Non-stop hypnic jerks/startle/twitching as falling asleep—-doesn’t stop all night! :(

Mirtazapine is for depression

Hello,

I'm experiencing this following getting covid. Has this resolved for you? did the medication help?

Sounds like my story almost exactly. I had a lot of anxiety in August because of tinnitus and hearing loss and couldn’t sleep so took Klonopin for 3-4 weeks and when I tried to come off got severe insomnia for 3 weeks. I also have health anxiety. I was sleeping ok for about a month then dad and mom got covid and dad almost did not survive. For the past 2 months when I try to nap especially, and often trying to sleep at night I get strong body jerks, twitches, zaps and what feels like a surge of anxiety. Primary said anxiety but very scary. My foot also started twitching a bit during the day .

Hey, I have similar problem as yours. Before I had cooling sensation in my body - waiting for a scan. And since today I can't sleep. Had these "shocks" one after another one, then my anxiety starting to work and I'm afraid to get some sleep. I don't really know what to do... to scared..

Hi, I have been suffering with this a few months. Within a minute or 2 after closing my eyes to nap during the day or sleep at night I get weird sensations and body zaps and jolts and sometimes it causes an arm, leg, finger or head to move. My GP and a neurologist said it is probably anxiety. I was under great stress when it all started. Can you tell me your exact symptoms? Thank you.

Hi yes like that mine came from now here up until August last year I was fine then i started having trouble falling asleep I'd be awake for hours it started mild like a nudge or sensation and I would wake up just as I was drift to sleep as I got more sleep deprivation it began get worse I would be shaking my arms my torso would lift up it was very frightening I went to my GP but wasn't helpful he gave me 5 sleep pills and sent me on my way said I want get anymore as he said they were addictive and maybe I should speak to someone I was desperate I couldn't sleep for hours I would be awake every few minutes it got to point I dreaded going bed I didnt want go I couldn't take it anymore I was so tired depressed on edge anxious it was horrible I take valarian root which is excellent and I then went online and I am now doing a program it's a simple process

I'm two months in now while I'm not there yet I'm at different stage I'm happier I am not anxious or on edge during day I've load energy and can think clearly at night I am now ok I get 1 very light nudge and I refocus and that's it I don't get the jerking now I am more relaxed while it takes me awhile get sleep takes 1 hr sometime more depending on how anxious I am

I am more relaxed now and do fall asleep I have a better kind of sleep my program I'm on has slightly changed its alot better I've a good way go but I can tell you I went from jerking violently my whole body would lift up it was like a fit for hours every few minutes to next nothing some nights I dont get any nudge but it's just one and light doesnt bother me I'm now at stage were I'm focus on length time I take to get sleep and making good progress but tbh I could not love forward until I excepted I was one causing issue me I was thinking all time about it even when I didnt think I was it was there in back my head I beg please hope dont jerk tonight and I would but I am in a different mindset now I will say to you for me I know bow my anxiety was the issue while I do get days were I be anxious I'd be awake for few hours I dont jerk I get fed up yes but no jerking I haven't had jerking for about 5 or 6 weeks now I hope you find something that helps your anxiety for me I take valarian root and I also do mindfulness therapy

also just let you know there is a program on Netflix called headspace its usually a fee for it but it's free it's very similar to the program my coach is some of it the breathing is very useful maybe have look and see if this helps

Thanks for the reply. I cannot believe how long it can last. It is almost 3 months for me. Some nights I do not feel it now but if I try to nap during the day or if I am dozing when watching television I always get body jolts sometimes with movement especially my feet or legs. Sometimes I get a zap in legs and feels like it sends a shiver up my spine. Most posts I have read say it's anxiety and I was very anxious but not that bad now. I guess it can take a long time for your body to get back to normal.

