Unknown chronic sleeping disorder, tensions. Please help.

[henlik]

So, I’ve been having this chronic sleeping disorder for a year now and i am starting to get really frustrated. It’s affecting every aspect of my life. I can’t plan a single day ahead because I have to rest, and I feel I can no longer take part in a regular life.
I have been struggling with sleep ever since I was a child, and sort of been naturally anxious all my life. I have always had some sort of difficulty not getting deep enough sleep, generally walking around being able to sleep at any time during the day. This all got even worse.

I am struggling with tensions. I have been to several doctors, tried acupuncture, some sort of tension trigger method (can’t remember the name) melatonin, and all other sleep related activities. I am certain it has something to do with my body physically. It must be something blocking the flow of nerve/blood circulation in my upper back. I shall explain this in greater depth.

Some of my symptoms:

I am not able to fall asleep normally; if I’m lucky I fall into a light dream/thinking state where I am able to get a little rest. When this happens I am also slightly concuss so the lowest sound can “wake” me.

If I lay still long enough or in a comfy position I can feel certain muscles/tendons move, contract or wiggle. There is this certain part on my forearm where I can feel the tendons wiggle as some of my tensions decline.

Occasionally i feel pain coming from the mid part of my upper back, my chiropractor which i’ve been visiting several times found two vertelebrais standing more in their opposite direction. However the treatment didn’t make things better, she mainly focused on my neck. She pointed out that my neck had a to stiff shape and that i constantly leaned slightly to the right to avoid the tensions from the left side of my body.

The tensions are inside my head as well, I can feel muscles contract/relax and tensions move to another location or come back. When i try to relax as hard as i can, i can't simply get sleepy. I actually have problems recalling how it feels to be sleepy.

Sometimes my neck is so tense i can’t put my shoulders all the way down and you can actually see the tendons in my neck better.
My neck pain reach up to the back of my head. I often feel some kind of pressure/discomfort. If I turn my neck it makes sounds.

I am unable to yawn and I no longer feel the need to yawn. Jaw is tense and when I open my mouth as wide as I can, my jaw sort of dislocates as I am closing my mouth.

I've had some issues with my hips/back before. Apparently my right foot is 0,5 cm shorter than my left, and i have been noticing this better of the past months.

Since my mom has been depressed earlier, we thought depression could be my case as well. I tried something called Remeron two days in a row but it just numbed my body and didn’t make sleep better at all. I also hated the effects the following day(s). I don’t believe my issues come from depression. I can go to bed without a worry and still sleep terribly bad.

A prescription drug which have given me some relief is Zolpidem(Ambien), but I notice that I am not thinking very clear the morning after, so that’s no long term solution.

My question to you is, how can this control why I can’t sleep? I am certain it has something to do with my body physically. And i suspect that it may all be coming from my upper back. When i stretch it i can feel some discomfort and it makes sounds. I am desperate for input on treatments. Thank you.

Man, 21 years old.

 

[henlik]

I can't edit my post, don't know why. I forgot to supply that i have sleep apnea, i don't know how often i get this but i believe it is a couple of times a week. I'm also 83 kg's and 183cm tall, if that may give you better understanding.

 

[-=SS=-]

Sleep apnea/interrupted breathing will definitely make your sleep weaker. My ex-gf had terrible apnea, sounded like she was choking on herself every 45 seconds or so.. she was really skinny though, and as a result was tired all the time (and so was I! jesus the snoring!).

I'd start with the apnea, I mean you know you have it. You say 80kgs.. I take it that's not all muscle right? Slimming down may help a bit there to relieve pressure on your neck, though I'm sure they've told you this already.

Mattress? Got to have a good mattress. I purchased a 3" memory foam topper for my 20 year old mattress (firm, not saggy) and I sleep very well as though the mattress is shit on its own, it's firm (too firm) and the memory foam sits well. Only cost £40. If you have the money I'd invest in a proper memory foam mattress though. Good god they've so fucking comfy.

Finally if you're certain it's physical maybe you have muscle imbalances. You mentioned your feet. I have one smaller than the other, though my main problem is at the hips. One sits higher than the other side, which causes an imbalance along the whole chain of the body.. as a result one pec is lager, I get pain in my upper back on one side, neck tension etc. If you sort the root issue (for me the hips/tension), then the others will begin to correct. The body will always try to keep you balanced, so if one part goes out of balance the others compensate. Why we weren't taught this at school I don't know because it's extremely common! I guess this could result in a pinched nerve or something?

