Sleep disorders and disturbances. I start with the science, you bring in the alternatives

I present this thread in a hope to examine and discuss the scientific explanations of weird sleep disturbances, sleep disorders, and sleep habits. Although, I am not entirely convinced that every scientific explanation is complete without a complementary metaphysical explanation (OOBEs for example.) I offer the science first for those who are curious or in need of some scientific/medical answers...

However, at the request of member rickymouse, I'd also like to open up this thread to the alternative and the paranormal explanations, theories, and experiences of sleep disorders and sleep disturbances.

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For the last few nights I’ve been hearing a popping, clicking sound just minutes after I’d fall asleep. The noise would wake me up and I couldn’t figure out what it was. It sounded a little like wood creaking—could it be the bed frame? It also sounded like something striking a piece of hard plastic. I also wondered if maybe it was a rat coming out after my activity had ceased.

It was puzzling me for several nights. Then it hit me! This sound was coming from my own body. I tried listening closely for a rat under my bet until I started to fall back asleep and then click-pop! This time I felt my epiglottis snapping shut—much like a hiccup. It just turned out to be my body winding down, I’m sure.

But there are still many weird things that happen when we transition from waking consciousness to sleep. Yes, sleep is an altered state of consciousness that produces physiological responses. After I realized that I was simply…sleep-hiccuping…I then thought back to all those sleep disturbances I have experienced without the benefit of scientific explanation at my disposal.

Sleep Hiccups

Let’s begin with the hiccups, shall we? Although I experienced only a single hiccup, I suspect I just need to find a new position to sleep in that is better for my airways.

While much more research is needed to understand the mechanisms involved, it may be that the oxygen deprivation that occurs with sleep apnea can trigger hiccups. Sleep apnea is a condition where the throat becomes temporarily blocked, or the brain fails to signal the respiratory muscles during sleep. This leads to frequent periods during the night where breathing stops temporarily. The person often awakes with a loud snore or gasp. This abnormal breathing pattern may trigger hiccups
www.livestrong.com...

And while we’re on the subject of noises that disturb us in our sleep, let’s review…

Exploding Head Syndrome

It sounds very sinister—and kind of is! Although not physically harmful, it can leave sleepers a little shell-shocked.

Exploding head syndrome is a rare and relatively undocumented parasomnia event in which the subject experiences a loud bang in their head similar to a bomb exploding, a gun going off, a clash of cymbals or any other form of loud, indecipherable noise that seems to originate from inside the head. Contrary to the name, exploding head syndrome has no elements of pain, swelling or any other physical trait associated with it. They may be perceived as having bright flashes of light accompanying them, or result in shortness of breath, though this is likely caused by the increased heart rate of the subject after experiencing it. It most often occurs just before deep sleep, and sometimes upon coming out of deep sleep.

What actually causes the sensation in individuals is still unknown, though speculation of possible sources includes minor seizures affecting the temporal lobe, or sudden shifts in middle ear components.
www.sleepassociation.org...

Still haven’t identified your mystery sound yet?—well, luckily there is a blanket term (yeah, I’m a little cynical, so what?!) for all the mystery noises, visions, tactile sensations, and quirky thoughts you may experience upon entering (hypnagogic) and exiting (hypnopompic) sleep. It’s called…

Hypnagogia

What is it?

In the hypnagogic state, visions, voices, weird insights and unusual sensations greet us as we drift out of consciousness. Faces may appear, threatening or comical. A landscape may open up, with distant mountains and wide, expansive vistas. Geometric forms, jewels, diamonds and intricate patterns may dance before our mind’s eye, not unlike those seen under the influence of certain psychoactive substances. Splashes of colour, flares, sparks and cloud-like forms-known as ‘entoptic lights’, ‘phosphenes’ or eigenlicht, may drift through our drowsing consciousness, accompanied by strange, nonsensical sentences announcing portentous truths. We may feel we are floating, or that our body has grown to enormous proportions, or that we have suddenly grasped the answer to the riddle of the Universe.
www.forteantimes.com...

