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Brain feels like it is shutting down and that I'm going to die.

Posted , 26 users are following.

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Guest

No idea where to post this .. But recently, as I try to sleep I experience a strange feeling in my head. Like I'm fading away and losing power in my brain. Normally I either fall asleep normally and it's ok, but sometimes I won't be able to sleep and the feeling makes me panicked and therefore waking me up. After these episodes I tend to be very shaky and my heart is pounding. Does anyone know what this could be? It makes me very worried.

0 likes, 29 replies

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  • lily65668
    lily65668 Guest

    Posted

    Emily, sounds to me like anxiety. I suspect what you're feeling is what we all feel as we fall asleep, but something has happened to make you suddenly become aware of it. Putting attention on any natural phenomenon of this kind will always result in it being blown out of all proportion. Concentrating too much on breathing, swallowing or your heartbeat is another one that can cause alarming symptoms.

    Try asking your pharmacist for some kind of mild sleeping remedy. Make sure too that you're in a relaxed state before you go to bed, and that you neither stay up to late nor get too much sleep during the day. So no coffee in the evening and no computer, texting, play station etc. in the last hour before going to sleep.

    Once you start calming down a bit you'll find that this will stop. However, it could take a couple of months. If you're really desperate you could ask your doctor for sleeping pills but I really wouldn't recommend this, as they bring their own problems.

    The main thing is not to worry about this. You're just noticing something that's always happened to you and everyone else.

  • lisalisa67
    lisalisa67 Guest

    Posted

    Try going to sleep with a meditaion or some talk show to keep your mind busy with relaxation or listening to a talk show. You might be overthinking too much.even an audiobook would work. Your brain is strong  and doing well its just in overdirve and would probably be very grateful to get sidetracked.
  • franlove
    franlove Guest

    Posted

    Sounds like you are experiencing what many others experience by becoming anxious  as you try to end the day. Your mind is probably making lists of things to  do, more things to do & that feels like losing control over everything?  That's what I feel at times. The others are right as they posted to find something that relaxes you at bedtime like  a hot decaf tea or hot chocolate & think only plesant positive thoughts. Think of a favorite vacation spot & imagine yourself there, breathing in & breathing out and relaxing. 
  • pxds
    pxds Guest

    Edited

    Hi Emily I had something similar happen to me today as to why I ended up here lol it was so scary I was at work and all of a sudden as I was walking my brain just completely shut down and I was aware it was happening? then my body felt as though I was in an elevator not fainting it was just a weird sensation then my feet felt heavy I went straight to the nearest chair and had to sit down can’t understand why but it was very scary and not just once today every other time it happend throughout the day was my brain shutting down quickly and not my body then it passes I’m so confused and scared as to why this is happening all of a sudden. It happend one or two times in the past but not this bad, as I’m writing this it is happening??  I will be consulting in my doctor tomorrow I would hate to be driving and it becomes far worse could be very dangerous. 
    • lily65668
      lily65668 pxds

      Posted

      Hi pxds,

      You're right to go and see your doctor, just to check there's nothing seriously wrong.

      However, I have to say you've described a classic panic attack in your post. Panic attacks don't always happen because you're particularly anxious about something that's going on at the moment they happen. They can come out of the blue as well, and in that case the anxiety is quite understandably directed at the odd sensations the sufferer is experiencing.

      Panic attacks are often treated by prescribing drugs of the benzodiazepine group (Valium, Xanax etc.) but long-term CBT can produce better results.

    • susan49687
      susan49687 pxds

      Posted

      Hi, I agree with some of the others! There's not many things that take you off guard and comes totally out of the blue!

      I have Anxiety Panic Attacks that come out of the blue! So very, very scary! I try to relax and try to just concentrate on my breathing! Breathe in and out, in and out until I either feel better or need to take my anti-anxiety pill!

      Not a fun experience at all, good luck, Susan

    • jennifer95564
      jennifer95564 pxds

      Posted

      Hi this has been happening to me while I was driving I had to pull to the side and park as my boyfriend witness me asking what happen I told him my brain felt like it just shut down like I'm about to faint but I can feel my body still and I try to control it n start breathing calming me down right now I am still feeling it and it happen to me today as I drove it's raining really bad it happen to me at a red light and this time I was alone now I'm trying to calm down....should I go to doctor for this?

    • gwen45436
      gwen45436 jennifer95564

      Posted

      Hi, sounds like panic.  I have anxiety and this happened to me when driving in the fog.  Freaked me out and it threatened to do it again when just driving in the car, especially in the rain.  It was anxiety.  I tend to put on load music and it turns my attention away from it.
    • dana27427
      dana27427 pxds

      Posted

      The same thing recently happened to me but it was in my sleep... I was having a dream n then all of a sudden my brain felt fuzzy my eyes went blind I could feel power leaving from the top of my head and my brain was shutting down... it was scary I thought I was dying

    • cary23834
      cary23834 pxds

      Posted

      I have similar happenings. Did these continue? Did you figure out the cause?

    • KaceyE
      KaceyE pxds

      Posted

      I know you wrote this 4 years ago but did you find out what the problem was? I have the very same problem.

    • a.m.j19658
      a.m.j19658 pxds

      Posted

      hello, i went through this too, to be short, ask your doctor for a blood test of vitamin D, B12, magnesium RBC, potassium, iron profile, omega-3 if possible and thyroid.. I've been diagnosed with vitamin D deficiency.. i feel 70% better now and panic attacks stopped & sleep better since i started vitamin D supplement and exposed to sun everyday.. but as docs says, i won't get totally good till i reach from 1 month to 3 months, for the supplement to actually do it's job and the vitamin d levels raise in the blood.. if you deficient to any of what i mentioned above then it's the problem.. also thyroid.. just go check to make sure, if all your results were fine, then your doctor might tell you it's a covid-19 brain fog.. it's a nightmare, but once you find the issue you'll feel better in general.

  • susan49687
    susan49687 Guest

    Posted

    Hi Emily, have you gone for a sleep study test? Do you have a partner that sleeps (tries to sleep) with you and complains about your snoring or periods that it doesn't look like you're breathing?

    My husband and I both have sleep apnea and have to wear the breathing machine!

    I wonder if your body is waking you up during the apnea periods?

    What do you think about this? Good luck Susan

  • shaun00422
    shaun00422 Guest

    Posted

    My GP  said that if you have a neck size of 19inches (48cm) or more there's 50% chance you'll have obstructive  sleep apnoea. I use a CPAC device (a complex air pump) and the difference it made was great and fairly quick too. Lack of sleep has so many short-term impacts on my life, and to some extent are easily missed as they creep on me.  I suffer depression too, and know others for whom this brings sleep problems. My experience is this can be more difficult to resolve.

    As lack of sleep aggravates depression and increased depression aggravates insomnia it's important to see your GP before depression 'locks' itself into your consciousness, and worse, your subconscious.  Obviously, there's a point where feeling down for a few days merges into suffering  depression, a guess the point is the longer its the latter the  harder it can be to resolve.  

  • rod420
    rod420 Guest

    Posted

    I have the exact same experience. It literally feels like if I dnt fight to stay awake, my brain will die! I notice too that if I let it happen I become paralized n unable to talk and start to hallucinate. Its very scary and happens randomly.
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