Jumping as if scared while in a deep sleep?

Hello. I was trying to look this up to see if it's a disorder but could not find anything. Most nights, while in a deep sleep, I jump. I think I open my eyes and think I see things while sleeping and it scares me. I usually think I see a face but two nights ago I thought I saw a head neck and upper body. Now I don't know if I'm dreaming that I'm seeing things or from opening my eyes in the dark while sleeping I think there are images in the dark. Alot of times I jump and don't remember seeing things. But it's a feeling as if you dream you are falling and jump and wake up before you hit the ground. It's so bad that my heart pounds so hard and I'm afraid I'm going to give myself a heart attack. I wake my fiance up from sleep and scare him too. I was just wondering if this happens to anyone else. Thanks!

Since this seems to be vanishing without being replied to...

The closest I ever get is a falling sensation but that's generally just as I'm going to sleep - like the bed etc. has disappeared below me for anything upto a few seconds. That doesn't quite sound like what you're experiencing however.

It sounds more like a standard sleep disorder than anything mental health related as there are some very curious things out there, but doesn't make it any less scary. How long has this been going on for?

The problem is that sleep disorders are a very specialised area and there's a huge amount of research goes into it, especially in the UK, but exactly what's causing this is very hard to say.

Maybe the best bet is see a doctor about that as they might be able to refer you to a sleep clinic. I guess they'd need to work out if you were actually asleep or awake during this as that'd be pretty crucial, as it is possible to open your eyes but be in REM sleep for example.

I did see something very similar to this a while back on the TV about people kindof waking up very rapidly for no apparent reason due to spikes in their brain activity. But it had to be investigated properly by the specialists as each person is slightly different. Some kind of rare epilepsy rings a bell, but one that only triggers during sleep.

it could be a kind of panic attack i think


xxx vici