How does it manifest itself? (click the wiki article for specific examples)

Transition to and from sleep may be attended by a wide variety of sensory experiences. These can occur in any modality, individually or combined, and range from the vague and barely perceptible to vivid hallucinations.
en.wikipedia.org...

The scientific explanation?—is weak, but here’s a start.

Although there are several potential causes of hypnagogic hallucinations, most of them are speculative, based upon what medical science knows about the neurology of the brain. Studies to date have revealed that individuals who experience hypnagogia also frequently suffer with narcolepsy, sleep paralysis, or a type of anxiety disorder. Many people experience one or more hypnagogic hallucinations without ever being sure why. Anxiety, however, may play a role in disrupting the normal neural activity during the period that an individual is falling asleep, predisposing him to a hynagogic experience.
www.helium.com...

When falling asleep, one can also experience muscle twitches that suddenly wake us up. These are called Hypnic Jerks

Hypnic jerks are myoclonus twitches, or involuntary muscle spasms, but sleep starts occur during hypnagogia, the stage when the body is falling asleep.

Movement plays a role in sleep — involuntary twitches commonly take place during rapid eye movement (REM) sleep, but these jolts occur with dreams whereas hypnic jerks occur before the body can dream.

While the cause remains unknown and little research is done on hypnic jerks (they are considered harmless and normal and are often too fleeting for observation)
bodyodd.nbcnews.com...

There is also an annoying little phenomenon that can make it difficult to relax and fall asleep. It is called Restless Leg Syndrome (or RLS)

People with restless legs syndrome have uncomfortable sensations in their legs (and sometimes arms or other parts of the body) and an irresistible urge to move their legs to relieve the sensations. The sensations are difficult to describe: they are an uncomfortable, "itchy," "pins and needles," or "creepy crawly" feeling in the legs. The sensations are usually worse at rest, especially when lying or sitting. The sensations can lead to sleep deprivation and stress.

In most cases, doctors do not know the cause of restless leg syndrome; however, they suspect that genes play a role. About half of people with RLS also have a family member with the condition.
www.webmd.com...

I’m sure we’ve all experienced this next sleep disturbance, and know all too well how negatively it can affect our quality of sleep. The urge to urinate throughout the night, usually multiple times is called Nocturia

Although it is relatively benign, persistent nocturia can be indicative of other underlying medical conditions and possibly even sleep apnea (sleeping disorder.)

A frequent need to get up and go to the bathroom to urinate at night is called nocturia. It differs from enuresis, or bed-wetting, in which the person does not arouse from sleep, but the bladder empties anyway. Nocturia is a common cause of sleep loss

Until recently, nocturia was thought to be caused by a full bladder, but it is also a symptom of obstructive sleep apnea. According to Michael J. Thorpy, MD, and Jan Yager, PhD…relief of the obstructive sleep apnea syndrome will alleviate the nocturia.
www.sleepfoundation.org...

So far I have covered a few sleep disturbances and annoying symptoms that can interfere with sleep. Before I jump over to sleep disorders there is one last sleep disturbance episode I’d like to set the record straight on. Particularly on ATS, I see posters refer to sleep paralysis (something I will be coming to shortly) as “night terrors.”

In reality, Night Terrors describes a completely unique phenomenon that is totally dissimilar compared to sleep paralysis.

A night terror, also known as sleep terror or pavor nocturnus, is a parasomnia sleep disorder characterized by extreme terror and a temporary inability to regain full consciousness. The subject wakes abruptly from the fourth stage of sleep, with waking usually accompanied by gasping, moaning, or screaming. It is often impossible to fully awaken the person, and after the episode the subject normally settles back to sleep without waking.
www.sciencedaily.com...

A “night terror” is simply a rude awakening where the sleeper does not become fully coherent or cognizant, or it takes them a few minutes to become awake and alert. This is especially prevalent in children.

