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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Just updating but since I have been taking 1 400mg gabapentin, I haven't had vibrations for over a month. There was 1 morning they were just beginning but were at a level 1-2. I'm very satisfied.
Hello All, I now have my MRI and lumbar xrays. My neck and spine doctor explained the images to me and have evaluated that I have problems in my neck just at the base of my skull. I have spurs and degeneration problems with my C4,5, and 6. I also have compression and narrowing of my spine in the L areas. I also have a mild scoliosis. Dr. Ross Hauser has a video in Youtube that really explained these internal tremors and my case is exactly what he presented in the video. I did not take any medication and the vibrations has diminished significantly. I just exercise and stretched everyday.
I myself too almost went to the emergency room because when I feel the vibration, I have a panic attack
that aggravates the symptoms. Now when I feel the vibrations, I try to relax and do the deep breathing exercise to calm myself down because when you panic you feel like you are going to have a heart attack.
Please go on Youtube and watch Dr. Ross Hauser's video : " Internal Tremors, whole body vibrations, & the connection to neck instability and spinal cord tension"
Hi, Just come across your post from August 2022.
I really sympathise with you and can relate to all that you are experiencing!
Although by this time I hope your symptoms have improved!
My symptoms (same as yours) started after my 3rd Covid Vaccine - I had two Pfizer but the last one was Moderna.
I had a particularly bad session on waking this morning - so much so that I checked my heart via pulse oximeter. I felt the vibrations/inner tremors were making my neck pulse. Heart readings were all good - which is a relief - but this still need a diagnosis as to what is happening to me. It's not painful and subsides about 15/20 minutes after I am up and about in the mornings BUT I would just like some answers!
I am female, 69 years old and fairly active and healthy - other than these internal vibrations.
Got a doctors appointment tomorrow to check out my bloods - just would like a definite answer as to what is going on!
Take care!
My neurologist thinks internal vibrations are coming from the brain and associated with central nervous system. The 400mg gabapentin daily seem to be helping. Haven't had them for a month. Maybe 1 or 2 at a level 2 out of 10. Tolerable.
HI Thanks for responding. My symptoms have improve but the vibrations are still there when I sleep on my side. My vibrations are positional or as they call postural. When I am awakened by the vibrations, I shift my position and it goes away. When I wake up and stand up, it is gone. I really have no pain but sometimes when I lift heavy things I get spasms and I just take Aleve. Before I use to panic when I feel these vibrations which literally made it worse. Now I am calm and it is not that bad. I stretch and exercise, walk and do breathing exercises that really helps. My neck and spine doctor also prescribed me 8 sessions of PT which I will start next week. I only had the first 2 vaccines (Moderna) and I did not have those boosters. I had COVID last December of 2022. I have done extensive research on this and one of the causes could be sudden drop of estrogen at our age. I am 66.5 yrs old. I will not take hormonal replacement. Dehydration can also be one cause and of course the neck and spine degeneration. I have not take any neuropathic pain medication or any medication. I sometimes take GABA if I am nervous or stressed to calm me down. Kindly also post what you will find out from your doctor. thanks,
Hello Carol, I take every evening 1 Gabapentin 100mg and two drops of Rivotril (Clonazepam) and I sleep well. Some light vibrations when I wake up or during the night but that's all.
Thanks to @ddt2d : very interesting video, and as I had a cervical hernia and a bad posture, stretching my neck is a good advice, doing it every day.
I don't know if I'll soon see results but at my age (50) stretching is good for arthritis.
This is interesting reading as I have been having many of the symptoms reported here. I was very active & in good health before taking the Covid shots. Since shortly after taking the first shot, followed by the other three, I have had many problems. First new onset A fib, hearing loss, & vibrations at night. My hearing happened pretty quickly over about a two year period. The A fib also happened over a fairly short time but with increasing regularity. The problems with vibrations began around the same time as the other, gradually more noticeable. Sometimes they are severe & at other times not so strong. It took me a while to figure out just when all these problems began, but I finally noticed, after re- checking doctor & hospital visits, it was about the time I started on the covid injections. I was never diagnosed or had any virus symptoms. I have always been in relatively excellent health. I am older so it could be a combination of things. I was relieved to know it wasn’t only me with these symptoms. So it is a puzzle.
Hi Everyone, I got all my lab and imaging results and analyzed by my neurologist and neck and spine doctor. I have not brain problems except he saw white dots in my brain signifying high sugar. I am pre=diabetic but my a1c is only 5.8 so my doctors did not put me in diabetic medication yet. I am really watching my diet. My neck MRI showed cerebral disks depleted. My lumbar is almost losing its curve... so was my neck. These are pressing on my neck nerves and spine nerves now. My doctors said these can cause some feeling of vibrations because of core instability. I was advised NOT to lift heavy stuff to avoid further damage in these areas. I have been going to PT and the buzzing have almost ceased. At PT they also found a big muscle knot deep inside my shoulder blade on the left and the PT is trying to release that knot but it is very painful and my shoulder swelled the next day.
When he release and tried to deep massage to break the know the pain ran to my jaw, ears and head--- this then fixed my tinnitus. I am now still continuing my PT to correct my bad posture and spine.
This has really helped me, I have had epilepsy since birth. I feel like I had a target on my back as far as getting some type of reaction to Covid from it. I started getting the vibrating in bed it last all night, I really is unsettling because it starts and stop. It will go fast then slow it starts playing with your mind. It also does it while I'm awake,working at my desk. I'm going to request some brain scans from my neurologist, I also smell phantom smoke every so many days. It all makes you feel crazy.
Can I ask what specific exercises you did for your neck that improved your symptoms?