Interesting video, Alina. I used to experience the same thing, then I did some research and realized it was infact sleep-state misconception. It's when the sleeper feels like they were awake for hours but were in fact sleeping. Those brief moments of awareness seems like a long time and our brain only remembers those moments of tossing and turning. Also, just wanted to add. Hope it helps others. Sleep is a gradual process. There is no 1 certain point where we fall asleeep. Our thoughts became slower and slower and eventually we start dreaming. What helped me was to think of sleep as another form of awareness as opposed to a state of being completely unconscious. It gave me some sort of control and relief which made sleep easier!

Soo this is exactly what I've been struggling with these past few days, i didn't even know there was a name for it

I’ve learned more from people or are “not doctors and not medical professionals” than I have from doctors and medical professionals ❤❤

This awareness always make me thought I was dying and my body was trying to keep me alert. I have been strugglung with this for a year

Thank you so much I have suffered with insomnia for 3 years with so much anxiety and your unique psychological approach has been very interesting and extremely encouraging .😊

I never leave a comment on a video, but she changed my sleep schedule and I’m happy

This was eye-opening! No pun intended. I'm on 6 hours sleep total for the last 2 nights. I'm looking forward to seeing how tonight goes. Thank you for the knowledge ✊

omg yes... when i fall asleep manually right when i'm at the edge of falling asleep i suddenly jolt and feel scared and right before i fall asleep i start to breathe manually, try to listen to my hearbeat... Got only like 5 hours of sleep in last 2 days because of that... and im scared and stressed and start spiraling that i have heart failure or dying. Weekend starts now but if it doesnt stop i think i will finally go to doctor on monday even if i have the white coat syndrome and am extremely scared of visiting doctors. Maybe i have neurosis. Every evening is a downward spiral of me thinking "everything will be alright and even if i don't sleep the maybe i will just watch netflix or read a book" changing to "omg i will never ever sleep again for the rest of my life" and get kinda scared to even try to fall asleep to prevent that unpleasant jolting feeling and result in just laying in bedd all night trying to fall asleep and being unable to until at like 4am i just get so exhausted that i just drift away without even knowing" It's really scary for me because usually I sleep for 8 hours and even if i wake up at night to pee i just fall back to sleep right away but this just suddenly started and persists and i'm scared af... ever since it happened once, every night i dread that it will happen again and i won't be able to just fall asleep like normally and it becomes true :( I think the worse for me is if i'm able to detect my heartbeat once it starts to slow down i get sudden wave of fear like omfg my heart will stop if i fall asleep. I will try to apply the methods you just said but damn i feel so anxious.

waking up with such a high heartbeat! But it's a relief that your heart rate was normal when you checked

This is exactly what i am struggling from in past few days

This is exactly what I am struggling with. You saved my life. I watched the video last night, tried your method for the first time; and it WORKED! I've been sharing my sleep issue of hyperawareness ( I actually don't think it has a name till now), but nobody understand my problem. I've been thinking I am the only one with the weird issue. I deeply appreciate you and your video❤

I get this too, except I get hyperaware of the pre dream thoughts we get as we fall asleep and wake up. This is related to my health anxiety. When I start noticing it, it shocks me awake.

I’ve been struggling quiet a while with this. I couldn’t explain to people how it felt and it’s this. Thank you so much for this video!

Just had this happen to me. Making it so that I only have been able to get threeish hours the past three nights. Feeling terrified 😳 that it will happen again. I’m going to try your technique tonight. 🤞🏻 So it sounds like what you are saying is that I should welcome the wave of hyper awareness. Say thank you to it for keeping me safe. Tonight I will challenge myself to celebrate when it comes and imagine smiling to it and giving it a big hug. Yay! Your here. Sleep is coming. Hurray! The body is getting ready for sleep.

incredible video! im impatient to go to sleep tonight and use this knowledge, I already feel less anxious

Eversince I found your channel I know that I can get rid of insomnia. That I can fall asleep and have better sleeps. Everything you explain is so deep and make so much sense, it is life changing. I am not exagerating. Thank you so much Alina.

Great vid! Helpful.

I saw so many videos but you are spot on. I have been facing hyper awareness for few weeks. And your explanation is correct. It filled me with positivity

Thank u for sharing. Pleeeeease do more video like this.

Finally found a video about what is been happening yo me since last year now I have sonmiphobia too

I am currently experiencing a year-long bout of insomnia. I attempted a sleep restriction program (that I unfortunately paid good money for) and after 8 weeks of the program I had minimal improvement, but had developed much more severe sleep anxiety that was making things worse in a lot of ways. This was due to the program's emphasis on recording how much and when you sleep and on getting out of bed if you've been awake for 15 minutes. From a scientific perspective, these seem like good behaviors on their face, but both of them necessitate being aware of my sleeping and waking, so of course I just developed hyper awareness and made it even harder to sleep. I'm also AuDHD and wonder if theses programs are tested on a population that would actually be generalizable to me but I digress. I'm so glad to have found this video. Thank you!