This contrasts greatly with sleep paralysis in numerous ways. Ahh, the infamous…

Sleep Paralysis

Sleep paralysis is a feeling of being conscious but unable to move. It occurs when a person passes between stages of wakefulness and sleep. During these transitions, you may be unable to move or speak for a few seconds up to a few minutes. Some people may also feel pressure or a sense of choking. Sleep paralysis may accompany other sleep disorders such as narcolepsy.

Sleep researchers conclude that, in most cases, sleep paralysis is simply a sign that your body is not moving smoothly through the stages of sleep. Rarely is sleep paralysis linked to deep underlying psychiatric problems.

Over the centuries, symptoms of sleep paralysis have been described in many ways and often attributed to an "evil" presence: unseen night demons in ancient times, the old hag in Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet, and alien abductors. Almost every culture throughout history has had stories of shadowy evil creatures that terrify helpless humans at night. People have long sought explanations for this mysterious sleep-time paralysis and the accompanying feelings of terror.
www.webmd.com...

researchers used drugs to "switch off" these receptors in rats and discovered that the only way to prevent sleep paralysis during REM was to shut both types off at the same time. What that means is that glycine alone isn't enough to paralyze the muscles. You need GABA, too.
www.livescience.com...

So, if sleep paralysis is when our minds are awake while our bodies are asleep—what happens when our minds are asleep but our bodies are awake? Then you might have…

REM Behavior Disorder

For most people, dreams are purely a "mental" activity: they occur in the mind while the body is at rest. But people who suffer from REM behavior disorder (RBD) act out their dreams. They physically move limbs or even get up and engage in activities associated with waking. Some talk, shout, scream, hit, punch, or fly out of bed while sleeping!

Studies of animals may explain REM behavior disorder. Animals who have suffered lesions in the brain stem have exhibited symptoms similar to RBD. Cats with lesions affecting the part of the brain stem that involves the inhibition of locomotor activity will have motor activity during REM sleep: they will arch their backs, hiss and bare their teeth for no reason, while their brain waves register normal REM sleep.
www.sleepfoundation.org...

In addition to acting out our dreams, sometimes we act out our normal, daily routines and can sleep-walk, sleep-eat, sleep-text, or even have sleep-sex

More people are reporting sending text messages during their sleep, says Dr Kirstie Anderson…"It is very common for people to do things in their sleep that they do repeatedly during the day," says Anderson. This is largely down to sleep disorders called parasomnias. These are unwanted behaviours that occur during sleep. They can be as small as opening your eyes while asleep or, at the very extreme end, driving a car while sleeping. Anderson has even treated someone who carefully dismantled grandfather clocks while asleep.
www.bbc.co.uk...

Often snacking in your sleep is not a big problem, but in more extreme cases it is classed as Nocturnal Eating Syndrome (NES). Again, increased awareness of the sleep disorder means more people are being referred to sleep clinics with it.
www.bbc.co.uk...

Sexsomnia, a condition where people have sex in their sleep, has only really been brought to the public's attention in recent years. As yet very little research has been done into it, say sleep experts, but more cases are being reported.

It can become more frequent during times of stress or under the influence of alcohol or drugs and ranges from minor behaviour to full sexual intercourse, in some cases with serious consequences.

sexsomnia is a parasomnia. It is most likely to occur in the "deep sleep" stage when the thinking and awareness part of the brain is switched off but not the part of the brain responsible for basic urges like having sex.
www.bbc.co.uk...

The next set of disorders are related to an irregularity in the body’s biological clock (circadian rhythms.)

Delayed Sleep Phase Disorder and Advanced Sleep Phase Disorder

When a person's biological clock gets out of sync with accepted norms, sleep disorders arise. In delayed sleep phase insomnia, the person falls asleep and awakens later than required for normal activities such as work and school.
health.howstuffworks.com...

This condition, in which the person's biological clock shifts to earlier hours—typically falling asleep before 9 p.m. and awakening between 3 and 5 a.m. and failing to return to sleep.
health.howstuffworks.com...