I often find myself rolling around at night and sleep lightly, unless it's dead quiet and the mattress is super comfy. Pains in the back often mean I wake up on my back as that's the comfy position though I have real trouble falling asleep like that.

---

Forget the drugs. Typical doctors who don't know fuck all and just throw something at you. Got to treat the root cause. It could well be a muscle imbalance. In which case google stretches for the hip flexor (if you think it's your hips).

Two things you could try if your serious:
-A visit to a physiotherapist to ask about muscle imbalance (mention the sleep).
-Try a floatation tank session. This will relieve all tension on the back muscles for about a day or two. My gait changed, I slept well, I felt great.. for a day or two until the muscles went back to old habits. This could also give you an indicator to the source of the problem.

 

[henlik]

Thanks for your reply. I'd say a lot of it is still muscle, although i am not in any excellent shape at the moment. The muscle group i feel as my "best" is my glutes, chest/abs being the weakest, i just never seem to get full contact/engagement from the muscles during these kinds of exercises, although i use correct technique. Training my abs have always been hard because my hips/lower back start to feel uncomfortable. This only happens when i have a better exercise routine, so there must be some sort of muscles struggling too hard for no reason. Anyways, sleep apnea is something i only get while sleeping more normally.

Yes, you have a very possible theory. I've never heard of this flotation tank, i don't think i can get my hands on one in this small town though. From Norway btw.

 

[-=SS=-]

If you're certain it's muscle causing it then I'd google around muscle imbalances and see if you come across anyone else with a similar situation. Also you mention the front side of you being weak, obviously muscle imbalance works side to side and as well as front to back. Again it wouldn't hurt to do stretches. If you can I would consider doing weighted squats and deadlifts.. these will strengthen your entire chain. Deadlifts are good for correcting back issues too, plenty of people will attest to that.

 

[henlik]

I also have started to feel some kind of discomfort left, next to my bellybutton, and suspect this might have some connection with my sleeping disorder. It's like i feel some kind of very mild pain in this particular area. The discomfort seem to "pulsate" where i can feel the pain for maby one second, another 5 seconds passes and i feel it again. This usually happens while lying down.

 

[henlik]

Bump?

 

[neversickanymore]

So ---> hl

 

[Smoky]

Hi, So sorry you are going through this. I hope you find some answers soon
I'm wondering if you have experienced any trauma growing up.
I lived with a lot of trauma due to emotional and physical abuse happening with my parents. I stored a lot of it in my body. I was diagnosed then with 'excessive wakefulness disorder.' when young and barely used to sleep. Still don't sleep to well, but worked on some issues. Also ambien kept me up but atypicals helped, like Seroquel, a lot! They are not scheduled.

Also, have you had your thyroid checked, and/or maybe c-spine for mri? Multi axial c spine issues can effect emotions and cause insomnia.
A neurologist might also be helpful.
Not that you haven't ruled any of this out already.

You also mentioned some imbalance. Have you had your pelvic floor tested? Mine is off slightly as well as damage in my spine on the left. Both of these effect different muscle groups, and organs … in which I also have insomnia and vertigo on occasion.

It could be anything, just ime what I have come across and dealt with above. Good luck!

 

[Foreigner]

If you sincerely feel there's a blockage or imbalance in your body then there probably is, no matter what someone else tells you.

A few things to consider:
Your bed - make sure the mattress is suitable to you, including the pillow. If your muscles and joints are sensitive to pressure then an ergonomic / postrapedic mattress is probably necessary.

Nutrition - you mention jaw problems and tension, and an inability to yawn; right away I can tell you are lacking in some key minerals like magnesium and calcium. You might want to look into either foods rich in that or supplementation. If muscles are chronically stiff and painful then it means they are in constant low level spasm, and that is usually due to either bone misalignment or nutritional deficiency.

Some other ideas... in eastern medicine we consider apnea and snoring to be an issue of "flabbiness". The cellular tissues of the throat have sufficient water retention that they become flabby, and when the muscle structure completely relaxes it closes the breathing passage ways. We can sometimes absolve it by giving herbs that 'dry dampness', a.k.a improve cellular metabolism to remove cellular wastes, and herbs that act as secondary diuretics to remove excess fluid from the body. Personally, I don't use this method often, but it has something like a 30% success rate. I'd look into sleeping posture and nutrition first.

