Need help: Scary sleep problem.

[Gate2501]

Over the past year or so, I have been having these strange sleep episodes.

I wake up in the middle of the night, and don't know where I am, who I am, or what I am. The most horrible terror sets in, and I normally get up, and walk out into the hallway outside of my bedroom, slump against the wall, and reality comes flooding back in. This entire experience lasts 10-20 seconds.

This happened to me yet again last night, this time I was sleeping with someone else(unusual for me), and I had no idea who she was during the episode, and again didn't know who/what/where I was either. This one seemed to last longer, and I walked all the way to my kitchen and was shaking horribly when I finally got a tenuous grip on reality. She was very cool about it, but it was embarrassing, and I don't know if this could be some sort of neurological disorder?

I guess my question is: Has anyone else experienced this, and should I go to a doctor?

[wardenclyffe]

Seeing a doctor wouldn't hurt. Did you know where your kitchen was or was it a complete surprise when you turned the corner?

Ward

[Gate2501]

Seeing a doctor wouldn't hurt. Did you know where your kitchen was or was it a complete surprise when you turned the corner?

Ward

It is hard to say if I knew where I was going. I knew right where the light switch was in the kitchen though, which has to mean that on some level I knew.

[ExMinister]

Are you taking any new medications this past year?

[Tanja]

There have been numerous occasions when I would wake up in the middle of the night and not know where I was for about 10 seconds or so. Usually it involves looking at my husband and not having a clue who he is or what he is doing in my bed (we have been together for ten and a half years).

Before my husband and I got married five and a half years ago, there was a period of about two years when I was travelling very frequently between Holland, UK and Croatia, and I stayed in hotels a lot for work. I practically never slept in the same bed for more than four nights. During that time there were quite a few occasions when I would wake up during the night and not know in which country I was and in which bed I was.

However, this kind of experience doesn't seem to freak me out as much as you. I don't remember it ever freaking me out so much I would actually get up, as my brain would always clear out while I was still in bed.

Since I settled in the UK and stopped travelilng for work, these occurences have become more rare, but they still ocasionally happen.

[Paul C. Anagnostopoulos]

It almost sounds like a waking dream and an anxiety attack mixed together. Has anything bad ever happened during these episodes? If not, perhaps you could relax during them and just sort of enjoy the ride.

Seeing a doctor cannot possibly be a bad idea.

~~ Paul

[Gate2501]

Are you taking any new medications this past year?

No I have not, I am supposed to take medication for my anxiety issues, but I tend to avoid them (zoloft/abilify), because the real side effects scare me more than anxiety, which I consider to be debilitating, but harmless overall.

I don't even take asprin if I get a headache.

[Gate2501]

It almost sounds like a waking dream and an anxiety attack mixed together. Has anything bad ever happened during these episodes? If not, perhaps you could relax during them and just sort of enjoy the ride.

Seeing a doctor cannot possibly be a bad idea.

~~ Paul

No, nothing bad other than the terror that I experience. I do have some pretty severe anxiety issues... I will look into waking dreams.

[Terry]

It could be sleep seizures. Being very confused and anxious after is typical.

[Stimpson J. Cat]

I often have similar experiences, though they usually only last for a few seconds. I have heard "sleep paralysis" described, and aside from the actual "paralysis" part, it seems very similar. I also notice that it is much more common when I have a fever.

I figure that it pretty much amounts to not all of the parts of the brain normally involved in conscious behavior waking up at exactly the same time. But that's fairly speculative on my part.


Dr. Stupid

[Mercutio]

Dunno how reliable it is, but there is a site, the Night Terrors Resource Center (http://www.nightterrors.org/), which seems like it might be able to answer some of your questions.

[ExMinister]

It could be sleep seizures. Being very confused and anxious after is typical.

Is it possible to have seizures only during sleep?

[Gate2501]

It could be sleep seizures. Being very confused and anxious after is typical.

I just finished reading about these, but it seems like I get up and run around because I am scared, I "feel" like I have purposefully acted when I take off about the house.

I am beginning to think that it is something like what Tanja described, and the getting up and running around the house bit is all me. Severe anxiety... Some sort of waking amnesia? It doesn't seem like the typical night terror either, but I will probably ask the people on the message board that Mercutio linked.

[wardenclyffe]

Gate2501,

As this is happening, are you aware that it's happened before? Is it a "here we go again" type of thing or is it completely brand new every time? I'm just trying to determine what you are aware of and what you are not. You say you don't know where you are or who you are or what you are. It probably feels like that, but it's clearly not the case because you knew right where the lightswitch was.

I'm in no way a professional who's qualified to help you. I'm just curious.

