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Rhythmic Movement Disorder, Can't take it anymore
Hello,
Is there anyone, I mean anyone, out there that has rhythmic movement disorder? I have been violently thrashing my body and head, laterally while asleep or mostly somewhat asleep since I can remember. I am 30 now. It use to consume maybe an hour or two a night but now it is getting drastically worse. I find myself doing it or am told that I, "rock", 4-5 hours a night. Apparently kids grow out of this and the remainder that carry this disorder into their adult lives are autistic or mentally challenged, which I am neither. My doctor prescribed me clonazepam, which does not work and I'm not taking an addictive, benzodiazepine for the rest of my life.
Does anyone relate to my problem and if so what treatments have worked for you? I'm going to go insane!
Is there anyone, I mean anyone, out there that has rhythmic movement disorder? I have been violently thrashing my body and head, laterally while asleep or mostly somewhat asleep since I can remember. I am 30 now. It use to consume maybe an hour or two a night but now it is getting drastically worse. I find myself doing it or am told that I, "rock", 4-5 hours a night. Apparently kids grow out of this and the remainder that carry this disorder into their adult lives are autistic or mentally challenged, which I am neither. My doctor prescribed me clonazepam, which does not work and I'm not taking an addictive, benzodiazepine for the rest of my life.
Does anyone relate to my problem and if so what treatments have worked for you? I'm going to go insane!
Hi everyone,
I'm 30 and been rocking my head/body to sleep since i was a baby. It has never really caused any problems for me. As a child I shared a room with my brothers and it annoyed the crap out of my older brother, so he would get me to stop, so i would wait till he was asleep and rock away. Fast forward to now, I'm married and have a 3 year old (who does not rock her head). I think the rocking annoys my wife a bit, but not too much. As i learned from childhood, I try not to rock much when she is awake. I find it to be semi-voluntary, most of the time i know I'm doing it or do it on purpose, but some times i find my head rocking without consciously starting to do it. I can go for long periods where i stop myself from doing it, but have found that its not really worth the bother.
Trying to describe why i do it to someone else is difficult, as i don't really know why i do it. But if i had to try i would say that there is a kind of pressure/stiffness at the base of my skull/back of neck and rocking relaxes that feeling. Also a good strong massage of the neck helps me.
Anyway to conclude, I have gotten used to it and it doesn't hinder my life in any way, nor does it seems to have caused any brain damage:) I haven't ever tried to find a medical solution to this and don't think its worth taking drugs over. Some of you may have a stronger/worse case and it might aversely affect your life and I hope you find a solution that works for you.
A good night to you all!
Erik
I'm 30 and been rocking my head/body to sleep since i was a baby. It has never really caused any problems for me. As a child I shared a room with my brothers and it annoyed the crap out of my older brother, so he would get me to stop, so i would wait till he was asleep and rock away. Fast forward to now, I'm married and have a 3 year old (who does not rock her head). I think the rocking annoys my wife a bit, but not too much. As i learned from childhood, I try not to rock much when she is awake. I find it to be semi-voluntary, most of the time i know I'm doing it or do it on purpose, but some times i find my head rocking without consciously starting to do it. I can go for long periods where i stop myself from doing it, but have found that its not really worth the bother.
Trying to describe why i do it to someone else is difficult, as i don't really know why i do it. But if i had to try i would say that there is a kind of pressure/stiffness at the base of my skull/back of neck and rocking relaxes that feeling. Also a good strong massage of the neck helps me.
Anyway to conclude, I have gotten used to it and it doesn't hinder my life in any way, nor does it seems to have caused any brain damage:) I haven't ever tried to find a medical solution to this and don't think its worth taking drugs over. Some of you may have a stronger/worse case and it might aversely affect your life and I hope you find a solution that works for you.
A good night to you all!
Erik
Hi there,
Just came across this web site by accident, I'm 46 & have been rocking my bed for as long as I can remember.