 

[Smoky]

Btw, my doctors ordered a vitamin D deficiency test. People with this deficiency have pain. There are reports online.

 

[henlik]

Hi, So sorry you are going through this. I hope you find some answers soon
I'm wondering if you have experienced any trauma growing up.
I lived with a lot of trauma due to emotional and physical abuse happening with my parents. I stored a lot of it in my body. I was diagnosed then with 'excessive wakefulness disorder.' when young and barely used to sleep. Still don't sleep to well, but worked on some issues. Also ambien kept me up but atypicals helped, like Seroquel, a lot! They are not scheduled.

Also, have you had your thyroid checked, and/or maybe c-spine for mri? Multi axial c spine issues can effect emotions and cause insomnia.
A neurologist might also be helpful.
Not that you haven't ruled any of this out already.

You also mentioned some imbalance. Have you had your pelvic floor tested? Mine is off slightly as well as damage in my spine on the left. Both of these effect different muscle groups, and organs … in which I also have insomnia and vertigo on occasion.

It could be anything, just me what I have come across and dealt with above. Good luck!

You are bringing interesting aspects to my attention. I think the issue lies within relaxing my back and neck, so the thyroid gland might be responsible for not sufficient enough blood circulation..? I feel like there is some sort of tightening in the upper part of my neck and down the side of my neck. I don't exactly know how to start resolving my problem because i have been seeing several different doctors about this issue. And how do you solve a pelvic problem? I have ordered some supplements to help my sleep since i'm quite desperate:

- Relax All for Panic Attacks & Nervous Tension
- Gotu Kola
- Organic Indian Ashwagandha
- Tryptophan and 5-HTP

I thought about trying them seperatly to begin with. Anyone with experience?

I don't think i have a lack of magnesium, i'm taking the supplement but it hardly seems to work. I also drink milk, take fish oils and GABA to assist my disorder but with minimal effects. Actually i can't remember a simple supplement doing anything for my health. Lately my stummic have gotten very unstable and i don't seem to absorb much nutrition from my meals. This leads to going to the toilet 30 minutes after a meal, but i don't think i have any allergies. This seem to go in waves, with days where my stummic feels fine. I sometimes feel mild pain slightly to the left of my bellybutton as well, is this some sort of tension? Relaxing certain muscles in my face also seems to have a connection with relaxation in my spine, its weird.

I prefer my bed not too soft, a overly soft bed sometimes make my lower back hurt the next day.

 

[Smoky]

Hi again…

How are you doing now?

The tightening might be thyroid related or spinal or some of the other suggestions folks mentioned on this thread.

If spine issues: Sometimes they can progress up into the jaw. I have spinal stenosis severely on my left side of spine with degeneration (had 1 surgery), and it has progress into tmj on the left side, it's very painful… I now wear a brace as I lost my hearing, and my jaw cracks… and I have pain in my left ear. I would truly push your doc for an mri to r/o disc issues. They can be extremely painful. Maybe see a physiotherapist. (someone mentioned).

For thyroid disorders:

I would have your t4, tsh and perhaps t3 tested by your doctor or an endocrinologist to rule out autoimmune problems first. I've had graves and Hashimotos. Hyperthyroid is low tsh/high t4 (you may or may not see/feel a slightly swollen endocrine gland on your neck), can put out toxins into one's body as it's overacting and cause connective tissue disorders as well as insomnia. Hypothyroidism (on the opposite spectrum), would be high tsh lowt4 levels and can cause inflammation which leads to pain.
When I had this I had immense pain in middle of shoulder blades, and extreme headaches. This was in addition to my cervical issues which are separate. The right amount of t4 thyroxine medication balanced it out.

If you google thyroid disorders (merck manual is good), you might find some detailed information. Autoimmune disorders can attack the body.
Just cos you pointed to other areas aside from your neck.

Maybe someone else will chime in, but tryptophan is helpful for sleep definitely. Bananas are good sources for that. Also, L Theanine/ L Glutamine.
Gaba doesn't cross the bbb so not sure.
I've heard more research needs to be done on the 5-htp. Cymbalta and some ssri s can help cope with pain, but I would check out your physical conditions first and metabolic (thyroid)
b6 sometimes helps with pain/anxiety also as well as absorbing other amino acids and vitamins.

