Palpitations - no sleep

Posted , 6 users are following.

I’m a 22 year old male who’s been suffering from palpitations at night for nearly a year now, sometimes for days on end, sometimes not at all. The last few nights have been particularly bad; on one night I didn’t get any sleep whatsoever.

I’ll be drifting off to sleep when all of a sudden my heart flutters or pounds and I’ll be wide awake. This happens dozens of times each night and they are quite frankly the worst thing I’ve ever had to deal with. They originally started because of stress but now I’ve developed a fear of getting them at night. And of course every time you worry about them, they start happening. It is absolute torture.

I’ve been reading about it online and frankly there’s very little on, especially on palpitations causing serious sleeplessness. I read about the benefits of magnesium and the link to deficiency, so far I’ve taken two magnesium taurate (200mg) a day and they’ve done very little. I feel a bit more relaxed generally, but the palpitations just refuse to go away.

I can’t go on like this, I know a lot of it is anxiety but is there any reason why they would go on physically every time I try to fall asleep, for hours and hours on end? I’ve had insomnia before but this is on a different scale, I can feel absolutely exhausted and yet my heart just will not subside. 

Is there anything to this other than anxiety? I need some sort of advice as it is totally ruining my life and I feel like there’s absolutely nothing i can do about this. It is so draining that I’m slowly beginning to hate going to bed for fear of more sleepless night. Any advice?

0 likes, 7 replies

7 Replies

  • Posted

    I have the same problem, I,m just drifted off and my heart goes haywire,I have to shift position many times, sometimes laying on my stomach is a better position,then I wake up with my neck stiff and aching.
  • Posted

    I suggest you see a cardiologist, he may try beta blockers , and wear a Holter for 24 hours . Look up York Cardiology in uk they have videos about all types of heart rhythm disturbances 
  • Posted

    Hi I’m s lot older than you and have had paroxysmal AF for a number of years and am on medication and had 2 cardiac ablation. I strongly agree with Jenny that you should see a cardiologist/electrophysiologist to get a diagnosis and start finding ways to help as anxiety will make it worse for you. I also found York Cardiology and his u tube videos so helpful as have always thought my problem is to do with the vagus nerve and finally felt as if it all made sense. Also look at The Doctors Kitchen. I do hope you will go and get some advise and not just a GP  as lot can be done to help. Let us know how you get on.
  • Posted

    And me, mine feel like little muffled explosions with shockwaves that travel down my legs, very hard to get to sleep when that is happening.

    Though I do get them to a certain extent as the day progresses, it is eating that makes them bad so possibly something to do with the Vagus nerve. I had been on Bisoprolol for three months a year ago, an this has permanently disrupted my fight/flight-rest/digest system, I have been told that I now have Autonomic Instability, so my stomach is now always in the fight/flight mode and doesn't want to play, so eating makes me feel very ill and seven hours later you can see what my palpitations look like in the box below.

    Fortunately I dont have to get up early any more as Beta Blockers have made me too ill to work and I have lost my job as a result.

    • Posted

      I find that eating too much causes mine too, I eat little and often and small main meal, nothing after 6 o clock
    • Posted

      Definitely diet has made a difference to me. Whole meal bread and pasta and various changes and certainly a heavy meal particularly late will set mine going. 
  • Posted

    Hi Rory, I am so sorry you have been suffering with this so badly. One thing I will add is, I would get a sleep study done. You may have sleep apnea. If you do that could reAlly cause your heart to act up. It did mine. I still get some skips, but my cpap machine really helps Ask your Dr for a study. It is not bad at all. Let us know how you are doing. Also you need more magnesium than that. Get your blood drawn..you may be low on potassium also. God bless, Mabel. Try not to worry, you will feel better.

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