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 !

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Profile picture for ckevlin @ckevlin

Hey all, this might seem kind of out there… but I had the same experience the other night and it scared me because it was so loud and my whole body was vibrating. It was definitely not a dream.

As I researched it, I came across a book called “Journeys out of the body” by robert monroe. He had the exact same experience and then ended up studying the phenomena on himself and documenting it for years. He started the Monroe Institute and offers courses on understanding this phenomena.

It made me feel much less alone, or crazy! Definitely worth a read and exploration for the open minded.

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@ckevlin yeah. It always happens for me in the morning around 4:00am as awareness is transitioning from dream state to physical waking state. It’s a very interesting sensation. Very loud in a full body energetic way. Obviously there isn’t any actual sound but static / humming and ringing sounds might be the best way to describe the sound. Floating and weightless would be the physical feeling that accompanies the vibration. It does feel as if one could float away.

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