Loud bang

I’m having all these strange sleep symptoms. I just heard a firework-like sound after nodding off and it jolted me awake and made my heart go crazy. I’m really scared. I’ll be more than 72 hours with no sleep soon. Someone help me please.

Goggle Exploding Head Syndrome. I am not joking. It is a harmless sleep disorder and in your case it is probably withdrawal induced. It probably will not last long and your sleep will return in time.

Goggle Exploding Head Syndrome. I am not joking. It is a harmless sleep disorder and in your case it is probably withdrawal induced. It probably will not last long and your sleep will return in time.

Thank you. I knew that’s what it was but I’m having a ton of different weird things while nodding off as well. I’m having a breakdown and I don’t think I’ll make it.

You'll make it for sure.  Lots of people on this forum stayed awake much longer than 72 hours many many nights. 

 

I had at least 10 - 12 episodes where I had zero or no perceived sleep for 3 and sometimes 4 nights in row

 

I averaged 5-10 hours of sleep per week for months and months

 

It's not a contest to see who can go the longest without sleeping.  I say all of this because I want to let you know I made it through and so did many others

 

Lack of sleep will not kill you.  In fact, you might not even get sick from not sleeping.  I never got sick one time, even though colds and flu went through my house several times during my WD

 

I have experienced exactly what you have.  A jolt, bang or "electrical" surge feeling just as you begin to Nod off.  It fades over time.  It's actually pretty common in WD circles.

 

Don't let your lack of sleep create a cycle of anxiety and depression.  It's easy to believe you should feel like crap when you don't sleep, but a lot of the time out thinking makes it worse than it needs to be.

 

If you want to know why this is happening, it has to do with your down regulated GABA and the lack of balance with Glutamate.  Both are nervous system receptors.  GABA is your body's "brake pedal" or what slows things down and makes you calm and relaxed.  Glutamate is your body's "gas pedal" or what makes you active and alert or even fight or flight.  Normally the two are in a "balancing act" so one doesn't overtake the other.  But when your GABA is temporarily taken off line by the Benzo, Glutamate rules the day and night.  That's why you might feel wired all the time, have racing thoughts and are never sleepy.  It takes some time for your body to repair the temporary damage.  No one knows how long that will be.  But your body knows exactly how to repair the damage and put your GABA and Glutamate back into balance.  However, it is a very nonlinear process...UP and DOWN, one step forward, 2 steps back for some time for most.

You'll make it for sure.  Lots of people on this forum stayed awake much longer than 72 hours many many nights. 

 

I had at least 10 - 12 episodes where I had zero or no perceived sleep for 3 and sometimes 4 nights in row

 

I averaged 5-10 hours of sleep per week for months and months

 

It's not a contest to see who can go the longest.  I say all of this because I want to let you know I made it through and so did many others

 

Lack of sleep will not kill you.  In fact, you might not even get sick from not sleeping.  I never got sick one time, even though colds and flu went through my house several times during my WD

 

I have experienced exactly what you have.  A jolt, bang or "electrical" surge feeling just as you begin to Nod off.  It fades over time.  It's actually pretty common in WD circles.

 

Don't let your lack of sleep create a cycle of anxiety and depression.  It's easy to believe you should feel like crap when you don't sleep, but a lot of the time out thinking makes it worse than it needs to be.

 

If you want to know why this is happening, it has to do with your down regulated GABA and the lack of balance with Glutamate.  Both are nervous system receptors.  GABA is your body's "brake pedal" or what slows things down and makes you calm and relaxed.  Glutamate is your body's "gas pedal" or what makes you active and alert or even fight or flight.  Normally the two are in a "balancing act" so one doesn't overtake the other.  But when your GABA is temporarily taken off line by the Benzo, Glutamate rules the day and night.  That's why you might feel wired all the time, have racing thoughts and are never sleepy.  It takes some time for your body to repair the temporary damage.  No one knows how long that will be.  But your body knows exactly how to repair the damage and put your GABA and Glutamate back into balance.  However, it is a very nonlinear process...UP and DOWN, one step forward, 2 steps back for some time for most.

Thank you for this ThEwAy2. The problem was I was barely coping before the no sleep as the rest of my symptoms are extreme. I know what it’s like to not sleep as that was the reason I was prescribed Clonazepam in the first place. I was still able to function with no sleep a lot of the times but that’s far from my only problem this time. It’s way too much for one person to bare.

Yes, this is tough.  In fact, it's the hardest thing I've done in my life.  Army basic training pales in comparison to this.

 

If it's any consolation, I also had 15+ symptoms besides severe insomnia

 

My worst other symptoms were Anxiety, Depression, Claustrophobia, Suicidal Ideation, DP/DR, Burning skin, sound sensitivity, muscle spasms/jerks, GI issues, Benzo Belly, etc.

 

All of these faded and disappeared over time

 

You can get through this.  Lack of sleep makes symptoms worse, but this is all TEMPORARY.  It doesn't last forever.

Yes, this is tough.  In fact, it's the hardest thing I've done in my life.  Army basic training pales in comparison to this.

 

If it's any consolation, I also had 15+ symptoms besides severe insomnia

 

My worst other symptoms were Anxiety, Depression, Claustrophobia, Suicidal Ideation, DP/DR, Burning skin, sound sensitivity, muscle spasms/jerks, GI issues, Benzo Belly, etc.

 

All of these faded and disappeared over time

 

You can get through this.  Lack of sleep makes symptoms worse, but this is all TEMPORARY.  It doesn't last forever.

 

Thanks for giving me some hope. I’m sorry if I implied you didn’t suffer with multiple severe symptoms as well. I know it must’ve been extremely hard to go through to say the least. I’m just afraid as I’m 9 months off and not much better.

Ashton claims most symptoms begin to fade between 6 and 12 months.

 

For many (not all) on this forum, 18 months seems to be the sweet spot for getting some decent relief.  That doesn't mean it will take that long.  Some take less and some take more time.

 

You can do this.  Eventually you'll get windows of feeling normal even if they only last a few minutes or a few hours.  Eventually they will last an entire day, then 2 or 3 and so on.

 

However, waves will also get mixed in and could last for hours, days or even weeks.

 

It all evens out over time.  Time will heal you.

 

You'll get there.