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Body vibrations when falling asleep or waking?
After many google searches for the reason I feel vibration in my head, shoulder and arm just before falling asleep and waking, I found nothing that satisfactorily explained it. Of course anxiety seems to be a common explanation but there was nothing specific enough to help me. I am currently reading Incognito by David Eagleman. It discusses the functioning of the brain as an organ. This morning, going through my routine to get ready for work, I thought of a way to understand the vibrations. Similar to the hypnic jerks we experience occasionally just before we fall asleep, I think the vibrations are intended to arouse me to stay vigilant. Which is the fight or flight mechanism in action. So there is the anxiety connection. Originating in the amygdala. I was thinking Parkinson's or MS but my symptoms don't indicate those conditions, thankfully. It seems counterintuitive to be anxious and sleeping at the same time but the brain can do that. The cerebral cortex sleeps but the life support systems of the brain must stay online, obviously. If you thought you were in danger, sleeping would put you at risk but at some point sleep becomes absolutely necessary. I think the vibrations I have been experiencing are caused by my sympathetic nervous system and not a neurologic disease. Thankfully !
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Thank you for mentioning castrocardic syndrome aka Roemheld syndrome, this is exactly what I have been experiencing and have seen 14 different drs, two dr's in each field of specialty and not one has mentioned this, Im going on 5 yrs and getting worse, I too am afraid to drink water, but know that I must. And Ive been very accurate with my discription emphasizing abdomanal pressure, a feeling of chest pressure, constant gas bloat, dificulty swallowing, numbness in the face and neck, back and shoulder pain, gallbladder or duodenum inflamation, difficulty swallowing, the in ability to burp, constant palipitations, and I always insist something is putting pressure on my vagal or phenal nerves, and my lastest symptom, vibrations while falling asleep or waking which has been taking place for about 5 to 6 weeks now. This is disheartening as not 1 dr has consulted with any other dr, but in each case no problem found or pushed a medication that caused other symptoms or made current symptoms worse. The only thing that helped was gabapentin but Im not a fan of pharmaceuticals. Please check out Dr Pradip Jamnada, who is a cardio interventionist, known to cure many ailments through proper gut health, he has a very good understanding of the human body and how all these systematic irregularities are all realated. Perhaps you can get a telmed appointement with him.
In this vidio below he talks about the vagus nerve and the autonomic nervious system, its title is: "Vagus Nerve Hacks: Powerful Techniques to Enhance Health and Well-Being"
And by the way, I too have a hiatal hernia which the Drs have told me is not causing any issues, I plan to have this hernia taken care of even if I have to pay for it myself. Id like to know if your hiatal herna has been repaired?
Thank you again for the mention of CS it put me in the right direction, and since Drs dont really know what they're doing or just dont care cause its not feesable, hopefully we can help eachother with the knowledge we have gained in the process.
hmm... , thanks ,
reading : https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Roemheld_syndrome
I had (sudden) GERD,gall stones,hiatal hernia --> fundoplication+cholecystectomy in 2000
and GI-pressure, bloating
prostate hyperplasia in 2014 , sleep vibrations in 2015, maybe worsened
or even caused by alphablockers
AVNRT (unrelated to sleep-vibration) since 2014 ,ca. 3/year
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/AV_nodal_reentrant_tachycardia
now , after pneumonia in 2024 , bilateral pneumotorax, BE=bronchiectasis , bulla
and , since some weeks , when inhaled and after slight effort, heart-beat-shrubbing sounds
i.e. in the first hours in the day.
The doc couldn't find my heart in ultrasound. It's big in CT=computed tomography.
Also sometimes increased eosinaphiles
that matches quite some of the "causes" on that wiki-page
no current research - I wonder how rare it is
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Be safe!!
I am am 78. I have a lot of trouble getting to sleep..
I lay there sometimes for hour s...I finally get up because I'm not sleepy, anymore. I stay up until I get really tired. I have OCD...Does this have anything to do with my my inability to go to sleep? My mind just won't shut up!!!!! I've used Melatonin...That made me wide awake, so I quit taking it...I don't know what to do!!!!!!!!!!
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From what Ive been reading this is not even used as a diagnosis anymore if it ever was (other than Dr Gupta in England) not sure if I had stated it or not already, over the last 2 months when falling asleep and waking Ive been dealing with these hypnic vibrations which brings me to this page. I wonder if this has to do with excess stress anxiety and the vagal response, I try to stay away from Social media and the divisive and stressful nature of its algorithms that try to promote engagement, and have recently started trying things like humming and massaging the vagal in the neck and breathing to try to calm the vagal nerve, and reduce the hyperactive feedback loop.
From Neurolaunch:
Anxiety and hypervigilance about bodily sensations can create a feedback loop that amplifies the perception of sleep vibrations. Individuals who are particularly attuned to their physical experiences may interpret normal physiological processes, such as the heartbeat or blood flow, as vibrations or tremors. This heightened focus on bodily sensations can lead to increased anxiety, which in turn may exacerbate the perceived vibrations.
@neetzeeberridge I also have issues with trying to turn it off, my mind just doesn't ever shut down and it becomes so stressful. Slow deep breathing specifically on the exhale, perhaps some yoga or meditation, relax 🙂 thoughts of the wonderful people you have met throughout the years, and those still in your life. I find socializing with kind human beings very helpful, no talks of politics and the things poisoning our minds (those are things that are not within our control) concentrate on the things that make you happy in the moment, and the things that are within your control, like diet, gut heath, exercise with a nice walk in a park or near water edge, spending time with the people you care about. They all have positive benefits on the vagal response and reduce or stop the activity of the sympathetic nervous system which is our fight or flight response to stress.
In my mid 60s- Work out and Healthy -I Had both shots that were required - 8 mos after had Covid and suffered for a full week--No Boosters-Had the 2 Pizer shots-about a year after I started having falling asleep and waking Vibrations-in Head and body-I got used to them but they scared me-Been to Dr a few times and she keeps saying its anxiety-tried alprozolam - Did not work--If I do outside work around the house and put a hard day in I sometimes will not get it-Im really worn out from this entering and waking from sleep Vibrations--any help will help. Thanks
I am same age as you and also healthy. I don't know if you have anxiety or not but I'm assuming your physician is just dead wrong, yeah that meds. not going to help unless it's due to anxiety. At one point my doc thought same thing, I can tell you, since retiring 4 yrs ago, my anxiety levels have never been lower. I think that's just a standard answer as physcians don't really understand this issue. My vibrations were due to benzo med. (klonopin) a sleep doc gave me, which messed me up big time. I've never been a good sleeper but I anticipated my sleep would improve after retiring, it didn't at first. So after seeing sleep specialist, his solution was to put me on this crap which caused my body vibrations for two years, even after stopping the med. All is back to normal now but just an example where an introduced med. can cause these issues in some people. Best of luck and hopefully they reside over time. I suspect they will.
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3 ReactionsTks-Still working on it-cut off caffene still same.
Are you taking estrogen as well as progesterone? I have found myself that without the progesterone (topically compounded 40mg a day dosage) 6 days a week, I get feelings of whole body vibrating and electrical shocks. This started at the age of 49. I started on compounded biest at age 51 (1 mg.) 6 days a week. I think that covid (being sick) stressed your body to the max and you might need a tad more estrogen and progesterone until your body regulates itself or that you are not on enough Estrogel/progesterone. Susan
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