Okay..here it goes. I start to fall asleep and at some point bolt upright and feel like I'm suffocating. At least that's what I think I'm feeling. At some point I end up on the floor and I'm kicking the dressers (not sure why but I think again that it feels like I can't breath and I'm panicking). Sometimes I have the jolt and I know the feeling is coming on me but can't keep it from happening and just fly out of bed. My husband tried to hold me down one time and I fight him. I am fully aware and not sleeping or dreaming at all. I have some pretty bad black n blue marks from this. This is not just once a night. It is sometimes all night. My husband has the nerve to get mad that he has to go to work and I'm keeping him up. Like I can help this and like his snoring is helping any.
I went to a neuro and he did a sleep study. I was freezing and young tech said must keep air on high so I don't sweat and electrodes don't fall off. Had to sleep on back he said also. I was under such pressure to sleep and felt knew this tech was watching me the whole time waiting for me to fall asleep. So of course I slept like 2 hours and he said no sleep apnea. But I had 96 arousals in that time and some leg kicking. So go to neuro with results and he just throws Klonapin at me and says "some type of parasym(sp?). I could have told him this. He even suggested sleep walking. Yeah right! I am 50 and still have regular periods but very heavy and closer together. Please does anyone else have this. I feel like putting myself in a mental institution.

Hi Pattimay: I'm sorry you are going through this....were you being serious about the mental institution? If so, you really can't get yourself admitted unless you are suicidal, homicidal, or delusional. What you need is a better doctor...one who will take this seriously and not just toss some vague diagnosis at you.

I have the attacks you describe...actually, they are EXACTLY what you describe. I fall alseep, and then I'm jolted awake and I cannot breathe. My heart is beating very hard and fast, and I gasp for breath. It is incredibly scary. Over the course of my adult life, I had a couple of these episodes, but when I hit menopause (I'm 7 months post) they ramped up in intensity and quantity. So I think there is definitely a hormonal connection. Have you had a blood test to see where your hormones levels are at? You might want to consider it.

Take the clonopin at bed time. It will help relax you. I'm also concerned about these black and blue marks you describe. Is this from you flailing about, or from your husband? If it's your husband, it doesn't sound like he is helping the situation. Maybe having him temporary sleep someone else would be a good idea...

Please consider getting a second opinion...and also check to see how your hormone levels are...thyroid too..I'll be sending good vibes your way...
Hugs,
RR.

Robin, I hope you meant the husband should sleep SOMEWHERE else, not with SOMEONE else!!

I used to get those horrible jolting awake episodes too, still do from time to time but not often. It always happens just as you are drifting off to sleep, and you jolt awake, gasping for air - and I often have the feeling I am going to vomit, although I never have. I agree they have to be hormonal. I think acceptance helps. Fighting these awful symptoms seems to make them worse, and harder to bare.

No Robin lol the black n blue marks are not from my husband. It's from always falling out of bed with these jolts. It's like I have to get away or I'm panicked about the breathing. I bang my knee on the floor or dresser sometimes. But I would like to give my husband some black n blue marks for being insensitive sometimes to what I'm going through. I wasn't serious about the mental institution. I'm just exhaused from this happening night after night. I'm worried brain tumor or seizures. But the neuro/sleep specialist dismissed this. It's one thing to have insomnia but it's another to actually fall asleep and you're brain and body is not letting you stay alseep and jolt up all night. I go through periods of being okay but this is the longest I went with this happening. I noticed this month I got my period in only 22 days. Very heavy as usual. Before my period I usually get the night sweats but now they are continuing. I also noticed that when I get these attacks at night I'm holding my stomach but it does not hurt. It's like it's tensed up . I get this in the day time too when I get stressed. So I guess I'm doing the same at night subconsciously. My husband tries. Like a little rub of the back before we sleep. I said maybe you can hold my hand a little and it relaxes me but he does it for a second and then out like a light and his snoring starts. It has been a stressful year wsith my daughter getting married, moving away, lost my job, had to put our dog of 17 years put to sleep and worried always about my parents health. Wish I could be like my husband and worry all day and complain and then just be able to fall asleep at the drop of a hat. Thanks everyone for writing . Just reading that other ladies have this makes me moare sane and not as scared.

I occasionally jolt awake right before I fall into a deep sleep and I usually blurt out "I don't want to die"...how strange it that one? My heart is pounding, I sort of shake my whole body/head as if to shake it out of me. A few weeks ago I woke up, the heater had kicked on and was blowing on my face, I started hyperventilating and panicking, I jumped up and threw open my window and had to gulp cold night air to calm myself. It was hideous. But, the good thing is I knew what it was and I was able to ride it out. I have a wonderful husband who is the most calming of men and he always soothes me even if it takes an hour. Ughhh, I am just now starting to get irregular periods after 9 years of this peri crap, I am 50 and I am not sure if I am praying for menopause or not. I don't know if it get's better or worse after all is said and done.