Sometimes I felt like I belonged on a different planet—I knew it!

Non-24-Hour Sleep-Wake Syndrome

In this condition, the person's biological clock is 25 hours or longer, meaning that sleep and wake times are continually getting later.
health.howstuffworks.com...

Although most of us wish we could get more sleep—be careful what you wish for! Although uncommon, a very prolonged period of sleep (hypersomnolence) may be an example of Kleine-Levin Syndrome or…

Sleeping Beauty Syndrome

Kleine-Levin Syndrome (KLS) is a rare and complex neurological disorder characterized by periods of excessive amounts of sleep and altered behavior. The disorder strikes adolescents primarily. At the onset of an episode the patient becomes progressively drowsy and sleeps for most of the day and night (hypersomnolence), waking only to eat or go to the bathroom. When awake, the patient’s whole demeanor is changed, often appearing “spacey” or childlike. When awake he experiences confusion, disorientation, complete lack of energy (lethargy), and lack of emotions (apathy). Most patients report that everything seems out of focus, and that they are hypersensitive to noise and light.

The mean diagnostic delay for proper KLS diagnosis is four years, causing undue suffering to patients and families. The cause of Kleine-Levin Syndrome is not known.
klsfoundation.org...

While some researchers speculate that there may be a hereditary predisposition, others believe the condition may be the result of an autoimmune disorder.[8] Both proposals need not be mutually exclusive with the result being a malfunction of the portion of the brain that helps to regulate functions such as sleep, appetite, and body temperature (hypothalamus).[9] Recent studies also suggest that there may be a link to a deficiency of dopamine transporter density in the lower striatum.[10]
en.wikipedia.org...

As might be expected, sleeping too little has equally debilitating effects on our lives.

Enter Insomnia and Sleep Deprivation

Insomnia is a disorder that can make it hard to fall asleep, hard to stay asleep, or both. With insomnia, you usually awaken feeling unrefreshed, which takes a toll on your ability to function during the day. Insomnia can sap not only your energy level and mood but also your health, work performance and quality of life.
www.mayoclinic.com...

Common causes of insomnia include:

• Stress
• Anxiety
• Depression
• Medications
• Caffeine, nicotine, and alcohol
• Medical conditions
• Change in your environment or work schedule
• Poor sleep habits
www.mayoclinic.com...=causes

The consequences of sleep deprivation are numerous, disastrous, and sometimes deadly.

• Decreased Performance and Alertness: Sleep deprivation induces significant reductions in performance and alertness. Reducing your nighttime sleep by as little as one and a half hours for just one night could result in a reduction of daytime alertness by as much as 32%.
• Memory and Cognitive Impairment: Decreased alertness and excessive daytime sleepiness impair your memory and your cognitive ability -- your ability to think and process information.
• Stress Relationships: Disruption of a bed partner's sleep due to a sleep disorder may cause significant problems for the relationship (for example, separate bedrooms, conflicts, moodiness, etc.).
• Poor Quality of Life: You might, for example, be unable to participate in certain activities that require sustained attention, like going to the movies, seeing your child in a school play, or watching a favorite TV show.
• Occupational Injury: Excessive sleepiness also contributes to a greater than twofold higher risk of sustaining an occupational injury.
• Automobile Injury: The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) estimates conservatively that each year drowsy driving is responsible for at least 100,000 automobile crashes, 71,000 injuries, and 1,550 fatalities.
The good news for many of the disorders that cause sleep deprivation is that after risk assessment, education, and treatment, memory and cognitive deficits improve and the number of injuries decreases.
In the long term, the clinical consequences of untreated sleep disorders are large indeed. They are associated with numerous, serious medical illnesses, including:
• High blood pressure
• Heart attack
• Heart failure
• Stroke
• Obesity
• Psychiatric problems, including depression and other mood disorders
• Attention Deficit Disorder (ADD)
• Mental impairment
• Fetal and childhood growth retardation
• Injury from accidents
• Disruption of bed partner's sleep quality
• Poor quality of life
www.webmd.com...

