jolting awake feeling lighthead/dizziness/head rush few seconds - Anxiety Message Board

robinette2 · 07-09-2008, 10:25 AM

I have only did this a few times, but it totally feeks me out and starts me on a bad anxiety attack. I will jolt awake with a wierd hard to explain feeling. It is like a lightheadness/dizziness/head rush for a few seconds. Im not gasping for air or anything, just this wierd feeling in my head. then it's a bad anxiety attack for the rest of the night, scared to go to sleep as I think i am going to die if I do. Like I said it is hard to explain. Anyone have something similar happen?

alefever26 · 07-09-2008, 10:47 AM

yah, i use to have it all the time. from 2002 til just a few months ago.. its been a while since i have felt it.. but when i did it would ruin my whole night of trying to sleep. i would get that feeling over and over. then i'd get chills and i just literally felt like i was dying..

twilb15 · 07-09-2008, 03:26 PM

Oh yes, I've had this feeling! Mine would be when I was trying to fall asleep and all of a sudden I'd jump and have the weirdest feeling in my head. I honestly thought that I'd die in my sleep, I thought I'd quit breathing. Scared me to death.

soupermom · 07-09-2008, 04:16 PM

I have had a similar symptom for years in varying degrees. Most commonly just as I have drifted off to sleep; I will jolt awake and feel completely disoriented and then be awake for hours after. I have decided that it is my screwed up brain sending an adrenaline rush that triggers the fight or flight instinct. I am getting used to them and have found ways to calm myself down so I can get back to sleep more quickly.

k2626 · 07-28-2008, 09:18 PM

Yes that has happened to me. Sometimes I get jolted trying to swallow (that could be my GERD thought) or trying to catch a breath. Sometimes this happens when I am falling asleep too. Really just started over the past yr