I honestly thought I was the only one & was a complete weirdo, I've been through so many relationships because I've tried to hide it from my girlfriends, how do you explain to someone that you're a grown man but you rock the bed.
when I was younger I was hyperactive (think that's now called ADHD) but my family didn't know any better so they used to batter (hit me) to stop me from being so hyper. I was repeatedly beaten or so I been told, as I fell heavily when I was 10 & seriously fractured my skull (frontal lobe). I don't know if this has anything to do with the way I am now but I totally lost my memory & have no recollection of my younger years.
I also have Restless Leg Sydrome & have been given Mirapixen & also Dyhydramine (sleeping tablets) to help me sleep, I also take a combination of Cocodamol & Anti inflammatries to help me sleep but still struggle most night to get a good night sleep & I stick rock myself to sleep most night.
Since coming across this site I'm going to go & see my doctor & find out if there is anything else they can do to help, as I'm in the UK we have the NHS so hopefully it shouldn't cost me too much but too be honest I'd sell my house for a good night sleep.
So glad to know I'm not alone & there are at least another few others out there like me.
All the best to all of you in your search for a good nights sleep.
Kevin
Just came across this web site by accident, I'm 46 & have been rocking my bed for as long as I can remember.
I honestly thought I was the only one & was a complete weirdo, I've been through so many relationships because I've tried to hide it from my girlfriends, how do you explain to someone that you're a grown man but you rock the bed.
when I was younger I was hyperactive (think that's now called ADHD) but my family didn't know any better so they used to batter (hit me) to stop me from being so hyper. I was repeatedly beaten or so I been told, as I fell heavily when I was 10 & seriously fractured my skull (frontal lobe). I don't know if this has anything to do with the way I am now but I totally lost my memory & have no recollection of my younger years.
I also have Restless Leg Sydrome & have been given Mirapixen & also Dyhydramine (sleeping tablets) to help me sleep, I also take a combination of Cocodamol & Anti inflammatries to help me sleep but still struggle most night to get a good night sleep & I stick rock myself to sleep most night.
Since coming across this site I'm going to go & see my doctor & find out if there is anything else they can do to help, as I'm in the UK we have the NHS so hopefully it shouldn't cost me too much but too be honest I'd sell my house for a good night sleep.
So glad to know I'm not alone & there are at least another few others out there like me.
All the best to all of you in your search for a good nights sleep.
Kevin
Except for the age I stopped, this was exactly my experience. It means a lot to me to read so many other people do the same thing - I really thought I was the only one for my whole life, or had some undiagnosed condition of some kind. For myself it had a calming effect, but was also hypnotic and sometimes gave my thoughts a daydreaming feeling, and other times a more obsessively analytical bent.
At first I rocked at night in my sleep (or trying to get to sleep?) but later on I would do it to music. Same as a lot of posters have described - I did it when I felt happy, or distressed or anxious, or for no real reason. I felt I was able to let something out of me or feel something that couldn't come out any other way. I would listen very closely to music when I rocked, sometimes playing a song I liked over and over (I've been a musician since I was about 12). I was humiliated a few times in my life when family or friends found me doing it - I always tried to be very careful and hid it from friends or girlfriends. I went through a few periods of depression or stress where it intensified - I guess because of the soothing nature. The desire for it would stop when I was in relationships and living with someone, but would always come back when I was alone.
I don't know why exactly but it stopped when I was 42. I have a wonderful partner and a young daughter, so perhaps this has something to do with it. But another thing that changed around that time is I started doing traditional Rinzai zazen every day (maybe 20 minutes/half hour every day). I won't go into zazen here, but I really wonder if something about this meditation practice changed something on a deeper level. I don't personally think rocking is a 'condition' or something to be medicated away - the shame bad feelings about it come more from all the social things.
I'm blown away to read everyone's stories here!
At first I rocked at night in my sleep (or trying to get to sleep?) but later on I would do it to music. Same as a lot of posters have described - I did it when I felt happy, or distressed or anxious, or for no real reason. I felt I was able to let something out of me or feel something that couldn't come out any other way. I would listen very closely to music when I rocked, sometimes playing a song I liked over and over (I've been a musician since I was about 12). I was humiliated a few times in my life when family or friends found me doing it - I always tried to be very careful and hid it from friends or girlfriends. I went through a few periods of depression or stress where it intensified - I guess because of the soothing nature. The desire for it would stop when I was in relationships and living with someone, but would always come back when I was alone.
