Strange numbness in left side/episodes waking me from sleep

[Laurnick]

I am a 22 year old female, quite good health otherwise. I have had about 8 of these episodes in the past year, spread out with weeks in between, but they seem to be happening with more frequency now. I can't figure a pattern for when or why they happen- I will wake from sleep and start to feel my leg become extremely numb (always my left leg), and then it will contort up toward my body. I will feel completely paralyzed, and the feeling will creep up my entire left side. I almost feel like I am hallucinating- it feels like my body is contorting and doing somersaults even though I know I'm not. It only seems to last a minute or two, though I can't be sure because it is so disorienting. Before the episode ends, it feels like I am blacking out. I usually let out a scream, because it is such an awful, all consuming feeling- like I have absolutely no control over my body. I can usually fall back asleep, and when I wake up I am basically fine, but I feel a slight weakness in my leg and way more exhausted than normal.

It is really hard to describe, and I've had an EEG and a cat scan which turned out totally normal, but an x ray showed a pars defect on the left side of my spine (L1). My neurologist says this could explain the numbness, but I'm wondering if it could also be the cause of the intense seizure-like (that's the only way I can think to describe it, though I have no idea if it's really a seizure) feeling I get that jolts my from sleep. Could a pinched nerve in my lower spine have this effect?

I also have bunions, and my feet turn in considerably. I know this effects my posture, and in recent months have had severe pain in my left toe that kept me from walking. It eventually stopped with about a week of rest, but never completely healed. It seems like these symptoms could be related.

I have always had trouble sleeping, too- night terrors, insomnia, and restlessness, all before these episodes started.

Has anyone ever experienced something similar? Any advice? Comments?

Thank you!