insomnia and intermittent palpitations – anxiety or something else?

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  • #23795
    middleofthenight
    ✘ Not a client

      I’m 35 and for the last year almost now I’ve had issues with middle of the night insomnia, as it’s called. So that is, I’m fine drifting off to sleep but then would wake up at random times in the early morning, anywhere between 1:30am to 3/4am with a standard bed time of around 11:30 – 12:30 (occasionally later than this). And when I wake up, I am wide awake and just cannot go back to sleep. However sometimes I can go back to sleep and do and so I do manage to still get around 5-6-7 hours of sleep in total despite the interruption.  Other days though I can get at least 6.5 – 8.  So maybe I don’t have true chronic, severe insomnia but it’s still disturbing enough to bother me.

      So it’s been erratic. Infact I thought that this issue was over as for the last few months I’ve been sleeping a lot better and had far less moments where I’ve woken up.

       

      Recently though, I have started to get some palpitations. I got a few bouts in July, August and last month but were very fleeting and didn’t really notice it a great deal as it was more of a fluttery feeling and the occasional loud beating heart at night time. However, the last 4 days I’ve been getting them more.  Again this is intermittent but it’s sometimes accompanied by this very strange, jumpy, edgy, nervy feeling.  It’s hard to describe. Sometimes I get it as I’m moving from one position, going up the stairs, it feels like a surge of nervous energy running through me. I guess you could call it a mini panic attack but I can feel this faint pulse/beating sometimes in my chest, other times elsewhere in the body but this never hurts or anything, it’s merely the sensation.  I had something similar but possibly more severe when I was 17 years old after a close relative had died.  I remember palpitations were at its worst here but eventually they calmed down. I had all the tests then at 17 – echo, ECG and heart monitor tape – all came back normal. So that was 17/18 years ago now.

       

      I’ve had episodes of them since then but this is the most sustained period right now.  I guess I’ve had a few things happen in the last month or so like a close friend getting married which I guess stressed me out because I’m stressed about my own singleness, having to cut ties for good with a long term friend and I suppose just worrying about this makes things even worse.

       

      I don’t have any other real accompanying symptoms such as chest pain, shortness of breath, dizziness, headache etc. apart from of course this insomnia which has been on and off as I mentioned.  Pulse rate is normal and regular – 72 at resting, 66 perhaps during night time before bed and in the morning and this is also during one of these moments where I feel I’m having slight palpitations…which doesn’t make sense as I thought palpitations are due to a racing heart but my PULSE RATE IS NORMAL…

      I’m guessing that’s a good thing right?  Also I have no issues when I exercise, like I’ve done a few jogs and sprints and I’m fine although yesterday when I played tennis I did feel the palpitations getting more pronounced but again no other symptoms.

      Has anyone had something similar?

      #23864
      Martin Reed
      ★ Admin

        If you have any concerns about palpitations, your heart, or your overall health, you should seek medical advice. Nobody on this forum (as I’m sure you realize!) is qualified to offer medical advice or a diagnosis.

        What time do you typically go to bed at night, and when do you get out of bed in the morning to start your day? How do you feel during the day? Do you feel sleepy and lethargic?

        If you are ready to stop struggling with insomnia you can enroll in the online insomnia coaching course right now! If you would prefer ongoing phone or video coaching calls as part of a powerful three month program that will help you reclaim your life from insomnia, consider applying for the Insomnia Clarity program.

        The content of this post is provided for informational and educational purposes only. It is not medical advice and is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease, disorder, or medical condition. It should never replace any advice given to you by your physician or any other licensed healthcare provider. Insomnia Coach LLC offers coaching services only and does not provide therapy, counseling, medical advice, or medical treatment. All content is provided “as is” and without warranties, either express or implied.

        #24000
        middleofthenight
        ✘ Not a client

          Thanks for the response.  I usually try to go to bed around midnight if not earlier, sometimes it might be 1am and tend to get up around 8am – 9am.  I’ve recorded my sleeping on Snorelab and another sleep app both recently and in the past and so far I haven’t displayed any symptoms of sleep apnea as far as I can tell – no loud excessive snoring, normal breaths when in deep sleep or mild snoring. I’m not overweight or any other illnesses that I’m aware of.

          My sleeping patterns are erratic. Over this last summer they’ve been better, usually I would only wake up temporarily like for a minute or so before falling back to sleep but now I’m waking up around 2am/3am/4am and I’m wide awake for quite a while until I can get back to sleep around 6/7am, so a few hours later. So I’m getting just about enough sleep even if that’s 5-6 hours. F or me that seems to be enough as I NEVER feel tired the following day and no other real symptoms apart from the occasional fluttery edgy type feeling from time to time. Most of the time I’m ok but I’m not able to sleep right through the night like I used to, like I have my whole life until last year.

          #24037
          Martin Reed
          ★ Admin

            Thank you for your reply. If you are getting between five and six hours of sleep and feel fine and refreshed during the day, it’s unlikely that you have anything to be concerned about. Individual sleep needs are different, and there is no such thing as a ‘one size fits all’ sleep requirement. If you are not sleepy during the day, and you feel refreshed upon waking in the morning to start your day, you may simply be someone who needs a relatively short amount of sleep at night.

            If you have any concerns about your sleep (or your palpitations), you should definitely discuss them with your doctor.

            If you are ready to stop struggling with insomnia you can enroll in the online insomnia coaching course right now! If you would prefer ongoing phone or video coaching calls as part of a powerful three month program that will help you reclaim your life from insomnia, consider applying for the Insomnia Clarity program.

            The content of this post is provided for informational and educational purposes only. It is not medical advice and is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease, disorder, or medical condition. It should never replace any advice given to you by your physician or any other licensed healthcare provider. Insomnia Coach LLC offers coaching services only and does not provide therapy, counseling, medical advice, or medical treatment. All content is provided “as is” and without warranties, either express or implied.

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