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Falling Asleep Tremors

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ariillustrates
ariillustrates

Hi guys! 

So for quite a while now, I've been experiencing what I think are tremors falling asleep.  I have posted about them before but they're causing me some bad anxiety again tonight. Usually what happens is I'm drowsy and as I'm dosing, my body starts shaking. And whenever I wake up my body is shaking/vibrating for a few minutes. 

The part that is bothering me is that I just came back from a three week vacation. While on vacation, I didn't experience these tremors at all, which was weird to me because I was experiencing them almost every night before. Now that I'm back home, my tremors are back as well. 

My endo told me last month that she thinks it might be good related, and asked me to keep a log of what I'm eating for dinner and to try and pinpoint triggers. Something I noticed is that I eat a lot more carb heavy foods at home. I read online about someone with a gluten allergy experiencing this and it's been making me wonder if it could be causing the tremors. My dinners on vacation generally had very little to no gluten and I was fine. I love my bread and pasta though and had those the last two nights being back, and also tremors with them. 

I also wondered if it could be environmental. Although, I'm not sure how it could be. Maybe I'm overthinking things.

Anyways, I'm sorry for the long post. I was just really anxious and wanting to talk to someone about it. I also want to hear if anyone has similar experiences or problems with sleeping. 

5 likes, 122 replies

122 Replies

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  • luis714
    luis714 ariillustrates

    Edited

    I had these tremors before. Exactly as you described, they would happen any time i would try to fall asleep. Several nights it got so bad where i could not get any sleep. As soon as i closed my eyes, i would wake up with a tremor/spasm and my heart would be palpitating really fast. The fact that you were just on vacation and you didnt experience such symptoms should tell you something. Its most likely environmental caused by anxiety. I had it checked out with my dr and he told me just that, its anxiety. I stayed away from caffeine and sugars. I drink herbal teas, meditate and do Yoga. I haven't had them in months. Stay calm and relaxed, if they do happen just accep them and dont panic, try to calm down and go right back to sleep. Believe it or not what helped me to eventually lose focus on the tremors was counting sheep. Id never made it to 100 before falling asleep. 

    • ariillustrates
      ariillustrates luis714

      Posted

      Thank-you for your response! I will try the counting sheep thing. It still seems odd to me that its anxiety, considering I was even more anxious when I was on vacation! I already cut out caffeine and have limited my sugar intake (I have a sweet tooth) and avoid meds unless absolutely necessary. 
    • Helen55555
      Helen55555 luis714

      Posted

      hi,

      i've been getting internal vibrations from low frequency noise and infrasound. you cant hear it outside because it is masked by atmospherics. inside only a few people can hear it but it enters through your ears and vibrates your nervous system.

      try using wax earplugs and see if that stops it.

    • deborah91099
      deborah91099 luis714

      Posted

      I also have this not just when I am going to sleep but when I wake up it is strange for me that if I wake up say 2 hours after I go to sleep I do not have them but if it is morning I do. I know for me it is anxiety and the reason I have it in the morning is I am anxious for the day. A change in surroundings probably broke the cycle of it for you even if it was anxiety. I feel a lot of pressure about things I always have but in the morning it is at its worst. I don't like to go to sleep at night because if I sleep through the night it will be morning and that is my worst time for these spells. Just thinking it sounds exactly like the physical thing that happens to me.

  • Italia06
    Italia06 ariillustrates

    Edited

    i had these terribly for a two week period when my anxiety was elevated, especially in my legs.  it feels like when your cell phone is in your pocket and you have it on vibrate and someone calls.  the tremors or vibration would ONLY happen when attempting to go to sleep or falling asleep.  they eventually went away as i improved my stress levels.  i also had a bout of waking up to uncontrollabe chest spasms.  but with the separate bout of leg vibrations...only would happen while dozing off to sleep.
    • ariillustrates
      ariillustrates Italia06

      Edited

      For a while it was more in my legs too! It's been months though and turned into an all over thing. I feel it a lot in the back of my head/neck, as well as my legs and arms. 

      Thank-you for responding. It's comforting hearing others talk about similar problems. 

    • mitouback
      mitouback ariillustrates

      Posted

      It started with my chest area. Then it is now moving to fingers, legs , lips and back of head..WTF is it?? Are the vibrations the nerves shaking or small muscles shaking??

    • biana
      biana ariillustrates

      Posted

      Hi,

      you are def not alone in this. I started getting anxiety during covid times. I went to a Chiro/acupunture which made my head and neck pains worse. I also have the electric shocks throughout the body and jolts when I lay to rest. I have chronic pains throughout the body as well. I just hope this goes away!