Okay, I think I covered most of the basics! Although sleep science hasn’t managed to satiate my curiosity in many matters, I find the field incredibly fascinating. We spend approximately 1/3 of our lives in this altered state of consciousness, and I think it’s worthy of more (open-minded) medical and scientific research.

If anything, our waking lives are greatly affected by our sleeping lives—even if it’s just because we didn’t get a good night’s rest before an important day. Although this thread is only meant to inform, not diagnose, I recommend seeking diagnosis and medical treatment for any sleep disorders you suspect you might have. Otherwise, I recommend the most common preventative measure against sleep disorders and sleep disturbances.

That brings me to my conclusion— Sleep Hygiene

Sleep hygiene is a variety of different practices that are necessary to have normal, quality nighttime sleep and full daytime alertness.

good sleep hygiene practices include:

• Avoid napping during the day; it can disturb the normal pattern of sleep and wakefulness.
• Avoid stimulants such as caffeine, nicotine, and alcohol too close to bedtime. While alcohol is well known to speed the onset of sleep, it disrupts sleep in the second half as the body begins to metabolize the alcohol, causing arousal.
• Exercise can promote good sleep. Vigorous exercise should be taken in the morning or late afternoon. A relaxing exercise, like yoga, can be done before bed to help initiate a restful night's sleep.
• Food can be disruptive right before sleep; stay away from large meals close to bedtime. Also dietary changes can cause sleep problems, if someone is struggling with a sleep problem, it's not a good time to start experimenting with spicy dishes. And, remember, chocolate has caffeine.
• Ensure adequate exposure to natural light. This is particularly important for older people who may not venture outside as frequently as children and adults. Light exposure helps maintain a healthy sleep-wake cycle.
• Establish a regular relaxing bedtime routine. Try to avoid emotionally upsetting conversations and activities before trying to go to sleep. Don't dwell on, or bring your problems to bed.
• Associate your bed with sleep. It's not a good idea to use your bed to watch TV, listen to the radio, or read.
• Make sure that the sleep environment is pleasant and relaxing. The bed should be comfortable, the room should not be too hot or cold, or too bright.
www.sleepfoundation.org...

Can I get a TL;DR + fell asleep? (note: this thread is not intended to cure insomnia, but it probably will!)

Thanks for reading, hope you found something of value here—or at the very least, are as interested in sleep science as I am. As always, please help me fill in the gaps and keep the information updated.


(Morpheus, Greek God of dreams)

reply to post by NarcolepticBuddha


Excellent thread!! S&F.

Sometimes I experience sleep paralysis and once I experienced the loud "bang" while coming out of a deep sleep. The funny this is that I was dreaming that I got shot and as I heard the gun blast I awoke. I also smelled gun powder, which is also very odd.

Very nice piece of work, you should be proud of it. HEY MODS! Put this thread in the ATS museum for preservation and inspiration to future OPs.

Might I add another?

Do you hear a ringing, roaring, clicking or hissing sound in your ears? Do you hear this sound often or all the time? Does the sound bother you? If you answer is yes, you might have tinnitus.

Millions of people in the U.S. have tinnitus. People with severe tinnitus may have trouble hearing, working or even sleeping. Causes of tinnitus include hearing loss, exposure to loud noises or medicines you may be taking for a different problem. Tinnitus may also be a symptom of other health problems, such as allergies, high or low blood pressure, tumors and problems in the heart, blood vessels, jaw and neck.

Treatment depends on the cause. Treatments may include hearing aids, sound-masking devices, medicines and ways to learn how to cope with the noise.

www.nlm.nih.gov...

reply to post by NarcolepticBuddha


Your thread is taking the fun out of some of the other threads on ATS. I like to hear people's interpretations of what they are experiencing. This thread is too explanatory, showing too many scientific answers. I have read about many of these things and need to read all of your OP and research it from different angles.

reply to post by rickymouse


A simple tweak is all that's needed. And maybe a forum change. Fine, fine, fine. I'll take out that one rule in my OP and make it a free-for-all.

