2 years since i started having these weird sleep problems and i still don't know what it is

Signs and symptoms
1

hi all,

i hope someone can help me diagnose this problem i have. For the past 2 years, it is like i stopped knowing how to sleep. I have had severl health issues, lots of stress in my life and 2 episodes of AFIB. I am on an off Beta Blockers.

Here is what happens:

I fall asleep well and quickly. Then, every hour, i wake up suddenly having to stretch my entire body and the need to yawn. My heart beat is fast. I need 5-10 minutes to lower my heartbeat and i fall back asleep. Sometimes i am sweating. I do this about 6 or 7 times per night.

I am going to ask my doc to schedule a sleep test. My girfriend tells me that i snore a little bit but nothing major. I try to always sleep on the side.

Any ideas? It scares the living daylights out of me. Needless to say, it affects me in other ways as well.

thanks.

2

Could be sleep apnea. This has happenned to me where my heart goes into svt as i fall asleep then when i notice and wake up my heart actually goes back to normal. It is very strange. I also have a pounding fast heart beat upon waking up.

3

Another thing is the beta blockers. Ever since i have even tried thise beta blockers i have been getting the problem you experience and before i started beta blockers i didnt have this problem. Try cutting the meds loose and see if there is a change if you cant find out what it is after a sleep study. Those meds possibly provoked some electrical damage in my heart so dont underestimate them as far as causing disturbances to your health.

4

Nothing to be scared about, but you still need to see your doctor. I agree with both the other posters. It definitely sounds like side-effects of beta blockers. It also sounds a bit like sleep apnoea. I suffer from this. I wake several times a night gasping for breath and with my heart racing, because I've gone through a short period of not breathing. (I'm going to the sleep lab soon, btw.)

It may be down to both causes but the need to keep stretching makes me think beta blockers. Tell your doctor about all your symptoms.

 

5

thank you both. I will get the sleep study done and see if i can lower the Beta Blockers dose or take it in the morning instead.

6

thank you. A quick question: what is the connection between Beta Blockers and stretching? It is quite strange that i have to constantly stretch in my sleep.

7

Some sources say beta blockers can cause muscle cramps. Seems to me that if you're very tired because of your disturbed sleep, you might not actually feel the pain of the cramps, just the urge to stretch.

Glad to hear you're going to get all this investigated. Good luck!