I don't know why exactly but it stopped when I was 42. I have a wonderful partner and a young daughter, so perhaps this has something to do with it. But another thing that changed around that time is I started doing traditional Rinzai zazen every day (maybe 20 minutes/half hour every day). I won't go into zazen here, but I really wonder if something about this meditation practice changed something on a deeper level. I don't personally think rocking is a 'condition' or something to be medicated away - the shame bad feelings about it come more from all the social things.
I'm blown away to read everyone's stories here!
My mom had the same problem where she would lay on her stomach and bang her head on her pillow to sleep she tried to fix it my just moving her leg then her toes then she ended up stopping all together but my sister ended up having it as well she has tried time and time again to stop but hasnt been able to find a way how shes also perfectly normal and recived good grades in school. At the moment im trying to major in behavior health and am trying to gather more information for my thesis about people who have had this problem passed down threw lineage without a mental disorter like autism being involved if you could please give me more info on your and your sisters condition you can email me at ***@****
I am 36 years old. After an all night session of body rolling, i would wake up and my hair would look like Medusa. Actually earning myself the nickname as a teenager from my friends. I seem to get plenty of rest even with my body rolling. However, in the past few years, i have been in a car accident that created a narrowing of my spinal chord at the base of my neck. This body rolling has to stop as i wake up every day in terrible pain all through my back. This pain does subside throughout the day, but i wonder what damages I am causing to my body at this time. When i went to a chiropractor for the first time ever, he took x-rays and found that i was lacking any curvature to my neck and lower spine. It is unclear if this is caused by the body rolling or the car accident. I have always had stiff muscles in my neck and upper back most likely relating to my sleeping movements and lack of ability for those muscles to rest while i am asleep.
I have been into herbs since i was a teenager, and have tried several of them as sleep aids. Very few of them worked. Melatonin worked for a day then the next I was back to "rocking". I have tried over the counter sleep aids, the effects were always short lived. maybe a night or two. I took a temazepam once and woke up groggy and hungover for the better part of the following day. wont be doing that again. But to get to the point... I saw something about rick simpson oil having an effect on involuntary movements of parkinson's disease, which my grandmother had... and an effect muscle spasms, and inflamation reduction which i suffer from on a chronic level given my spinal damage, and decided to try it. I do not live in a state where marijuana is legal, so i took the next best approach... I ordered in Hemp tea from europe and made the oil with it. Hemp is the same species as the pot plant but is a variety that contains little or no thc therefore it is f\perfectly legal in all 50 states. It contains a compound called cbd and another called cbn. These two compounds are the medicine behind medical marijuana. I have included this oil into 2 forms that I use daily. i make drops from the oil by mixing the thick tar like sludge into vegetable glycerin and drop under my tongue int he morning. and i add it to my e-liquid (no nicotine) for use in my e-cig for all day use in vapor form. It has taken me about 3 weeks from the time i started using it to start to see results. I am now in week 4 of "treatment" of course self prescribed.... and i have not looked like medusa for the last 3 days when i wake up in the morning. My boyfriend has said he has slept better too since I have been doing this. Maybe this will help you too.
I have been into herbs since i was a teenager, and have tried several of them as sleep aids. Very few of them worked. Melatonin worked for a day then the next I was back to "rocking". I have tried over the counter sleep aids, the effects were always short lived. maybe a night or two. I took a temazepam once and woke up groggy and hungover for the better part of the following day. wont be doing that again. But to get to the point... I saw something about rick simpson oil having an effect on involuntary movements of parkinson's disease, which my grandmother had... and an effect muscle spasms, and inflamation reduction which i suffer from on a chronic level given my spinal damage, and decided to try it. I do not live in a state where marijuana is legal, so i took the next best approach... I ordered in Hemp tea from europe and made the oil with it. Hemp is the same species as the pot plant but is a variety that contains little or no thc therefore it is f\perfectly legal in all 50 states. It contains a compound called cbd and another called cbn. These two compounds are the medicine behind medical marijuana. I have included this oil into 2 forms that I use daily. i make drops from the oil by mixing the thick tar like sludge into vegetable glycerin and drop under my tongue int he morning. and i add it to my e-liquid (no nicotine) for use in my e-cig for all day use in vapor form. It has taken me about 3 weeks from the time i started using it to start to see results. I am now in week 4 of "treatment" of course self prescribed.... and i have not looked like medusa for the last 3 days when i wake up in the morning. My boyfriend has said he has slept better too since I have been doing this. Maybe this will help you too.
