Can't sleep =(????????????!
Question: Can't sleep =(.?.?.?.?.?.?.?.?.?.?.?.?
I'm a 13 year old girl and I can't sleep tonight because the past few times I started to fall asleep I jerked myself awake and when I woke up I couldn't breathe that well. I'm catching a cold. also tonight something happened to me and i think i had a panick attck...AND I've been having these breathing problem things that randomly come but they go away if I forget about them....I think I might be developing aniexity too but idk.....lol so anyways......I just want to go to sleep and breathe right....what do I do.?Health Question & Answer
Answers:
"jerking" yourself awake is fairly common. It's called a myoclonic or hypnic jerk. Sometimes the jerk causes you to wake up, plain and simple....but it often makes you "feel" like you were "falling". But, of course, you were not. So why would you think that.?
When you're asleep, your brain continues to be awake (but not conscious) and fires random electric pulses. Our brains' main job, especially while awake, is to interpret the firing neurons and produce the appropriate reactions to them. While we are awake, we have the ability of forethought, so we *know* what the appropriate reaction is,... so when the signal comes from your brain to move your right hand, simply put...you move your right hand.
This sort of explains why we have such strange dreams. It's due to the fact that our brain is still working, but we aren't conscious to interpret the signals, and therefore your brain automatically interprets and "puts them into context" for you. That's your brains job....and the only way our brain can "understand" the signals is to put them into the context of what we know....which is our lives. That's why even when you're having a dream about one of your friends, sometimes they don't even "look" like your friend. Or you think you're at home in a dream, but it doesn't look like your home. Your brain is simply interpreting the signals in a rational way....and it produces what we call a dream.
What causes the hypnic jerk is a randomly firing neuron from the part of your brain that controls the "startle response", ( near the brainstem). Therefore it causes the contraction of a muscle. (arm, leg, anything really) Usually people say they "felt like they were falling": But we only *think* that because our arm or leg contracted and our brain interprets that automatic reaction to the firing neurons electric pulse as "i must have been falling, or why else would my hand have shot out like that to stop myself.?"
You weren't TRYING to do anything. It was an automatic reaction....but our brain "needs" to rationalize it.
However, myclonic and hypnic jerks occur most often with people who are more prone to epilepsy, and many other health issues,.....including anxiety (people who most often suffer from panic attacks)
Do your "breathing" problems feel like your heart is skipping a beat.? and you quickly panic and gasp for air, but the feeling is gone within a second or two.?
If so, the breathing problems could be related the sleep problem. It's basically the muscles around your heart contracting, just like with the hypnic jerk. So you feel like you're unable to breath for a moment, and the startle response kicks in. It feels like you're about to die....but it's a simple muscle contraction caused by the random firing of neurons in the part of your brain i mentioned before.
From what you described, it does sound like you may have had a panic attack (although it's rare for females your age to have them). I, myself, have a generalized anxiety condition and it used to happen to me all the time. It still does on occasion. It also runs in my family. You should ask your parents if they've ever had the same sensations you're having....your grandparents, too.
also, I can't sleep without medication.
But being the age you are, taking medications for the problem will likely make it much much worse for you.....and you should try to avoid taking anything if you can **(I cannot stress this enough) ***
--> At your age, people who use the type of medication that would be prescribed to aid the problems you are having are about 5 times more likely to have suicidal ideations (thoughts), and about 3 times more likely to commit suicide, than someone your age who does not take the medication.
That being said, you should most definitely tell your parents and have them schedule an appointment with a psychiatrist through your family doctor. They'll be able to evaluate your problems better than anyone.Health Question & Answer
When you're asleep, your brain continues to be awake (but not conscious) and fires random electric pulses. Our brains' main job, especially while awake, is to interpret the firing neurons and produce the appropriate reactions to them. While we are awake, we have the ability of forethought, so we *know* what the appropriate reaction is,... so when the signal comes from your brain to move your right hand, simply put...you move your right hand.
This sort of explains why we have such strange dreams. It's due to the fact that our brain is still working, but we aren't conscious to interpret the signals, and therefore your brain automatically interprets and "puts them into context" for you. That's your brains job....and the only way our brain can "understand" the signals is to put them into the context of what we know....which is our lives. That's why even when you're having a dream about one of your friends, sometimes they don't even "look" like your friend. Or you think you're at home in a dream, but it doesn't look like your home. Your brain is simply interpreting the signals in a rational way....and it produces what we call a dream.
What causes the hypnic jerk is a randomly firing neuron from the part of your brain that controls the "startle response", ( near the brainstem). Therefore it causes the contraction of a muscle. (arm, leg, anything really) Usually people say they "felt like they were falling": But we only *think* that because our arm or leg contracted and our brain interprets that automatic reaction to the firing neurons electric pulse as "i must have been falling, or why else would my hand have shot out like that to stop myself.?"
You weren't TRYING to do anything. It was an automatic reaction....but our brain "needs" to rationalize it.
However, myclonic and hypnic jerks occur most often with people who are more prone to epilepsy, and many other health issues,.....including anxiety (people who most often suffer from panic attacks)
Do your "breathing" problems feel like your heart is skipping a beat.? and you quickly panic and gasp for air, but the feeling is gone within a second or two.?
If so, the breathing problems could be related the sleep problem. It's basically the muscles around your heart contracting, just like with the hypnic jerk. So you feel like you're unable to breath for a moment, and the startle response kicks in. It feels like you're about to die....but it's a simple muscle contraction caused by the random firing of neurons in the part of your brain i mentioned before.
From what you described, it does sound like you may have had a panic attack (although it's rare for females your age to have them). I, myself, have a generalized anxiety condition and it used to happen to me all the time. It still does on occasion. It also runs in my family. You should ask your parents if they've ever had the same sensations you're having....your grandparents, too.
also, I can't sleep without medication.
But being the age you are, taking medications for the problem will likely make it much much worse for you.....and you should try to avoid taking anything if you can **(I cannot stress this enough) ***
--> At your age, people who use the type of medication that would be prescribed to aid the problems you are having are about 5 times more likely to have suicidal ideations (thoughts), and about 3 times more likely to commit suicide, than someone your age who does not take the medication.
That being said, you should most definitely tell your parents and have them schedule an appointment with a psychiatrist through your family doctor. They'll be able to evaluate your problems better than anyone.Health Question & Answer
go ask your mom&dad lil girlHealth Question & Answer