Adrenaline rush as I fall asleep, been happening for 8 years now. What is this?

For a week straight i had the same symptoms. Doc gave me sleeping pills and didn't provide any real solutions. What eventually helped me was changing my eating habits. I eliminated all carbohydrates and sugar from my diet. I only ate healthy fats and green leafy vegetables (7-10 cups a day) and bought supplements to help my body regain

higher levels of Magnesium, vitamin b 1 and potassium. I ate three times a day so i could also incorporate a little bit of intermitting fasting. Within a span of three to four days of doing this i finally managed to sleep without any issues.

From what i read my condition was caused by eating too frequently and eating too much sugar and refined carbohydrates. My insulin levels would spike throughout the day, and my pancreas and body was put under a lot of stress during these endless spikes. Hormones released in times of stress, such as adrenaline, stop the release of insulin, leading to higher blood glucose levels to help cope with the stressful event. Furthermore, sugar and refined carbs deplete your body of potassium, vitamin B1 and magnesium to name of few. Having low levels of magnesium and B1 makes your body enable to deal with stress and being able to shut down around bed time.

Hopefully this helps. I tried to jam a lot of info into a few paragraphs.

Key Points--

-Sugar and refined carbs must go!!!

-Eat more green leafy vegetables

-Eat no more than three times a day and no snacking. Fasting Helps!!!

• Get more Vitamin B1, Potassium, Magnesium through supplements for only a few weeks.

I also had some success here with the main things everyone lists. I halved my caffeine, I cut my drinking down to once a week, and I think most importantly changing my diet helped. Tried to cut down mainly on bread and pasta and completely eliminated sweets. I've found it to be the worst after a heavy carb dinner.

hi you could request your gp to do a 24 hour urine metanephrines or catecholamines test. your symptoms could be caused by way to much adrenalin in your system. its caused by a tumor of the adrenal gland called a pheochromacytoma its extreamly rare so doctors do not think to look for them the other tumor that can do this is a paraganglioma. they pump out hormones a pheo os always in the adrenal medulla but a para can be any where else between eyes and thighs so if your levals did come back high you would then need a ct or mri with contrast but needs to be eyes to thighs not just abdomen.

the reason I know this is because I have pheo and it took years for them to diagnose previous to it I was fobbed of as depression and anxiety most pheo patients are. these episodes at night are a big symptom of it it's to do with ether lying on the tumor and compressing it so it pumps out more or the sleep wake cycle. there is a very good support group on face book for this I am one of the admins on it.

if you read on line about it you will find it just gives you the basics it dosent shoe all the symptoms and a lot of the info is wrong and outdated one of the websites to look at is the pheo para allience they work with endocrinologists from all over the world. if your leavals did come back high you need a referl to a endocrinologist and it's important that they are experienced In pheo.

I think I've honestly solved this. It's around eating **refined carbs. **

Refined carbs raise blood sugars quickly, your body reacts by releasing insulin which drops your blood sugar. Dropping blood sugar triggers release hormones like adrenaline and cortisol to deal with this. The access of adrenaline and cortisol really really affect your sleep, they try to keep you awake, and make it really hard to fall asleep.

I tested it on myself. I took out all refined carbs (bread & pasta mostly and switched to beans, quinoa, sweet potato, etc.). On Day 1 I fell asleep much faster. On day 2 I fell asleep immediately. Problem is legitimately solved. In general, you may be a bit over your best weight. I know covid has me weighing a good 10-15lbs more then my natural weight, which heightens the problem.

Some scientific evidence as well:

https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2019/12/191211171335.htm

It also may be a sign of pre-diabetes, so you should take it seriously.

This is such a simple answer and links together so many of the links together in this thread. The most simple answer is usually the right one... Best of luck everyone!!

Hello Ruthi!

i have the same problem since four weeks now. Did you find anything? Do you still have these adrenalin rushes? i am so frustraded i only want to sleep again.

Best regards

Replying to an old thread here in hope to get some answers, I found this thread because I googled "adrenaline rush when falling asleep", it's the exact same problem I have.

Everytime I'm just about to fall asleep I get an adrenaline rush as if something terrible is about to happen, like my heart would stop (it doesn't, my heart has been checked twice already).

For me it can continue the entire night: 1) just when I'm about to fall asleep a huge adrenaline rush 2) awake for at least half an hour because of adrenaline 3) relax / calm down again 4) repeat 1-2-3

This kept me awake for weeks until I completely crashed, lost a lot of bodyweight, couldn't stand any noise or bright light anymore, it was pure torture. I'm have meds now, I meditate, I don't drink alcohol or cafeine or soda's, I exercise during the day and read before sleeping ... but still have this problem every few days and it interrups/destroys my life completely.

Ruthie143 did you find any solutions?

exact situation for me. I have had it defined as Sleep-Panic Disorder. it drives me crazy. it happens while trying to fall asleep at night...my mind doesn't want to let go of control and surrender to sleep. I believe the subconscious orders the phenomenon. I have been through many trying times in life. faced a few violent and hostile stresses. I believe I still see possibilities of threats. just have to live as simple as I can...in a very stress free way. has there been any progress in treating this?

I have suffer'd with anxiety/panic disorder for 13 yrs now and the last 2 yr's have been the worse as I have severe physical symptoms that scare the hell out me and on top I have the chronic attacks, even today I cannot get use to them or control them.

As for the adrenalin like rushes as you drift'd of to sleep I have had these in the last 2 yrs and they are terrible, they leave me with a headache and very tired and twitchy/scared.

My Dr and Psychologists have done nothing for me in the last 13 yrs, as I am worse as ever, even within the 13yrs I have only 1 whole session of Psychology and that's all they will not give me any more as all they want to do is ram medication into me that have never work'd in the 13yrs, I personally am stuck for what else to do and I know I'm not alone out there, there has to be more help for any type of what they call mental health, but especially the panic disorder type as you have no life with it.

have had this exact same problem for the last week. i will be trying many things I've read of here, for this is truly debilitating

Hi! ive just come across this and wanted to know if youve solved the problem? do you get it every night? im experiencing the same thing

I've been dealing with this issue for about 3 years now. It comes and goes, and seems to be at its worst when I'm in a highly anxious state or mood. Sometimes it just happens. There are nights I don't sleep at all, and it's not for a lack of trying. My body/mind just won't let me. It happens when I'm just about to drift off. I'll nearly be asleep when surge of adrenaline shoots me awake. It's hell, and I wouldn't wish it on anyone. I haven't found a solution unfortunately, but I believe it is caused by a malfunction in your brains wiring. There is a lot that happens when we fall asleep. Your brainwaves slowdown, ect. Normally we don't take notice of this. During a bout of trauma, illness, anxiety, worry, or even insomnia you became hyper aware to those changes. It probably scared you. A Lot. And you jolted yourself awake. It also probably happened more than once during that time. Your brain doesn't like to feel scared, so it stored that information. Every once in awhile when your highly stressed, anxious, or too focused on sleep your brain thinks "Oh no. I remember this was scary. It must be a unsafe situation. I better do what I can to keep you alive". What's happening is an over active brain with faulty wiring. There isn't much you can do. I've noticed though that when my anxiety is lower, and I'm in a healthier mental state I sleep better. Focus your mind on the positives, keep busy, de-stress.