Sleep but awake?
I’ve been having the strangest sleep for about five different nights, not consecutive, but very close to one another. They started this year.
I go to bed and I fall asleep, but then I start going through a stage of my sleep where I know I’m awake, but I cannot stand up or wake up or anything. I can see everything around the room while I am on my bed. I know my eyes are closed, but I feel like my eyelids are transparent and I can see everything.
I also get pressure not pain, pressure on my forehead, right between my eyebrows, and I feel the area cold without touching it.
I don’t travel anywhere, I don’t walk out of the room and I cannot see myself sleeping on the bed, but I do see everything as if I am on the bed, but I cannot stand up, or do anything.
I start to think to myself “go to sleep Jerusha fall asleep, fall asleep, fall asleep” even though my eyelids are closed.
When I finally do fall asleep a while later, I feel like it’s already time to wake up and my body feels as if I didn’t have a good night sleep at all, I don’t feel rested. I feel extremely tired, because I know that I was awake with my eyes closed. My sleep app shows I did sleep, but I know I didn’t.
This is very unusual for me since I am a deep sleeper and do not suffer from insomnia. I can fall asleep anywhere and within seconds. I feel this is something out of the ordinary.
Help? What’s wrong?
Hi, I have this problem for years.I did a sleep study and it showed I slept very lightly for 4 hours.I thought it was a mistake because it didn't feel any thing.I tried numerous medications.Currently started taking Remeron at bedtime. What are you taking for sleep?
Hi
. I find Melatonin really helpful though it does sometimes give me nightmares. On nights when my sleep patterns have been disrupted and I just have to get back on track, I take Benadryl, but I can usually get at least six hours sleep a night. Falling asleep is my issue more so than staying asleep. Have you been taking Remeron for long? Remeron reduces REM sleep and lengthens deep sleep. Is it possible that is what is causing your current issue? Side effects can occur well after beginning the medication. From the studies I have read, it seems Remeron (mirtazapine) can induce hypnagogia. Here is one study I found: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/20334466/. - Lori (Team Member)
Hi
. Welcome to the community! We are not medical experts, so bear that in mind. It sounds like you are experiencing hypnagogia, that stage between wakefulness and deep sleep. Though it could be a sign of a sleep disorder, it is not uncommon for healthy people to experience hypnagogia at some point. It is most concerning if it happens during the day or if it causes you lots of stress. If that happens, I would be wise to see a sleep specialist. Have you been taking any new medications? hypnagogia sometimes occurs in people who take certain antidepressants. The good news is that this is a period of intense creativity because the brain is free of constrictions, but is still in the realm of reality, unlike REM sleep. Many artists and scientists have reported significant breakthroughs during hypnagogia sleep. You are actually sleeping, but maybe not as deeply as you would during REM sleep. Here is an article from one of our advocate who experiences hypnagogia as part of her insomnia: https://insomnia.sleep-disorders.net/living/hypnagogia. I thought it might interest you, but please know that does not mean you have a sleep disorder. You might never experience hypnagogia after this bout. Researchers don't know what causes hypnagogia, but getting more sleep, sleeping on a regular schedule and avoiding alcohol and certain medications can help bring you back into a more typical cycle of sleep. I hope this helps and that you sleep better soon. Keep me posted if you don't mind. I will be thinking of you. - Lori (Team Member)