I am 36 years old. After an all night session of body rolling, i would wake up and my hair would look like Medusa. Actually earning myself the nickname as a teenager from my friends. I seem to get plenty of rest even with my body rolling. However, in the past few years, i have been in a car accident that created a narrowing of my spinal chord at the base of my neck. This body rolling has to stop as i wake up every day in terrible pain all through my back. This pain does subside throughout the day, but i wonder what damages I am causing to my body at this time. When i went to a chiropractor for the first time ever, he took x-rays and found that i was lacking any curvature to my neck and lower spine. It is unclear if this is caused by the body rolling or the car accident. I have always had stiff muscles in my neck and upper back most likely relating to my sleeping movements and lack of ability for those muscles to rest while i am asleep.
I have been into herbs since i was a teenager, and have tried several of them as sleep aids. Very few of them worked. Melatonin worked for a day then the next I was back to "rocking". I have tried over the counter sleep aids, the effects were always short lived. maybe a night or two. I took a temazepam once and woke up groggy and hungover for the better part of the following day. wont be doing that again. But to get to the point... I saw something about rick simpson oil having an effect on involuntary movements of parkinson's disease, which my grandmother had... and an effect muscle spasms, and inflamation reduction which i suffer from on a chronic level given my spinal damage, and decided to try it. I do not live in a state where marijuana is legal, so i took the next best approach... I ordered in Hemp tea from europe and made the oil with it. Hemp is the same species as the pot plant but is a variety that contains little or no thc therefore it is f\perfectly legal in all 50 states. It contains a compound called cbd and another called cbn. These two compounds are the medicine behind medical marijuana. I have included this oil into 2 forms that I use daily. i make drops from the oil by mixing the thick tar like sludge into vegetable glycerin and drop under my tongue int he morning. and i add it to my e-liquid (no nicotine) for use in my e-cig for all day use in vapor form. It has taken me about 3 weeks from the time i started using it to start to see results. I am now in week 4 of "treatment" of course self prescribed.... and i have not looked like medusa for the last 3 days when i wake up in the morning. My boyfriend has said he has slept better too since I have been doing this. Maybe this will help you too.
I have been into herbs since i was a teenager, and have tried several of them as sleep aids. Very few of them worked. Melatonin worked for a day then the next I was back to "rocking". I have tried over the counter sleep aids, the effects were always short lived. maybe a night or two. I took a temazepam once and woke up groggy and hungover for the better part of the following day. wont be doing that again. But to get to the point... I saw something about rick simpson oil having an effect on involuntary movements of parkinson's disease, which my grandmother had... and an effect muscle spasms, and inflamation reduction which i suffer from on a chronic level given my spinal damage, and decided to try it. I do not live in a state where marijuana is legal, so i took the next best approach... I ordered in Hemp tea from europe and made the oil with it. Hemp is the same species as the pot plant but is a variety that contains little or no thc therefore it is f\perfectly legal in all 50 states. It contains a compound called cbd and another called cbn. These two compounds are the medicine behind medical marijuana. I have included this oil into 2 forms that I use daily. i make drops from the oil by mixing the thick tar like sludge into vegetable glycerin and drop under my tongue int he morning. and i add it to my e-liquid (no nicotine) for use in my e-cig for all day use in vapor form. It has taken me about 3 weeks from the time i started using it to start to see results. I am now in week 4 of "treatment" of course self prescribed.... and i have not looked like medusa for the last 3 days when i wake up in the morning. My boyfriend has said he has slept better too since I have been doing this. Maybe this will help you too.
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