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.

@carol1024

Omg....I'm keeping a journal since 2019 and I document "vibrations with pauses". I rate them on scale 1-10 and if they are like a 3 or 4 I can usually go back to sleep. If they are above that, I have to get up before they stop but yes it's so weird because the pauses coincide with your heartbeat. PLEASE isn't there somebody out there that's willing to take on this challenge to help find out what these internal vibrations are?
I didn't receive covid shot, ever. So they can start and rule out things. There HAS to be a common factor.
It's the vibrations that wake you up so there's really no telling how long they were going on before you actually wake up. I thought one of my cats jumped on the bed one night and I woke up and realized it was me vibrating. I had to get up they were at a level 10. They happen only AFTER I have been asleep.

Jump to this post

I’ve been having these sleep vibrations since April 2024. At first I thought a truck passed by and shook the house. It’s been happening every night for 4 weeks now . I can’t get much sleep and feel awful during the day . It’s very scary. I had my heart checked, but still think it’s cardiac related somehow.

REPLY
@vin01

I’ve been having these sleep vibrations since April 2024. At first I thought a truck passed by and shook the house. It’s been happening every night for 4 weeks now . I can’t get much sleep and feel awful during the day . It’s very scary. I had my heart checked, but still think it’s cardiac related somehow.

Jump to this post

Same here, but just a few months longer. If anything, mine seem to be getting stronger, although I did go through a period of about 10 days where the vibrations lessened. The vibrations sometimes come in waves, kind of feels like a cell phone vibrating inside of me. The 300 mg gabapentin reduces the strength of the vibrations, but not always and doesn’t last more than 3-4 hours. So in middle of night, I take a second one. I also take 5mg of melatonin but not sure if that helps. I am worried this will only get worse.

REPLY
@avril799

Interestingly, my vibrations have almost completely ceased. They had faded in severity over time & I haven’t noticed any in months, with the exception of my right hand. I am right-hand dominant, in case that matters—but I have not even the slightest hint of a tremor in my waking life with that hand. Also, I only notice it when I bend it to put it underneath my pillow. I can be sleeping on my side or my back & experience this tremor in my bent arm, either way. So, I’m happy that it’s now limited only to that part of my body & only in that position. I have gone months without these tremors (elsewhere in my body—mostly my neck & head) before they came back, nightly. But, as of now, I am almost completely sleep-tremor-free. I will note that I stopped drinking alcohol since last October-ish, and hadn’t thought about the connection with the tenors stopping, but maybe there’s something there.

Jump to this post

Not sure because I don't drink and mine have have also lessened within the last 3 months. On a scale of 1-10 I might be a 2 in the torso or pelvic area. Nothing really changed except I started taking coq10 because I take cholesterol meds and they deplete your body of coq10. I'm just glad they have gone away for now.

REPLY
@vin01

I’ve been having these sleep vibrations since April 2024. At first I thought a truck passed by and shook the house. It’s been happening every night for 4 weeks now . I can’t get much sleep and feel awful during the day . It’s very scary. I had my heart checked, but still think it’s cardiac related somehow.

Jump to this post

I had all the heart related tests too. Not cardiac related. Mine has lessened over the last few months to maybe 1 or 2 a month and then only about a 2 on scale of 1-10. I do take cholesterol meds and that depletes the body of coq10 so I started taking that several months ago. It is more annoying than scary for me and I might add also that I had a sleep apnea test done couple years ago only to see if it would pick up anything but it didn't. It did show I had mild sleep apnea and I have a nasal cpap. I used it religiously for first 6 months then slacked off. I might use it now about 4 times a week. Not sure why the vibrations have all but stopped but after having them for about 4 or so years, I'm not complaining. I might have 1 or 2 a month in the torso or pelvic area but that's it. I may add though that the upper rib area on both sides of my back has been very painful for a few months. Almost like I overworked those muscles. I have an MRI scheduled next month for back issues. I honestly believe it's a neurological issue with a certain nerve to do with the brain. Ask about a sleep test to see if it'll pick up something, mine didn't though. I also wore a heart monitor for a month and it didn't pick up anything either. I have palpitations bad and had to press a button whenever I had one. Although it seemed like I had a lot of them, he said I only had them 1% of the time. I take 1000mg of magnesium too. Cardiologist recommended it and they have been almost non existent for a few months. Hope you find some answers soon. Nothing like feeling like you have swallowed a vibrator. Also, it's the vibrations that wake people up. Most say they have them upon waking etc but it's the other way around. The vibrations are so strong that they wake you up. Used to, I could turn over and they would go away. They were worse when I lay on my back.

REPLY
@bjmetz

Hello, I am a 34f Canadian, at his began happening to me after I received my covid vaccine. Only happens upon waking, when my body is coming out of sleep, my chest gently vibrates for about 2-3 minutes or until I wake or go back to sleep. When I am conscious of it, it stalls” every few seconds or so with my heartbeat. No idea what it is, I don’t like it though 🙁

Jump to this post

Yeah I call those vibrations with pauses because it feels like your heart actually stops for that brief second. I would LOVE it if someone could do a study of some sort. Mine isn't covid related because I haven't received a vaccine nor have I had covid.

REPLY

@cst, what tests did the neurologist order? Thank you for sharing this, because I have also been referred to neuro.

REPLY
@sitta

@cst, what tests did the neurologist order? Thank you for sharing this, because I have also been referred to neuro.

Jump to this post

Neurologist ordered nerve conduction study and following labs (blood work), which has thus far come back normal:

ANA with reflex to panel if positive

Angiotensin Converting Enzyme

Anti Neutrophilic Cytoplasmic Antibodies

Cryoglobulin

Glucose Tolerance 2 Hour

HIV 1 and 2 Antigen and Antibodies

Immunofixation with Interpretation, Blood

Lyme Antibody-Serum (Total)

SSA and SSB Antibodies, IgG

REPLY
@cst

Neurologist ordered nerve conduction study and following labs (blood work), which has thus far come back normal:

ANA with reflex to panel if positive

Angiotensin Converting Enzyme

Anti Neutrophilic Cytoplasmic Antibodies

Cryoglobulin

Glucose Tolerance 2 Hour

HIV 1 and 2 Antigen and Antibodies

Immunofixation with Interpretation, Blood

Lyme Antibody-Serum (Total)

SSA and SSB Antibodies, IgG

Jump to this post

@cst, good to know. thanks! So, it remains a mystery then.

REPLY
@sitta

@cst, good to know. thanks! So, it remains a mystery then.

Jump to this post

So far idiopathic.. still getting neg results.

REPLY

Felt this after abstaining from alcohol

REPLY
Please sign in or register to post a reply.