Adrenaline rush as I fall asleep, been happening for 8 years now. What is this?
Posted , 78 users are following.
Hi everyone,
I really hope someone can help on this forum. As soon as I am just about to fall asleep I get this kind of 'rush' that triggers in the centre of my brain and my heart. I then have adrenaline pumping ( not severe though ) but enough to then keep me awake as if I have drunk coffee. I feel adrenalised and can't sleep. I often then reach for melatonin which does sometimes help but not always.
The doctor's just want to give me antidepressants and sleeping pills! I am not depressed and I don't want to take sleeping pills as they make me feel rubbish the next day and I don't just want to numb myself I actually want to get to the root of the issue as to what is causing this.
This has been going on for 8 years and is really effecting my life. Can anyone tell me what is going on?? I am a very healthy person. I don't smoke. I don't hardly drink and I eat well and exercise, I also have low blood pressure.
If anyone can tell me what this is and/or wha to do about it I would be so grateful as I am very lonely in this as its almost worse being passes from doctor to therapist to healer and have no answers than to actually be diagnosed with something!
Can anyone actually help as I have run out of ideas and spent 8 years trying to get better and its still the same, I have just accepted this but its a rubbish way to exist. Any help would be so much appreciated if you take the time to read this.
Thank you 
7 likes, 102 replies
rick18387 Ruthie143
Edited
Look into sleep apnea, when I was having this horrible condition I was combining clonidine, one of my blood pressure meds, at night with the beer I drink at night to get sleepy. Combined with a moderate case of sleep apnea, I would wake up not breathing, when your brain thinks you are going to stop breathing if you go to sleep, it will prevent you from sleeping by surging adrenalin and cortisol hormones into you. These are the "fight or flight "hormones, very powerful. And even when you change what you were doing it takes a while for the brain to readjust to the fact that your ok and not going to stop breathing when you enter sleep mode.
Look into apnea, don't drink alc before bed, and look for prescription pill interactions at night.
courtney40546 Ruthie143
Posted
This happens to me all of the time now. I start to doze off and all of a sudden I will get a massive adrenaline rush and it will keep me awake. Have you found anything to help you since you posted this? Anything you recommend?
samuel70706 Ruthie143
Edited
Ruthie,
I know EXACTLY how you feel! This literally happened over night for me 2.5 years ago. Since then, I am able to relax myself, but it's like I can almost feel the exact second my body is about to sleep and then I get a sudden burst of adrenaline. This originally led to three grueling months of pure torture before using an SSRI and mild sleep aid. It's still not getting to the route of the problem, but it grants me peace, even if it is someone numbed. I sadly don't have any greater answers for you...yet. It is frustrating when people say to practice relaxation strategies or CBT. (First of all I am a therapist so I know these are effective interventions for reducing anxiety). But this isn't something that is within our conscious control - it happens as I am falling asleep. I am a holistic explorer though so I will let you know when I stumble upon something, but just wanted to say you are not alone.
rebekah05868 Ruthie143
Posted
Hello,
I have had this happen to me as well for two years straight. It started happening in 2013, but would come and go. In early 2022, after many very stressful events, it came back worse than ever and it never went away. The only hope of sleep for me was a unisom tablet, and sometimes that wasnt enough I would still get adrenaline rushes and then I resorted to an anti anxiety medication. Until recently.
I registered here to share what helped me, in any hopes of it helping another.
I began to focus on helping my lymphatic and nervous systems. I stopped using my phone as much as i could, especially at night (no tv either). In stead, I read and/or journal. I do facial ice baths every morning. I exercise using the rebounder daily. I use an infrared sauna (in the morning after i exercise, be careful to start slow and work your time up). I have also focused on proper hydration, using electrolyte powders and drinking daily.
I cant say which one of these things has helped the most, but slowly i have no longer needed the pills, which feels like a huge win and I plan to continue to focus on healing and helping these two systems.
Best of luck to all, this is a difficult struggle i wouldnt wish on anyone.