Aa
floating sensation during sleep
Night before last I woke up 9-10 times with the sensation you get when you drive over a large bump in the road too quickly, or when you pass over the high points of a roller coaster. I'm wondering if my heart is skipping a beat, or have I stopped breathing and I'm waking up trying to catch my breath? I've had some issues with chest pain lately, and they haven't found anything yet. They still have to do the stress test and ultrasound. Has anyone else experienced the "floating" sensation I am talking about? It's strong enough that it wakes me up.
Sounds like a type of Hypnic Jerk. Here is some info on it, it sounds like what you are describing. I hope it helps:
Jolted Awake When Falling Asleep…
If you’re unsure if you’ve ever experienced a hypnic jerk, then ask yourself this question:
Have you ever woken up with a sudden jolt just as you’ve started falling asleep? Or maybe it felt like you were falling?
It could be that it felt like you were having a huge muscle spasm. You may have even felt a small shock sensation or a bouncing feeling.
Perhaps it was even your partner that was experiencing it, and this in itself startled you back to consciousness.
It could be then (though not necessarily) that you experienced a hypnic jerk. And if so, you’re certainly not alone.
It’s estimated that around 70% of people experience hypnic jerks at some point in their lives. I know I definitely have.
Different names
The world of sleep can be confusing, and there’s no exception when it comes to the hypnic jerk. Confusing because it’s also sometimes called by one of the following names:
•Night starts.
•Sleep starts.
•Hypnagogic jerk – hypnagogic being a term used to describe the period of time when falling asleep.
•Myoclonus, or myoclonic jerk – technically this is the medical term to describe an involuntary muscle twitch.
So what is a hypnic jerk exactly?
A hypnic jerk is an involuntary twitching of a muscle, or muscles (the myoclonus as mentioned above). They usually occur just as you’re falling asleep. This is referred to scientifically as the hypnagogic state of consciousness.
This is why they are sometimes call hypnagogic jerks – because you most commonly experience them when falling asleep.
Note that hypnic is also a shortened version of the word ‘hypnagogic’. So you can see why there are all these possible expressions to describe the same thing.
When you experience a hypnic jerk it often causes you to wake up suddenly. When you wake up you may feel like you’re experiencing the sensation of falling or jolting.
Note that the muscle twitching you experience also occurs in other situations. For example hiccups are also muscle twitches.
That strange time of the night
It’s during this phase of falling asleep that several unusual phenomenon may take place. For example we discussed in a previous article the various sleep paralysis experiences people have. Those often come with bizarre or frightening hallucinations, or even out-of-body experiences.
Luckily there’s nothing to be worried about – hypnic jerks along with these other phenomenon are not dangerous. They may be unsettling or frightening, but you don’t need to fear going to sleep just because they may happen to you.
Jolted Awake When Falling Asleep…
If you’re unsure if you’ve ever experienced a hypnic jerk, then ask yourself this question:
Have you ever woken up with a sudden jolt just as you’ve started falling asleep? Or maybe it felt like you were falling?
It could be that it felt like you were having a huge muscle spasm. You may have even felt a small shock sensation or a bouncing feeling.
Perhaps it was even your partner that was experiencing it, and this in itself startled you back to consciousness.
It could be then (though not necessarily) that you experienced a hypnic jerk. And if so, you’re certainly not alone.
It’s estimated that around 70% of people experience hypnic jerks at some point in their lives. I know I definitely have.
Different names
The world of sleep can be confusing, and there’s no exception when it comes to the hypnic jerk. Confusing because it’s also sometimes called by one of the following names:
•Night starts.
•Sleep starts.
•Hypnagogic jerk – hypnagogic being a term used to describe the period of time when falling asleep.
•Myoclonus, or myoclonic jerk – technically this is the medical term to describe an involuntary muscle twitch.
So what is a hypnic jerk exactly?
A hypnic jerk is an involuntary twitching of a muscle, or muscles (the myoclonus as mentioned above). They usually occur just as you’re falling asleep. This is referred to scientifically as the hypnagogic state of consciousness.
This is why they are sometimes call hypnagogic jerks – because you most commonly experience them when falling asleep.
Note that hypnic is also a shortened version of the word ‘hypnagogic’. So you can see why there are all these possible expressions to describe the same thing.
When you experience a hypnic jerk it often causes you to wake up suddenly. When you wake up you may feel like you’re experiencing the sensation of falling or jolting.
Note that the muscle twitching you experience also occurs in other situations. For example hiccups are also muscle twitches.
That strange time of the night
It’s during this phase of falling asleep that several unusual phenomenon may take place. For example we discussed in a previous article the various sleep paralysis experiences people have. Those often come with bizarre or frightening hallucinations, or even out-of-body experiences.
Luckily there’s nothing to be worried about – hypnic jerks along with these other phenomenon are not dangerous. They may be unsettling or frightening, but you don’t need to fear going to sleep just because they may happen to you.
This ounds like what happens when dreaming of falling - it causes your body to physically 'jump', almost as if you just 'landed' in bed. And it always wakes ME up - but I have not experienced this 10 times in one night! Sounds to me like you are not going fully into a sleep state, but remaining in a partially wakeful state. If this were me, I would go purchase an OTC sleep aid (if you havn't already tried this). Melatonin works best, as it is a chemical your brain produces around bed time, making you tired. If you are not producing enough of this chemical, sleeping can be an unhappy attempt at rest. 2mg of the melatonin is good. Higher mgs don't work any better and can cause nightmares. Only take melatonin when you have time to sleep at least 8 hours. Good thing about this - it's all natural, and won't give you that 'drugged' feeling in the morning.
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