Has anyone had it when sleeping, when you feel like your heart has stopped?

[Johnwdcooper]

I once came back from ibiza after doing copious amounts of drugs for a week, and the night i returned back, I was trying to fall asleep and i felt a huge *bang* in my heart space, I look in room, but realise i'm pretty much dead (thats the only way i can recall).  Then all of a sudden I feel a huge jolt, and as if I gave myself my own defibriliator. And I jump up as if I brought back from the dead.  It was extremely harrowing.  

Every so often I have mild version of this where I'm falling asleep and just at the point of falling asleep, I feel my heart skip a beat and wake myself up through fear of dying.

But last night, I had a return of the original incident, I was in bed and at 6am after being in bed for 6 5/6 hours, I lurch out of bed and realise i had kicked myself into life again.  Is this a serious problem?  Is this related to a heart problem or is this a normal sleep problem?

I know a lot of people will say they have similar thing with coughing and cant breathe - but its NOT that.  I have had that before and that's a separate issue.  Its the specific issue of feeling like your heart stops and you kick your body back into life.

Any help would be grateful!

[Morpheus1517]

See a doc to either treat or rule out the possibility of an underlying medical condition.  If you have none, I wouldn't worry about this.

[AnxiousNoMore]

You would be very groggy since you were at the point of dozing off or more likely were actually asleep, so you could actually be dreaming, which would mean that there is no "bang".  

[Johnwdcooper]

nope wasnt dreaming.  it was very real.