  • Italia06
    Italia06 ariillustrates

    Posted

    yeah it was pretty terrible when i was experiencing them but then again my health anxiety was super high.  it would only come on as i was falling asleep or dozing off.  i'll say this...my physical symptoms have been pretty terrible the last couple of years...anxiety is a difficult thing to deal with.

  • lilygee
    lilygee ariillustrates

    Posted

    Hi! I'm currently experiencing these tremors. It got to the point where my teeth were chattering ?? It was so horrible! I'm now afraid to sleep and have to talk myself into feeling fine. I repeat words and phrases and basically give myself a pep talk to relax enough to attempt to sleep. I tremor right before bed for a little bit, then wake up in the middle of the night and again tremor a little bit. It's like I'm cold although I'm not. Usually hugging a pillow helps (body pillows Are the best) and I just wait for it to pass. Sometimes they don't and I have to get up, walk around a little, turn a fan on, it's a whole exhausting routine. Not sure how I'm managing to sleep anymore. I hope your tremors stop soon. I too think its environmental and may be work/home related. Just think of your vacation when the tremors begin. Finding a happy place in your mind is very important. Best of luck! 

    • mitouback
      mitouback lilygee

      Posted

      I started having these tremors back in Feb 2020. It is now April. I woke up at 4 AM and was trembling all over..Since then, it happens all the time as I am dropping off to sleep. I can stop them for a while if I lie on my right side. I went to A and E once as the trembles were so bad that the back of my head was trembling. They checked my heart (ECG) and my lungs ( X-ray) and my blood. All was fine. My hormone TSH was a tiny bit high and my calcium a little hight too, but nothing to be concerned about, said the doctor. They said I had sub-clinical HYPO THYROIDISM, but it was yet not urgent to medicate for. I am having a blood test again in 3 weeks time, May 2020. I cannot understand why the internal tremors come at night and I have them for a bit as I wake up. Never day time if I lounge on sofa watching the TV or read a book. My blood pressure is on the high side too. I am at a loss. Can someone tell me if your tremors have gone away now? I know this FORUM have posts from 2018, so maybe you all have left it by now? Thank you.

    • mitouback
      mitouback lilygee

      Posted

      Hi

      Are you OK now? I have just started these bizarre night time tremors. It has gotten so bad I worry going to bed..

      Mitouback

    • jak39724
      jak39724 mitouback

      Posted

      Hey there I'm sorry you're going through this too.. I've been having these since around January nearly every night I may get the odd night where it dont happen but this is always of a night when I try dropping off it will happen when my body vibrates and my chest is shaking really fast and it also makes me feel drained weak and weird I just can't explain this feeling as such but I know it's down to anxiety but every night I always worry this will happen again so sleeping is so hard for myself.

    • donna77606
      donna77606 mitouback

      Edited

      I am going through the exact same thing. My sleep tremor started in Feb this year, only once a while but in july it started to get worse. i would wake up in the middle of the night and feel the vibration on my arms and body. i went to doc and was diagnosed with hyperthyroidism. The tremor continue to get worse and i would literally wakes up a few tome per night and i am so scared to go to bed. Last blood test they said I am now subclinical hypo but could not tell me if those night tremors relates to the thyroid issues. Ive seen neuro he just said i dont have stroke/MS/ brain tumor but he cant explain my symptom. They then send me to see phycologist and was told i had anxiety and a bit of depression due to the entire world situation (covid). they gave me antidepressant so i can sleep better and will go from there. I feel so hopeless as no actual diagnose or cure

    • arthur40879
      arthur40879 mitouback

      Posted

      So fun fact and ill try and keep yall updated but, i am 34 and am really healthy, not overwieght, and i dont use any vices like drugs or alchohol and i dont take any meds. I do though have horrible anxiety that i manage through healthy practices like breathing exercises and meditation etc... Recently i went to the ER for atrial fibrilation and RvR, i have never had a health problem in my life, but this got me shook, my inner zen is trashed and healthy mental balance back at the first step like im learning how to manage my anxiety all over again. im now on blood thinners and a beta blocker and you bet your grandmas pie the beta blockers make me feel all kinds of weird and this has my anxiety even more active. Just like yall anytime i try to go to sleep just before i pass into the void i snap back with full body gentle tremors from my upper chest down to my feet it is painless but certainly makes me want to freak out and panic because it is unusual and uncomfortable. Oh also while i was in the ER, my TSH came back high and they said that i am someone who is sub clinical hypo thyroidism and it will eventually need to be treated, just not yet. I really am thinking that this tremor may just be from subconcious anxiety because i had this before last year and when life improved it went away and now that my internal zen is trashed due to my new heart issue, my old sleep destroyer tremors are now back.

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