Please offer your alternative theories, explanations, experiences etc.

(Be it far from me to take the fun out of ATS...intentionally.)

As soon as I saw "exploding head syndrome"=




And I really need to stop going to bed at 5 am every night...

Excellent thread by the way.

reply to post by NarcolepticBuddha


S&F On an excellent thread NB!

My brother experienced night terrors as a child, my parents felt so helpless.
The terrors would just have to run their course, no amount of comforting would help.
He did grow out of this, then took up sleepwalking! lol.

I myself recently awoke thinking I had been shot in the head!
A loud "crack" in my head made me think I'd had a stroke, a brain snap or had literally been shot!
No physical harm done.
My wife related the same phenomenon about a week later; with no knowledge of my experience!

Sleep is definitely something worthy of research and study.

The science is overwhelming... Maybe that is why my doc has yet to diagnose me properly.

One thing science almost never takes into account is a persons core temperature. Increasing ones temp could be the difference between restless leg syndrome and a good nights sleep.

If you are properly hydrated and the ambient air is cool, bundle up and see if that helps you get a restful night sleep...kinda like during the winter and the air is crisp, but your blanket doesn't let you get up. During the summer I even wear long johns to facilitate restful sleep. As long as the AC is on...

This is my alternative to science.

If you wake and get night paralysis I'd suggest getting over your phobias/anxiety of the night and/or unknown. Camp more (solo) and grow some D's.

...that is my second alt to science.

I snore that loud my kids all left home whenever they started earning dosh to get a good nights sleep, really true story, my daughter who stays with me at the minute sleeps at the back of my house with her tv on to try and drown out my snores

No wonder i'm single lol

Great thread thanks s/f

This is an hour long meditation. Meant to be done when your awake, its not meant to send you to sleep. Yet I have not been able to make it till the end without falling asleep. I challenge anyone not to fall asleep listening to this.

Great thread! Thank you for posting this. I'm dealing with sleep problems - which is why I'm reading the Internet this early in the morning.

I think I have mine narrowed down to a food allergy, a vitamin or mineral deficiency, or low HDL (the 'good' cholesterol which melatonin is synthesized from by the body). Or a combination of all three.

Eating an avocado will sometimes make me drowsy. Avocados contain a bunch of vitamins and minerals and is also know to raise the HDL.

I also get pain in my feet and legs, but I don't just get it when I go to sleep. I get it when I'm out of bed, too. This is the part I think is the food allergy since sometimes the pain in my feet and legs responds to an antihistamine.

I'm trying a bunch of things and I need to find (or make) a computer program to help me track it all.

This is a very informative thread! S&F!

I suffered from insomnia for years due to working midnights, and then having to come home and watch my children during the day, and then back to work. I spent about 3 years doing this before it finally took it's toll on me. Sleep deprivation can really mess you up emotionally and make you a total recluse.
I tried sleeping pills that were prescribed to me, but when I would take even mild ones, I would go out for 2 to 3 days. I would just sleep and not wake up. Eventually I found that the only way I could truly get a good nights sleep was to find a job that was so physically demanding that I would come home, eat (sometimes not even be able to do that) and crash hard. It worked!

So to this day, if I find myself getting insomnia (I still do sometimes but only for a week at a time maybe) I know I am not working hard enough and I find something that wears my body out to the point of total exhaustion and I sleep like a baby.

Very informative, thank you. The only real issue I have is that I'm laying there on my bed whilst trying to fall asleep and I get a sudden cold shiver down my spine every night just as I'm about to drift off. Very strange but, to a certain degree, very relaxing too.

I've also had problems since I was young in regards to going to bed at 3am and waking up in the early afternoon. Still did until a few days ago when I decided to fix it again. Basically:

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Prerequisite: Make sure you know how many hours sleep you need (I need at least 9 - 10 hours) and make a fixed time that you're willing to wake up at every single day from now on.
The guidance below is using this example, whereby I need 10 hours sleep.

