Feels Like My Heart Stops, I Jolt Awake. Extremely Terrifying

[Steve1990]

It's comfortingh finding and reading threads like these, as I'm laying here 6 in the morning with another night of terror. I recognize a lot of the symptoms mentioned here.

For me, I feel like someone is banging on my chest really hard once, or punching me in the stomach. There's never any pain, but I get the feeling of being out of breath (which I also tend to get when I rarely get palpitations during the day), but my vision also slightly blurries, and I get dizzy for about 5 seconds. It tingles in my fingers and toes, as if the blood is rushing to them in a fast pace. Then I go back to sleep briefly, only to have the procedure repeat, often for two-three hours before I'm so exhausted I fall asleep properly. This tends to happen under periods of stress, and I have panic disorder.

But even though I feel no panic or very rarely are worried about stuff during the day, it seems to come out when I sleep.

Just like someone else mentioned, it is usually preceded by a weird thought or something I'm saying, as if I'm telling myself to wake up while sleeping. I don't quite know what's worse, feeling completely deranged or feeling absolutely shitscared when it happens. The latter has slightly stopped occuring because I have had this happen for such a long time (and I'm still alive) and I excercise a lot with absolutely no problems in the day.

I know it is not sleep apnea because it is very easy to regain my breath when I get the jolts. And I wake up IMMIDIATELY as I'm about to fall asleep, as if my body won't let me.

 

[Lionheart]

I have both PTSD nightmares and Sleep apnea whcih also requires that I be on oxygen as well as a C-Pap (continuous - positive airway pressure) machine.

I also used to have night terrors and sleep paralysis as well, so I am fully aware of the symptoms the OP describes and it is terrifying and exhausting to deal with these symptoms. Besides a good therapist I would recommend a sleep study to see if you suffer from a sleep disorder such as sleep apnea.

There is also a good medicine for PTSD nightmares called prazosin (minipress) which partially blocks the action of adrenaline in the body and allows one to sleep without the nightmares. You might wish to ask your doctor or psychiatrist about this medication.

I hope something I have said here is helpful for you and that you will continue to seek help until you are resting easy once again.

 

[Flossy]

It used to happen to me for about three years after diagnosis. I would tell my doctor "something happens inside my head..like a switch is hit". It does not happen any more. I have had PTSD for 8 years approx.

I did find that it would settle if I changed positions, rolled to the opposite side. I find I sleep best on my left side. It would often happen if I was on my right side. It could be something to do with compression of the vagus nerve. I don't know.

 

[CPez]

I have had the same symptoms when falling asleep, and am now certain this is due to what's commonly known as a 'leaky gut'. I can control the symptoms completely with diet alone. Many tests done on the heart and blood were all fine. Those who have suffered for years should take note of this. After taking a detailed food diary, it became clear the panic attacks as well as choking, racing heart and gasping for breath when falling asleep was related to what food or drink I consumed. The list of trigger foods is too long to list, but includes the following groups; food high in salicylates (esp herbs and spices), dairy, all grains except rice, gluten, sugar, all processed/packaged food, nuts. Medication and herbs are two of the worst things for me. After a lengthy trial and error approach, my diet is now fresh protein, rice, and fruit and veg low in salicylates. I can only drink filtered water, nothing else. A leaky gut is the likely culprit, where the gut lining is letting toxins and food particles to enter the bloodstream. The body treats the particles as foreign, and you can end up with allergic or panic attack like reactions, even if you're not allergic to the foods. Many of the cognitive and anxiety symptoms are due to this- note that 90% of vagus nerve signals actually travel from the gut to the brain, not the other way round!! So your gut is a huge influence on how your brain functions. Bottom line for me was to change my diet, and now to work on healing the gut. I'm about to start on the GAPS diet, which includes bone broth as a major healing factor. Note that food reactions are very personal, so would suggest a food diary, and daily log of symptoms. Also note that with salicylates and other food chemicals, they have a cumulative effect on your body. In other words you might be fine eating one apple, but eat some broccoli and honey as well on the same day and you'll fall off the cliff. That would be enough to send me into a symptom nightmare. Seeing a good 'integrative medicine' GP and nutritionist is a must. Another factor for me was elevated 'urinary pyrroles' which the GP tested for, and this means I need to take vitamin supplements. Good luck!

 

[AndyK]

As I lay in bed about to fall asleep. I startle awake with the feeling that I wasn't breathing. Then my heart rate goes up. This happenes several times before I finally fall asleep...My dr. Suggested a sleep center for apnea but because this only happens to me while I'm trying to fall asleep I'm positive it's not that.

JujuBird
You may be suffering from a case of central apnea. In a study have your breathing pattern checked-out. Often times this is the so called Cheyne-Stokes respiration. If so, your specialist may prescribe a little bit of O2 (Oxygen) when going to bed

 

[Jose Dominguez]

Very happy i found this thread and glad im not the only person going through this . I also get this jolt feeling that wakes me up , first my chest feels hollow like my heart stopped and then it starts beating really fast and feel like i wasnt breathing as if my body had forgot to breath while i was asleep. I always think im about to have a heart attack which makes my anxiety even worse .
I noticed it happens before i fall asleep sometimes if im laying on my stomach. Also i noticed i get this feeling while im up and awake if i have a hangover . I been living with this for about 2 yrs now and have no idea what is wrong . I always worry im not ganna wake up oneday . Its awful.

 

[Kelv]

Thank you for all your posts, I thought I was only one experiencing this everynight, terrified to go to sleep knowing what's going to happened when I go to sleep, but I notice I don't experience it if I'm in a room with other people or if its daytime, wish there was cure for this last few months felts like years

 

[Brady]

i have never had this before but at 4 am today i was awoken due to my girlfriend making noise and moving stuff around me and so i wake up due to me being a light sleeper and when i tried going back to sleep i kept feeling like my heart just stops and i feel my chest and it feels like my heart is missing and im sitting here now and i still have that feeling and i dont know what it is... I went to the hospital twice and they said there was nothing wrong, had an EKG and my cardiologist said nothing was wrong so i cant find the answer to my dilemna and i haven't really been sleeping well in the past few days but i feel like i have anxiety or am close to having a heart attack due to during the day a pain in my left arm occurs lots of the time and i just keep being told nothing is wrong so please can someone help me please!

 

[Senecia]

I have woken up in the middle of the night thinking my heart's stopped before. That, as well as heart palpitations and feeling like I'm suffocating in my nightmares. It only happens when my anxiety is really bad, and the doctors never found anything.

 

[ReachingOutJ]

This happened to me right before my nervous breakdown. I went to a sleep lab and they found central sleep apnea. I am now on an ASV PAP and full face mask, when I sleep. I also wear a pulse oximeter with an alarm on it while I am in bed.

I even went for a stress test.

 

[ReachingOutJ]

I have both PTSD nightmares and Sleep apnea whcih also requires that I be on oxygen as well as a C-P...

I am surprised that they don't have you on ASV.

 

[WhatUpDetroit]

Just had this happen to me again for the first time in a long while. Except this time i think i was actually asleep (i really cant remember it literally 10min after it happened) but i have these sinking feelings and feeling like my pulse is very weak n i usually jolt awake. These have been gone for months and are seeming to make a comeback. Its not really so much stressful anymore as it is annoying. And frustrating. I just wish my anxiety would stay gone and allow me to just do what i want.