Appendicitis can be an ache around the belly button, but I'm not a doctor. People do hold stress in different areas of the body and can manifest specifically to the painful areas more as they are weaker where stagnation can build up in these areas doubling the original pain.

Anyways, good luck!

This is just ime and what I have learned ... but you could have something entirely different. Many doctors do overlook thyroid problems though and can diagnose with mental when it's purely physical in nature.

edit:
Acupuncture can be very helpful.

 

[henlik]

Hi.

I am still not well. Each day passing only seem to surface more and more physical problems. The other day i started to feel some weird tingling/stinging pain in my testicles, one at a time. I also have started to feel like i have to equalize the pressure inside my head from the tensions by swallowing, kind of. Digestion is also bad and have been for a while, sometimes i can "digest" something in 15 minutes. I think i have located where critical tensions for my sleep lies. I feel like the blockage is in the bottom left part of the back of my head and on the inside of my left ear area. Some of my tendons running up the left side of my throat/neck seem to be holding this tension together.

Two days ago i received my 5-HTP from Sundown Naturals. I have tried 200 mg for two days since the capsules contain that amount. It's considered a large dose although it's the recommended dose on the bottle label. I definitely feel like something is "happening" but i fear that it is affecting me negatively. My muscles got much more tense and some new weird sensations started to occur yesterday. As i performed my usual biofeedback laying down my entire left arm got almost entirely numb. Sometimes this also happens to my left foot. I got really scared. Today i have felt a little down, different and my muscle tensions are a little worse. It seems like the product i thought would be the solution to my problem have turned out to become the exact opposite. It certainly haven't made me sleep any better. Any help is much appreciated!

Here is a more detailed writing of my condition: http://ehealthforum.com/health/student-with-terrible-unknown-insomnia-t440757.html

 

[Smoky]

I'm so sorry to hear you are in this place. It must be immensely difficult. I will read the link.

 

[henlik]

Hi

Any new ideas?

 

[Smoky]

Maybe you can post a new thread and get some more ideas from folks.

 

[igetdown]

With the list mental ailments that you are experiencing it seems that a chemical imbalance is a strong possibility my friend.
As to the physical problems you are experiencing it seems that there could be a bigger underlying problem occurring. I would go and see a doctor and possibly get some tests run. Get your blood checked and what not. Explain to the doc exactly what you are experiencing. I know some doctors like to dismiss these things and say it's all in your head, but reading your posts and the concerns you have I'd say that it's not. Don't let him/her try to convince you that it's in your head if you know it's not.
I hope everything works out for you and I'd love to know how everything turns out. Take care!

 

[henlik]

Guys, my problem is getting worse and worse. Blood tests are completely fine, EKG is fine, scan of my brain is fine. I'm having a last scan of my hips on tuesday.
Im experiencing visual disturbances, like white noise all over my vision. Nose is changing position it seems(?), breathing is different, neck muscles and spine are different and more tense. I've got problems with going to the toilet, and have air constantly trapped. Every time i do physical activity my problem gets worse.

Lastly, every time i go to sleep i seem to wake up at a worsened condition. It is starting to affect my psyche badly. My mother which had a somewhat similar condition had success with anti-depressants, but i dont feel depressed(?). I have tried anti-depressants for a little over a months earlier and i am considering a second try. I don't know what to do. I'm not expecting a miraculous quick-fix response. Just wanted to share with you guys in case you have any input.

 

[Smoky]

Hi, I was wondering whatever happened with your sleep and physical issue. I'm sorry you're still suffering.

I have heard c-spine can effect going to the toilet. I've had surgery in my neck twice. I lose feeling in side of jaw and arm, have lot of pain which disrupts sleep; although probably not same as what you're dealing with. There are studies that SSRI's can help with pain most definitely, although they do have their side effects as well.

I took Mirtazapine once and it relieved some of my pain but knocked me out too much and slept way too long. Have you tried any dopamine antagonists, like atypicals or any over the counter serotonin solutions? 5htp. Melatonin, Vitamin b's? Tryptophan?

Maybe try a sleeping combo antidepressant. I'm not a doctor but it's just been my experience. They did help a little when I took various kinds. I've taken a lot of meds, but we are all different in our response to each one of course depending on multiple factors.

Was it an SSRI you tried or? Some antidepressants work at night to help with sleep, some not.