tense in my sleep

[noeshe]

This morning when I woke up, I realised, that I might just be loosing most of my energy during the night or at least not restoring my energy.

Every evening before I go to sleep, I do the meditation, which calms me down. I fall asleep easily and also do not wake up during the night or lie awake for hours. I do wake up early, around 5 or 5.30 am.
But I don't sleep relaxed. I think I shuffle my feet a lot and almost every morning I wake up with my jaws clinched. I need to wind down before getting up!

I wonder how to relax during the night, when I'm not aware that I'm tense I'm not into sleeping pills, and I still have to be able to get up during the night, if one of my daughters calls.

Any tips? Or is this something that just passes when I stop my thoughts during the day...

[damask-rose]

Yes, I think it just clears up as the amygdala calms down. You're lucky to be able to sleep most of the night at all! I still wake up every couple of hours - and have the same thing of waking up tense. I think the amygdala doesn't like us to sleep, as it wants us to be alert to danger!

[noeshe]

This afternoon I went to see my social worker and she explained that a person has about 5 'gears'. Gear 1 being asleep, totally relaxed, gear 5 being freaking out, stressed, adrenaline running.
Normally a person functions around gear 3. But when you function on gear 4 during the day, you can only relax to gear 2 at night...anyway, it made sense to me.

[niaholt]

I wake up feeling relaxed but I am obviously NOT. I grind my teeth and chew the inner lip. When I get up a few hrs later, my pulse is high and also my BP.....my body is stressed. I too go off to sleep with the meditation and feel lovely, waking lots.

It is PM that everything starts to calm down. I know my cortisol production is very low in the morn instead of being high. Another thought is maybe I am sleeping with my mouth open. That causes all sorts of problems throughout the body, imblance between oxygen and carbon dioxide. Rapid breathing makes the body tense.

I have started the Buteyko breathing method and had no idea I was over breathing until Ken pointed it out to me. One of the things you have to do with it is to tape your mouth shut all night. Last night I had the best nights sleep and the pulse rate was much better today. If I have a better night to night again that may be a clue. It is funny how you can feel your body stressed but You feel happy with no cares or woes.

[*Emerald*]

I get this too - i only know i have sleep (dis)stress because my teeth kept
getting sore and my jaw would ache thru the day

I had infections on the nerves in 2 teeth last week and the pain was terrible
with clenching my jaw thru night. My BP is high at present and i have had
rather alot to feel anxious about as my son was having problems at school.
I thought i was sleeping soundly!!

Hope you find some relief soon..

[efly]

I think the Amygdala.....goes a bit nuts at night....so hence the first thing in the morning is tension and lots of thoughts and the unrefreshing sleep. I know lots of people with cfs who ,grind teeth, bite tongues at night ....
.Ive also started tapeing the mouth closed at night .....I think it is helping my sleep. The thing to be careful with is if you VOMIT in your sleep you need to be able to get the tape off pronto as this could obstruct your airway....SO BE CAREFUL......
Cheers
EFLY

[angelicatoo]

What sort of tape do you use to tape up your mouth? Does it hurt when you take it off again?
I have been prescribed Baclofen by Proffessor Pinching for the muscle spasms but still have a constantly clenched jaw and a sideways twitching little toe. My muscles jerk in my sleep and I wake up with strange bruising. I have found that my muscles are so full of lactic acid in the morning, I feel as though I have done a long run or been wrestling with an elephant all night. I used to believe this heavy and poisened feeling was a reason to spend the day in bed, its only since getting the gupta program that I learned that forcing myself to get up and moving my body, (just having a shower is enough) actually made me feel better.
Sometimes my neck seems to lock up which is agony when you try and turn over in your sleep and now I just find in general that lying down makes me feel worse and pain starts in my joints. I was contemplating trying to sleep sitting up but that doesnt seem to appeal either.

[efly]

Hi Angelicatoo,
Sorry it took awhile to get back to you.
This is part of the Butekyo breathing programme. I use micropore with some cotton wool on the mouth bit so it doesnt hurt....Its takes awhile to get use to..........Go easy withyourself...Dont forget if you suffer from nausea.or vomiting NOT to tape your mouth up...you may not be able to get it of in time.
Good luck
Efly

[CS1]

I was also tense in my sleep.

Continue doping the programme and this will subside.

Add a few things to distract and relax yourself ie lavendar on your pillows..




Regards
CS