Day 1 - Wake up at an early time (I usually choose 7am). Stay awake all day (No naps) and go to sleep at the appropriate time at night. (In my example, having the need for at least 10 hours sleep means I have to go to bed at 9pm). Set your alarm for the appropriate time in the morning (In this example, it being 7am). Word of warning though - You will fall asleep quickly, but wake up at something like 2am unable to go back to sleep. Stay in your bed and keep trying anyway (It's just your clock resetting itself). You will eventually go back to sleep, although it may take an hour or two. You'll probably find yourself tossing and turning a fair bit during the second half of the night.

Day 2 - Wake up at your fixed time. Do whatever you're doing and go to sleep again in the evening at the same time as Day 1. You'll find yourself able to sleep quicker and less tossing and turning at night.

Day 3 - Wake up at your fixed time. Do whatever you're doing and go to sleep again in the evening at the same time as Day 1. You should sleep through pretty much the whole night without waking up.

By Day 4, your body should be 99% settled into this new sleep pattern. I now get tired and regularly sleep at 9pm, and wake up at 7am naturally without the need for an alarm. And feel good.

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How come when im sleeping and when i wake up really fast and i feel the shocks of electricity throughout my body? IT feels very uncomfortable.
And how come when i'm laying down for a long time and when i get up my head feels like it hasn't realized i was getting up and i feel tons of pressur in my head like my brain is moving

reply to post by NarcolepticBuddha


Interesting thread! S&F.

I've explained in a few Threads about my so called 'Sleep Paralysis' but I truly believe it is something else (Only going by my own experience of it).

I have had other strange dreams where I am really in the moment... I can smell, hear and almost touch whatever it is that I'm dreaming about.... this isn't an ordinary dream, it's more like a 'Matrix' dream. For instance two weeks ago i was having this strange dream where I had this Bee or Wasp hovering by my face but as I woke up in Semi-Conciousness, I could still hear it buzzing but couldn't see any Bee or Wasp, I waved my hand in front of my face to get it away and almost got right up out of my bed but woke fully and yep, still no Bee or Wasp! But.... i was certain there was a Bee or Wasp hovering over me.

EDIT: I don't actually dream that much but when I do, they are very strange indeed.

Nice post! I have the "exploding head syndrome" and have had hypnagogic nightmares in the past. The "gun cracks" don't happen in my sleep, however, but when I'm awake. As I'll be fully conscious during one, I can agree that it is kind of seizure like because my head feels like jelly for a split second. I really question the hypnagogia stuff though as it seems to elevate it to something more than what it actually can be--a nightmare that occurs with your eyes open at the onset of sleep. Probably my "favorite" was when I was staying at a hotel in Canada and "woke" to find spiders crawling everywhere. My screams woke the entire hotel and didn't impress the hotel manager. Had a recent spate with them after getting a new kitten who was way to curious and reckless for his own good. Was having sleep onset nightmares where he would fall from a height that would jolt me awake. I'd literally be reaching out to catch him in the state. It sucked and was not transcendental or symbolic in the slightest. Little bit of bias in that Fortean Times article...

On a related side note: when I was younger, people entering my room would wake me and I would carry on a full conversation with them where they thought I was awake but was, in reality, asleep still. Confused the heck out of people. My son actually does the same thing and one day, I got a call from his school because they were concerned that he was on drugs. What had actually happened was that he had dozed off in class and, when they "woke him up", he seemed utterly disoriented. They led him to the nurse's office where he walked the entire way there with his responses being sluggish. The school nurse immediately attributed it to drugs to the point where I ended up having to come to the school to "wake him" to prove that it was not. All I have to do when he's in that state is to tell him that he is still asleep and that he needs to wake up a couple times, sternly and loud. You'd think a school nurse would understand what sleepwalking is considering that it's pretty common. But no, "drugs" was the cause and let's just say they were all pretty embarrassed when my son woke up fully and was fine. lol

S & F for a superior thread.

