good for the brain. Consider putting them down for while and seeing how you do. Who knows right? I'll try anything at this point.

[dbone024]

I get these as well. I've had both the "zaps" from SSRI withdrawals and these scarier "exploding head" symptoms. I'm currently not on an SSRI and haven't been for over two years. Anyway, they're annoying and scary to be sure.

The BEST relief I have found is drinking a large glass of water directly before bed. Stay away from phone screens and computers for at least 20-30min before trying to fall asleep. Listening to some quiet classical music has seemed to help on occasion. Use deep breaths! The large glass of water, for me, has been the best relief of this bizarre symptom however. You'll have to get up to pee in the middle of the night, but you'll find little trouble (in relation to exploding head symptoms) in falling back to sleep. Hope this helps someone!! I share your pain.

Love.

[MartinAntell]

I started experiencing these brain shocks too when I was in my early teens. At first I only got them about once every two or three months, but they only started coming on more frequently. When I was 28 I had them several times every week. I could barely sleep anymore because the shocks kept me awake, jolting me every time I started drifting off to sleep. Sometimes they came on so strong that I couldn't move for a good half minute after being jolted, I just froze up into a cramp like state.
This was seven years ago so my memory is a bit hazy as to how I found the cure, and why it worked, but I actually managed to find a cure.
I blended together several tomatoes and a whole head of broccoli and spread it out on a homemade pizza. I think I had some sort of theory that the shocks were a result of a hormonal imbalance. My theory was that tomatoes and broccoli would stimulate the hypothalamus in a positive way. To my own surprise too it actually worked! Two weeks after that I remember having a mild attack, but after that they were completely gone. I haven't had one single shock episode since, and it's been almost seven years.

[DH1969]

Thank God im not alone. Not how to get rid of it.

[ash009]

Hello everyone
i think i can help u guys with this problem and am sure it will help u as it helped me
i use to have this same problem,as soon as i fall asleep something uneasiness happens in my chest and i woke up imediately,.i couldnt sleep at all.,
as time passes by my problem increases day by day and i use to get very irritated and even felt like sucidal tendencies..i even use to slap myself with this irritation of not understanding what the hell is goin on..even the meds dint helped
so i started doing pranayam(yoga) which helped me a lot,i feel more relaxed these days..
i wud recommend eveyone to do these 3 pranayam daily in the moring no matter what
1-deep breathing
2-kapal bharti pranayam
3-anolom vilom pranayam
go google and search it and start doing today and see the changes in 7 days..
i hav seen lot of people getting out of this  problem by doing these simple pranayam

all the best and tc

[JCAndroid87]

Wow, people are actually still commenting. Anyways, my story is quite different. I have similar symptoms but, mine started happening when I started meditating. I meditated for about six months, quite an experience, then I stopped meditating and did not meditate for a long time. Now, when I try to go to sleep I start jumping in bed. It is kind of annoying but, What I have noticed is that when I jump if I concentrate directly on the jumping I go into meditation mode and my body starts to shake even more until I hear a high frequency sound that the shaking is creating. It sounds weird but, it actually feels like what ever is making me jump is like energy that has not been released from my body. So this runs from head to toe then I jump. It is kinda of annoying because I wand to go to sleep.

[Susannaslp]

I also get these. I suffer from anxiety and take Lexapro. I also take Adivan .5mg when needed which i rarely need. I describe these as very loud white noise. I remember telling a friend of mine I thought I was having seizures during the night. I get them usually when I am super tired and falling asleep. It jolts me awake and then I feel like I am going to have a full on panic attack. I probably get one one a month- give or take. I hope it doesn't get worse. I feel so comforted to have found this thread. I didn't even quite know how to explain it to search it on google. These brain zaps are very scary. Maybe it's attributed to the Lexapro which is an SSRI? Thank you to everyone sharing their story.

[Susannaslp]

I also get these. I suffer from anxiety and take Lexapro. I also take Adivan .5mg when needed which i rarely need. I describe these as very loud white noise. I remember telling a friend of mine I thought I was having seizures during the night. I get them usually when I am super tired and falling asleep. It jolts me awake and then I feel like I am going to have a full on panic attack. I probably get one one a month- give or take. I hope it doesn't get worse. I feel so comforted to have found this thread. I didn't even quite know how to explain it to search it on google. These brain zaps are very scary. Maybe it's attributed to the Lexapro which is an SSRI? Thank you to everyone sharing their story.

[dunnjen]

This is an old thread, but I am adding a new description.  The sensation I experience is more like an energy wave. There's a sound-sensation with it that reminds me of the star wars light sabre. I get a few of them before falling asleep, and they sort of interrupt the process.  I'm not worried because I do eventually sleep well.  I just find it weird.

[DH1969]

exactly

[DH1969]

exactly

[Marikkan]

Do these shocks or jolts everyone is feeling, describe like: walking through a doorway, too low and you duck but still bump your head.. Or your sitting into a car, duck but bump your head... What ever the semi-dream is.. Your dogging something so you don't bump your head? It's like the falling dream, only it's with your head. Or is this just me, and totally different from everyone?

[Marikkan]

Do these shocks or jolts everyone is feeling, describe like: walking through a doorway, too low and you duck but still bump your head.. Or your sitting into a car, duck but bump your head... What ever the semi-dream is.. Your dogging something so you don't bump your head? It's like the falling dream, only it's with your head. Or is this just me, and totally different from everyone?

[technet]

Hello, I have the same thing after undergoing sinus surgery by a quack ENT in 2004 and then my situation made worse by being given the wrong medication to treat it by a neurologist, which then gave me Epilepsy, in 2007. (I never had Epilepsy before in my entire life) It's a seizure -- a sleep seizure. Currently being treated with brand name Trileptal, brand name Xanax and Soma and pain meds for when I tore my rotator cuffs in one sleep seizure in 2008. I don't know what to do.