Body vibrations when falling asleep or waking?

Posted by cricketlips @cricketlips, Jun 2, 2022

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 !

Interested in more discussions like this? Go to the Sleep Health Support Group.

I also experience daily tremors, anytime between 2am and waking up. They are most noticeable when laying on my back but also happen when laying on the side and seem to affect my torso only. Since appearing several months ago, after I had all my 4 Covd shots, they did not go away since. Alcohol consumption seems to make the tremors stronger but even when not drinking at all they do not disappear. They feel roughly like an electric toothbrush when switched on and interestingly they are not exactly continous. Every few seconds they stop for a fraction of a second. My GP ordered blood tests which all came back fine. I have gotten used to the sensation but would love to know what causes it, so I will keep monitoring this forum. But reading through many of the comments here I don't think anyone has yet come up with a satisfactory explanation.

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@jurgeno

I also experience daily tremors, anytime between 2am and waking up. They are most noticeable when laying on my back but also happen when laying on the side and seem to affect my torso only. Since appearing several months ago, after I had all my 4 Covd shots, they did not go away since. Alcohol consumption seems to make the tremors stronger but even when not drinking at all they do not disappear. They feel roughly like an electric toothbrush when switched on and interestingly they are not exactly continous. Every few seconds they stop for a fraction of a second. My GP ordered blood tests which all came back fine. I have gotten used to the sensation but would love to know what causes it, so I will keep monitoring this forum. But reading through many of the comments here I don't think anyone has yet come up with a satisfactory explanation.

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At least you know you are not alone. Mine sound pretty much like you descibed. 5 months now, hopefully they end at some point but I suspect they affected the nervous system but not sure why they persist almost exclusively at night? Best of luck, I guess they'll figure this out one day soon.

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I’ve been taking Buspirone fir sleep/anxiety for about 1 week. I have intermittent nausea during the day & stomach aches every morning upon waking. Do these side effects eventually subside? Any input would be appreciated.

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I am encouraged that other people experience these vibrations! Yay, I'm not crazy!! Mine happen only occasionally ...always just as I am starting to fall asleep and don't last for more than 5 minutes at any given time...full body including legs. Last night was the first time I experienced them while falling asleep on my couch watching tv...it wasn't a planned nap I just suddenly got really tired and as I was drifting off I thought the house was shaking...then realized it was a slightly more severe version of the body vibrations. I did fall asleep in spite of them. I haven't been able to relate them to any food/beverage/activity prior to the occurrence...they just come seemingly at random. I would love to know the cause!

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I have experienced the same vibration feelings for over two years, every single night. I described it to many doctors like sitting in an old car at idle. Just rhythmically spasming in my neck and shoulders when I am lying down to sleep but most intensely when I awake. Still wakes me up every morning. I can’t feel the spasms when I put my hand on the area and when I stretch my neck straight sometimes it will go away enough to fall back asleep but won’t go fully away until I sit up then like magic it’s gone. I’ve seen a NP, Neurologist, Natropath and Chiropractor and no one can seem to figure it out. They’re always telling me it’s anxiety( haven’t tried anxiety meds for it yet) but they have thrown a bunch of other meds and pills at it with no change. History is I was in a car accident 25 years ago and was diagnosed with chronic neck pain so I have always popped my neck. My initial thought was I’ve worn down the muscles and tendons but MRI came back basically normal. At this point I’ve convinced myself I have some terrible terminal disease and this will never go away. Helps knowing I’m not the only one suffering these symptoms and no one has gotten terrible diagnosis, but I sure wish there was a fix and answers out there.

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Hello @jjdove and @k8tb8t, Welcome to Connect. You are both so right that it helps to know you are not alone on this journey. While I don't have the internal vibrations, I found Connect when searching for answers for my neuropathy and was comforted knowing I was not alone. There are quite a few other discussions you may want to look at to see if anything sounds familiar or might help:

-- Has anyone experienced internal vibrations?
https://connect.mayoclinic.org/discussion/internal-viberations/
-- Internal vibrations/crawling:
https://connect.mayoclinic.org/discussion/internal-vibrationscrawling/
-- Internal vibration with "nerve firing":
https://connect.mayoclinic.org/discussion/internal-vibration-with-nerve-firing/
-- Internal tremors: What specialist helped you?
https://connect.mayoclinic.org/discussion/internal-tremors/
-- Internal Body Tremors and Tinnitus:
https://connect.mayoclinic.org/discussion/internal-body-tremors-and-tinnitus/

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I remember nerves jumping in my body when I was employed and when I was trying to rest at night. Sometimes even jolting me awake at times. Usually just before going off to sleep. My husband as well has had it. I’m retired now but I still notice it occasionally. My husband though and even with being retired still has it and a lot more then when we were first married. He is 75. We have been married for over 40 years. A Neurologist has him on Primidone (I’m not sure of the spelling) I think it’s called and he was dx’d as having Essential Tremors. It has decreased alot since being on that medication. I have read that it can be a prelude to Parkinson’s.

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@jjdove

I am encouraged that other people experience these vibrations! Yay, I'm not crazy!! Mine happen only occasionally ...always just as I am starting to fall asleep and don't last for more than 5 minutes at any given time...full body including legs. Last night was the first time I experienced them while falling asleep on my couch watching tv...it wasn't a planned nap I just suddenly got really tired and as I was drifting off I thought the house was shaking...then realized it was a slightly more severe version of the body vibrations. I did fall asleep in spite of them. I haven't been able to relate them to any food/beverage/activity prior to the occurrence...they just come seemingly at random. I would love to know the cause!

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Did yours start after recovering from Covid as you didn't mention this? I will tell you, I do get these vibrations while taking a brief nap as well, and it generally seems worse than during nighttime sleep. Not sure why. I don't do naps too often but try to avoid them at all at this point.

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I’ve been experiencing body buzzing for over a year. It doesn’t bother me, there are no jerks or zaps. It feels more like a small electrical current running through me as I sleep. Im aware of it when I am drifting off and waking up and moving in the night. I find it interesting that many people are experiencing this and wouldn’t be surprised if it is Covid/vaccine/spike protein related. I got both shots 18 months ago and had Covid. My cranial practitioner has found inflammation in many of my body systems and lymph nodes not draining. One knuckle in my finger got really swollen and stiff and I thought it was arthritis but she did body work on me and said it was inflammation from spike protein and she’s seeing it in her patients. She was able to clear it for me. But back to the buzzing - I’ll be reading more. Glad to hear I’m not the only one.

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@arthur57

Did yours start after recovering from Covid as you didn't mention this? I will tell you, I do get these vibrations while taking a brief nap as well, and it generally seems worse than during nighttime sleep. Not sure why. I don't do naps too often but try to avoid them at all at this point.

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I've had them for years...off and on. I did have Covid in 2020 but didn't notice any increased frequency of the vibrations during or following that.

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