Ward

[Gate2501]

Gate2501,

As this is happening, are you aware that it's happened before? Is it a "here we go again" type of thing or is it completely brand new every time? I'm just trying to determine what you are aware of and what you are not. You say you don't know where you are or who you are or what you are. It probably feels like that, but it's clearly not the case because you knew right where the lightswitch was.

I'm in no way a professional who's qualified to help you. I'm just curious.

Ward

It is like it is brand new every time. It is like I have no access to a huge chunk of my memories. Yeah, you are probably right, I must know some things, like the layout of my house, I just don't understand that it is my house? I understood that there was a person next to me, but I didn't know what person it was. I understood that I could walk and move, but was totally confused about who I was, and maybe thinking that I don't know "what" I am is just a side effect of the loss of identity.

[kittynh]

there are a lot of sleep "problems". I see it a lot with the alien abductees that write to me. Your brain acts whacky when it is sleeping.

I once was in a very old house that we were renting, and got up to use the bathroom at 2:46 am. I remember noticing the time. To use the only bathroom in the house you had to walk down a LONG hallway. On the way back to the bedroom I noticed I was WALKING but not MOVING. It was as if there was an invisible wall I could not break through. I began to panic, I HAD to get through that wall and I HAD to get back to the bedroom or something horrible was going to happen. Some THING was trying to get me.

I finally with what seemed GREAT effort broke through the wall and came back into the bedroom covered with sweat and exhausted. I looked at the time, and it was 4:58 am. I remember being fully awake at that point and wondering "WHAT happened to that lost time?" If I was not a skeptic, I probably would be now on my world book tour talking about the aliens that abducted me. A few bouts with a bad hypno therapist would implant all the memories I would need.

I've had a few sleepwalking episodes, which is just what I think that was. I might even have just leaned against a wall and had a bit of a snooze.

My daughter was a very interesting sleepwalker as a young child. She would get up, come down the narrow twisting back staircase (the house had 2 staircases) walk into the living room and stand in front of the tv doing her best zombie impression. Sometimes she would try to go for a walk around the neighborhood (people would call us). It was really neat.

[Holler Hoojer]

So the thing to do is consult a sleep doctor. There are a number of sleep disorders that get pretty weird, but which are treatable.

[Miss_Kitt]

Let me join the chorus of, "See a doctor" and suggest a neurologist and/or sleep specialist. Not terribly likely, but Transient Ischemic Event is possible and would be a bad sign. Sleep specialist is likely to have seen this before if it's not biggie.

My daughter sleep walks and sleep talks, but less so as she gets older.

[Dr. Imago]

There is a condition called "night terrors" that can occur with regularity in some children, but they often outgrow these episodes. It is fairly uncommon, but this condition can also occur in adults.

http://www.healthscout.com/ency/68/341/main.html

~Dr. Imago

[Dancing David]

Over the past year or so, I have been having these strange sleep episodes.

I wake up in the middle of the night, and don't know where I am, who I am, or what I am. The most horrible terror sets in, and I normally get up, and walk out into the hallway outside of my bedroom, slump against the wall, and reality comes flooding back in. This entire experience lasts 10-20 seconds.

This happened to me yet again last night, this time I was sleeping with someone else(unusual for me), and I had no idea who she was during the episode, and again didn't know who/what/where I was either. This one seemed to last longer, and I walked all the way to my kitchen and was shaking horribly when I finally got a tenuous grip on reality. She was very cool about it, but it was embarrassing, and I don't know if this could be some sort of neurological disorder?

I guess my question is: Has anyone else experienced this, and should I go to a doctor?


There are many varieties of sleep disturbance, sounds like a night terror. However you woke very quickly. I would look into a sleep study if it continues.

I have had many night terrors, and severe sleep apnea.

[Ernie M]

I'm not a medical doctor, and as others have suggested, I too, suggest you see a sleep doctor "specialist."

Most likely you will need to have a polysomnogram (sleep study) to help determine if you suffer from, among various issues- sleep apnea.

[Lanzy]

The answer to "Should I see a Dr."? Is almost always, Yes!

If you are concerned enough to ask, then just go.

[macdoc]

Do look in to lucid dreams and you may be able to bring on the terror while you still have control and gradually learn to reduce the fear.

That's how I wrestled claustrophia to a knock out when I was a kid and it really empowered me that I could have some control over "terrors".

That you remember how you feel while in the dream is a big key to

a) bringing it on voluntarily

b) then forcing it into " I can deal with this" mode.

Docs never hurt.....mostly.

They can be dismissive of this as well and speaking from experience they are very real......

Good luck

[Gate2501]

There are many varieties of sleep disturbance, sounds like a night terror. However you woke very quickly. I would look into a sleep study if it continues.

I have had many night terrors, and severe sleep apnea.