Yes it can take time for me it was a process i stared off being okay with not being okay i said this to myself and began to feel like okay its not a battle i began to stop fighting myself then i started to concentrated on calming my mind teaching my mind a new way to cope with stressful situations my friends started noticing how calm i was and then i focused on the jerking i sat in bed and allowed it to happen and became comfortable with the jerking i know this is not easy believe me i was there the jerks i had were violent and would upset me but the more they bothered me the more they became stronger of course i didn't realise this at the time so after jerking i would refocus my mind and concentrate on calm techniques i'm dong showing my mind its okay and to relax so i found the jerking went away to practically not noticeable now it not there but i found that i still was lying there for hr to hr and half awake not sleeping because i wasn't relaxed and calm so i stuck with it and every night i do the same thing and last night i went to bed now its been 6 months since i have actually been tired enough to sleep i would be wide awake i mean i felt exhausted but as soon as i went bed bing i would be wide awake i would eventually fall asleep my sleep pattern is near back to normal now i went bed last night and was asleep within 15 min i didn't jerk but even if i did i now only get slight nudge barely noticeable and i don't let it bother me for me the only thing that really fixed my issue was to calm the mind teach it how stay calm and relaxed i am not there yet the program i am on has helped me get to this point i am back in routine but this is a process so of course i will have sleepless nights that's normal but i want to get to a point were i can fall back into my sleep pattern my coach is so good he had helped me so much he said that this is were we are now so i am focusing on developing a schedule sort of that allows me to slow my thoughts down and sleep at night so far am hopeful it stays that way I genuinely hope you find something that helps you don't loose hope you will get there

Thank you for taking the time to respond. How many months did you experience the jolts? Did it happen if you tried to nap during the day? Did you have any other symptoms besides the jerks?

That's no problem any time I would go asleep day or night as soon as I drift off I'd just be about go into a sleep and I would jerk or have zaps in head any other symptoms would be as result of tiredness however i didn't know this then i started jerks in sept to November into early December was my worst they were very bad 5 hrs maybe more before they would settle at night i was exhausted I felt ill from no sleep and December this was the turning it's only been a few weeks for me without and very recently back into a sleep routine my anxiety was the cause of jerking and also my insomnia from end December they started to become less severe but they improved the most when I acknowledging them being comfortable with them that was hard because they do startle you but they did improve slowly now they are non existent

I have been having the same thing happen to me. I not only have the jerks but i also get brain zaps or zings. I have been experiencing this since late April of last year. My symptoms are no where near as bad as they were when it first started however it's still happening. I felt like my heart was shaking, my brain was shaking, my whole body would tremble because i was not sleeping. It was bad, At one point i was convinced there was something seriously wrong with me. I went to my GP and he told me it was anxiety related but did send me for some tests. I have had 2 MRI's, a EKG, a EEG, stress test, 24 hour heart monitor, blood work. Everything was normal. I would like to ask if it's not too much the name of the coach your speaking to or at least how to find someone like that to try and help me. I worry this will never end.

Hi yea I was the same I actually convinced myself I was seriously I'll so when the doctor suggested I was suffering anxiety I refused to accept it but I was in a desperate state I was so tired so I came across a guy called Mark Walsh imind coach.ie look up his website he is a very experienced mind coach this therapy isnt a counselling he looks for solutions to the problem so he wont focus on the issue I'm now finished my therapy I have no jerks and sleep normal he will his therapy basically teaches the brain to think in a more positive way since I've finished I've started walking I've loads of energy and am back eating healthy I've a new mindset before I used to obsessive over the jerks sleeping and how long takes sleep it took over my life I started to say to myself when I was in therapy I'm not okay today but I'm okay with that and it made me less anxious I stopped fighting myself it was a long process I personally am glad I done the therapy I didnt want see psychologist because I know I caused the issue and unless I changed my mindset I would never be free so now I'm at point I just go asleep as normal dint even think about it but to get to that point I had to be okay with the jerks it wasn't easy i would just shrug it off as if was nothing when it happened then they began to become less and now they are gone mark is a highly experienced mind coach but I will stress if you decide to do it its important u follow his instructions to a T they wont make sense the first two sessions but after that you will begin to understand it he has a structure and slowly introducing different stages i cant say if it will work but it did help me in all areas of my life also check out headspace on Netflix it's free and its amazing it will help you relax and really helps hope this helps

can you please tell me which program did you follow? I am going through the sleep jerks and insomnia since past 4 months.