Head rush when falling asleep?

[NeMH]

Ok...ive had this sypmtom for a while but I never really posted about it and it had gone away but has just come back so here goes:

Basically sometimes I will get extremely tired and when I lay down to go sleep....just as I am about to "drop off" I would get a huge headrush that would start in the head but proceed all through my body.

Sometimes it feels like an adrenalin rush, sometimes like a postural hypotension head rush and other times completely different. And obviously it sort of jolts me awake....I usually get it 2-3 times before I get used to it and then eventually sleep. Or if its during the day I would usually wake and then continue feeling light-headed for the rest of the day. This used to happen almost every other day a year ago...but recently its like once a month.

I am 20, average weight, not on any meds, non-smoker, non-drinker, non caffiene-drinker, non-drug taker. I dont take much exercise at the moment. And thats about it. ps: Im asking because I just had one of the worst "rushes" so wanted some reassurance.

Thanks,

[danielaa]

I get this too....I can be months without it and then it returns for a week at a time.  Its such a weird feeling.  As i'm about to fall asleep at the very beginning I get this adrenaline rush through my body.  It feels like dizziness, heart palpitation as if your leaving your body......very strange.  It happens for a few hours till I get so exhausted that I finally fall asleep.  I really hate this feeling.

[swanny47]

I get similar symptoms too, It usually starts with a feeling that I'm breathing in warm air and just as I am about to drop off I get a strange rush that causes me to draw air in quickly, sometimes I feel it coming and I do it slowly, but other times it jolts me right up and I suck air in quickly, like I'm running out of breath, last night it happened and it took me 3 breaths of air before I actually had a good breath. It scares me alot and other symptoms are chest pains, usually above my left pec, it can travel nearer to my heart and that worries me, but I have had ECG's and my heart seems to be fine, I have had anxiety, and used to smoke alot of cannabis so I thought it was my synapses not firing properly,I have no real idea what it is but im glad im not the only one who experiences this, its such a strange thing to experience, hopefully we can gather evidence together and find a cure. I also thought it might be something spiritual, some sort of glitch during the transfer from the waking world into the dream world. God knows!!

[nursemurray]

join me to your club, i have had this since my teens and still get it randomly. feels like an adrenaline rush going to my head just as i fall asleep then i cant sleep as i start getting feelings of doom! always get to sleep in the end tho. had been feeling rather strange few days earlier but didnt think anything of it. might start keeping a diary of when it happens. think its probo stress/anxiety related tbh but its not a nice experience regardless.

[sneakyckb]

I get the same thing, and have been on and off for years.  Just as I am falling asleep, pressure on the head, sometimes I even hear screaming.  Never really thought about googling it until last night when it was the worst I can remember.  I do find it only happens to me when I try to fall asleep on my back though?  Glad to hear I am not the only one this happens too...

[sneakyckb]

That's exactly how I would descibe it, it's like your spirit is trying to leave your body or something?

[sammycung]

Hi, i know exactly what that is! it's called a "Hypnic jerk" it's pretty normal!

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

A hypnic or hypnagogic jerk is an involuntary myoclonic twitch which occurs during hypnagogia, just as the subject is beginning to fall asleep. Physically, hypnic jerks resemble the "jump" made when a person is startled.[1]

Often accompanied by a falling sensation,[2] it is commonly caused by irregular sleep schedules.[3]


[edit] Origins
The neurological reason that hypnic jerks occur is not fully understood, although there are two predominant theories.

Some researchers suggest that as a subject's heartbeat and breathing slow down, hypnic jerks occur as a natural part of muscular transition.[4]

Another theory states that as a subject falls asleep, their muscles begin to relax and cease working, causing the brain to believe that the body must be falling through air. It is thought that this causes people to thrash their limbs in an attempt to catch something or turn oneself upright[4].


[edit] Occurrence
Hypnic jerks are usually felt once or twice per night. More regular, and usually less intense, hypnic jerks often occur during normal sleep. In extreme cases, this may be classified as a disorder called periodic limb movement. The person with the disorder will usually sleep through the events. When a subject is deprived of sleep and is trying to fight sleep, hypnic jerks can occur more often. This normally happens to subjects who have deprived themselves of sleep for longer than 24 hours, or to those who have recently awakened after insufficient sleep.
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Hope this helped? :)