Yes, the initial reason that I thought that it was not a night terror, was A. the amnesia, and B. I wake up so fast. I shoot straight up out of bed, right out of whatever dream I was having, and the event is over very quickly.

Lots of people that suffer from NT's seemed to have much longer lasting episodes, and some say they cannot get out of bed at all. I suppose that I am lucky in this regard. I will visit a sleep doctor if this continues or increases in frequency. Perhaps I will figure out what is causing this on my own. The last one that I had was after a period of 35ish hours awake, so I am guessing that could have had something to do with it.

Thanks for all the replies.

[Terry]

Is it possible to have seizures only during sleep?

yes, definitely. See for instance this article: http://www.epilepsy.com/articles/ar_1063155671

I'm not a doctor though, anyone who has concerns should consult with a real medical professional.

[macdoc]

The last one that I had was after a period of 35ish hours awake, so I am guessing that could have had something to do with it.

yep that's a lucid dream state situation.

Now try and create it and control it when you are not so vulnerable after 35 hours awake.

Perhaps I will figure out what is causing this on my own.
Unlikely to figure out the cause but you might be able to master the fear yourself

[Ernie M]

[...]

[...] I will visit a sleep doctor if this continues or increases in frequency. Perhaps I will figure out what is causing this on my own. [...]


My understanding is there will be little or no chance that you will find out what's causing the situation on your own. If the cause is due to sleep apnea, the majority of people who have it won't know unless they have results from a sleep study, or, say whoever they are sleeping with hears them gasp or gurgle like they are suffocating. Which in effect, they are suffocating. Other symptoms might include being sleepy during the day, or showing an inclination to be very sleepy or to fall asleep during certain events such as reading, watching TV, or driving.

After a sleep apnea "episode," a person might not ever be aware that they stopped breathing, except for clues which might include sweating, or a rapid heart rate. Depending on the severity of sleep apnea, a person can stop breathing from seconds-to a minute or more, many times an hour.

Since you may show signs of sleep apnea or other sleep disorder, my suggestion is that you seek the help of a sleep doctor and see if a sleep study is warranted, and not wait to see if the episodes increase.

Again, you may never be consciously aware you are having problems with sleep apnea because you may never fully realize what's going on without the results of a sleep study.

[Dancing David]

My understanding is there will be little or no chance that you will find out what's causing the situation on your own. If the cause is due to sleep apnea, the majority of people who have it won't know unless they have results from a sleep study, or, say whoever they are sleeping with hears them gasp or gurgle like they are suffocating. Which in effect, they are suffocating. Other symptoms might include being sleepy during the day, or showing an inclination to be very sleepy or to fall asleep during certain events such as reading, watching TV, or driving.

After a sleep apnea "episode," a person might not ever be aware that they stopped breathing, except for clues which might include sweating, or a rapid heart rate. Depending on the severity of sleep apnea, a person can stop breathing from seconds-to a minute or more, many times an hour.

Since you may show signs of sleep apnea or other sleep disorder, my suggestion is that you seek the help of a sleep doctor and see if a sleep study is warranted, and not wait to see if the episodes increase.

Again, you may never be consciously aware you are having problems with sleep apnea because you may never fully realize what's going on without the results of a sleep study.


My biggest clue was falling asleep throughout the day.

[sophia8]

Is it possible to have seizures only during sleep?Yes, it is. I've had two family members suffer from it. However, neither of them got out of bed and walked around during these attacks - it was typical epileptic seizures that happened to be triggered by a combination of hormone levels and sleep level.

[Tiktaalik]

I've had what sounds like similar episodes. I wake up, can't get oriented, and feel like I'm struggling to orient my mind, so I get up and walk around and touch things for a few seconds, usually I turn on a light & look around, then my mind seems to "come forward" and within a few seconds I figure out where I am and what's going on. My heart is usually pounding real hard, but I don't find it that freaky. I think it's kind of the next stage up from sleep paralysis. It's as though only part of my mind wakes up and the rest is left behind in dreamland and has to catch up.

I notice it generally happens when I've gotten really overtired. I always just figured it was a slowed-down wake up process caused by overtiredness.

[KellyG]

I've had a couple severe, similar episodes. I actually woke up, having no clear reason why but just knowing I was going to die. I was up very late the night before and was quite stressed out. The terror was incredible. My only way of snapping out of it I decided was to coax myself back to sleep. From hearing other accounts, I've always assumed it was related to sleep paralysis.

[Tanja]

I think it's kind of the next stage up from sleep paralysis. It's as though only part of my mind wakes up and the rest is left behind in dreamland and has to catch up.

Another thing I noticed about me waking upunexpectedly during the night is that my hearing switches on a few seconds after my consciousness and my vision. My husband likes to leave the radio on during the night (we've been arguing about this for years) and I'll hear it only a good few seconds after I am aware that I'm awake.