I have had nearly all - quite literally - nearly all of those listed syndromes throughout my life. With the exception of a few.

I stopped trying to change it or worry about it - and once I had my children - it self regulated.

I don't know why. It did though. Of course, when I had my children, I put away self-indulgence - and many of my younger years self-indulgences may have been contributing to my sleep disturbances.

I really enjoyed reading through this thread. Great job.

Blessings,
Cirque

Originally posted by Casualboy100
How come when im sleeping and when i wake up really fast and i feel the shocks of electricity throughout my body? IT feels very uncomfortable.

And how come when i'm laying down for a long time and when i get up my head feels like it hasn't realized i was getting up and i feel tons of pressur in my head like my brain is moving

Maybe a form of anxiety. You should probably get it checked out.

reply to post by CirqueDeTruth

Glad to hear your sleep problems have leveled off. I know what hell it can be. Need for sleep is probably our most fundamental biological urge--we can't eat or reproduce without sleep, right? Sleep is the first thing on the list that needs taken care of.

I, too, have experienced nearly everything on the list at some point or another. Many of them I continue to experience and do so continually (check the username.) Sleeping problems, disorders, and disturbances have plagued me my whole life.

I even think I might be a good candidate for Sleeping Beauty Syndrome. About 2-3 times a year, for no discernible reason, I'll just sleep uninterrupted for about 18-24 hours, get up and eat, use the restroom, and fall back asleep for another 8-12 hours. Although, I have not had any testing done for this and never discussed it with my sleep physicians.

I also sometimes grind my teeth when I sleep (bruxism.)

While researching this thread, I came across something I had never seen before!--the "non 24-hour biological clock." Because of my sleep disorder (diagnosed "atypical narcolepsy") my needs are continually changing. Seems like every week I end up staying up a few hours later and sleeping in a few hours longer. I can never tell when I'll be asleep or awake from a week-to-week basis. It has made life incredibly difficult. My body just won't follow a 24-hour sunshine/ nighttime pattern. I've tried it all--light therapy, medications, melatonin etc.

I like to assume I just belong on a different planet My body was made for some other solar system hehe.

One of the best threads I have read on here, friend - thanks for posting. S+F for you.

I've suffered from all kinds of sleep disorders since early adolescence, including:

- Insomnia
- Hypersomnia
- Sleep paralysis
- Night terrors
- Hypnagogic hallucinations (auditory)

and, of course, the biggie - Exploding Head Syndrome.

I first experienced EHS shortly after my sister died. Man, it weirded me out. Just dropping off to sleep, and BAM! Bright flash of white light, and a massive noise in my head.

Being the curious type, I wondered if other people had experienced it, so I googled the symptoms, and found out that yes, they had. And so began what has turned into a bit of an obsession.

I wondered why it was that doctors hadn't yet figured out what caused EHS, other than perhaps lack of sleep / stress. I can get the psychological reasons, but physiologically, people don't seem to agree.

I have been formulating a theory for a while - and, before I am mocked, I would like to emphasise that it's only a theory, and one that's probably damn near impossible to prove.

I think EHS is closely linked to the Pineal gland - the so-called "third eye". Anyone new to the Pineal gland, I recommend looking it up. It's pretty fascinating: a little, pinecone shaped gland in the centre of your brain that has, on the inside, rods and cones, just like the retinas of your actual eyes.

Obviously light doesn't get through to it in any conventional sense. So why have light receptors?

The Pineal gland secretes Melatonin, a hormone that regulates sleep. But it also releases small amounts of Dimethyltryptamine (D.M.T.). Researchers have hypothesised that this chemical is somehow responsible for the dreaming state.

So, my theory is that EHS is caused by a sudden, concentrated release of D.M.T. that floods the Pineal gland - your third eye - creating an effect that we experience as a burst of combined mental sound and light.

I won't go much further - this feeds into my spiritual interpretation of things, and I wanted to keep this (relatively) scientific