Thank you so much for this advice! I've been struggling with this as well and looking forward to test this method

Thank you for such helpful video ❤

the explanation you provide is exactly what most of us were looking for . Thank you . please keep doing vids about this topic . your voice tune and the way you speak is also remarkable to relax.

Thank you so much for this video and for being brave to share your experience.

Thank you so much this happen to me last night after reading about it on you tube I was awake all night

I needed to hear this so badly. Thank you so so so much for your bravery for sharing this. God bless you.

This is a very good topic. I think this will help me a lot.

Thank you for your video

I think the solution is to take your mind of it. I watch TV with bluelight blocking glasses...this focuses my mind on something else...then I get sleepy then go to bed.

How crazy is it that the thing thay keeps us all from sleeping is the fact to we think and focus on sleep. I know i always self sabatage my sleep. Anxiety is super bad no matter if i sleeo or not. Because i know now that my focus is keeping me up instead of saying to myself okay you know the issue now stop focusing on it my mind goes what if u cant stop focusing on it.

Thank you for this video. This ended up making a big improvement in my sleep! I tend to overanalyze in general. So I have had issues over the years of with sleep hyperawareness. Yes, sleep hyperawareness is so detrimental because we're trying to self-monitor something that _cannot_ be self-monitored! Its so obvious but I never realized it until watching this. One thing that helped me reduce my need to "analyze" is to use both *snore monitoring app* and use a webcam with *time lapse* capability. Sounds a bit strange but I basically setup my own DIY "sleep study". It was interesting to view the results over the past 2 weeks I've been doing this. I actually sleep more than I thought based on the snores and the webcam captures. Other things that could work would be professional sleep monitoring products like the rings and smartwatches. But the most important benefit to me with the snore monitoring app + webcam is that it let my mind *let go* of the need to self monitor because I know the equipment is doing it for me. Eventually, once I've retrained myself to my satisfaction, I will stop the snore app and webcam. But for now, its kinda interesting so I will keep doing it.

I just found you and you explain things so well. I literally just had several bad nights of no sleep one week after another because of some supplements that messed with me but by the second time it happened I had already developed the fear, what if I never sleep again? (Reading things online didn’t help). Last night I really tried to surrender and let go. I was successful in not shaking with anxiety like the previous night, but the hyperarousal got me. My body tried to sleep so many times, but the surge of energy of when I would notice it would bring me back. I don’t remember actively getting upset in my body, but I did get frustrated that I was doing such a good job of being calm and staying out of fear but my body kept responding with fear. What you’re saying here, if I understand it correctly, is to have a very neutral response to the hyperarousal, like “yeah, it’s doing that, that’s ok” (instead of being mentally annoyed). The hyperarousal kept me up all night. One thing I did do successfully which sounds similar I think is that I would get these waves of fear and panic in my body and at first I wanted to be like, oh no don’t feel that you won’t sleep but I allowed myself to feel them without attaching to a bad story in my head. Almost like saying, “it’s okay body.” And they would pass. Is that how I should do it for the hyperarousal reactions? “It’s okay body,” and just be patient? I really did want to sleep…

Hi Alina, I love how you explain things. You spoke with me a few months back and helped me so much. Even though I would say I’m still on my recovering journey, I can see how I’ve improved and things have gotten better over time as I’ve remembered and practiced better mental and emotional skills. I totally get what you are saying in this video and have experienced for myself, going from jerking, heart racing and hyperaware as sleep is coming, to now it comes much easier and more naturally, with out all the anxiety as before. I still have more to learn, but am so grateful for all I have learned so far. I agree 100% & see how connected the mind and body are and how the stories we tell ourselves about our bodies, do matter, and can either stress us out further or help bring back the peace. Thanks Alina for these insightful and compelling talks!✨🤗

I feel sooo seen! Thanks! I am struggling w this watching every step of my body as i fall asleep making me unable to complete the process of falling asleep. It is super frustrating but I am SO glad I am not alone ❤ It is important to let the brain know that we are safe... ❤ it's only trying to protect us! Doing its best 🥹 I'll try your approach of acknowledging it instead of ignoring it like I've been trying to do! Much love ❤❤🎉

Hi all, I have this too except I'm thinking about it all day. Like I'm focused on the act of sleeping itself im tramatized as ive had 8 full nights of no sleep at all in the past 3 weeks and now even if i do sleep a night i think to myself how did i do it? And start worrying about the next night. With all my anxiety has come many anxiety driven thoughts like what if I start thinking and focusing on my eyes each time I close them. This though is distressing and therefore makes it harder for me to sleep. Really scary when you know what's keeping you up and you feel like you have no control over the thoughts that you know are keeping you up.

Hi Ali, thanks for the video: "Hyper awareness happens on its own meaning it is automatic. It is a part of our safety mechanism that is preinstalled in our brain, part of that fight or flight mode where our attention suddenly narrows down. That is why many people when they feel threatened, they find it difficult to switch their attention on some other stuff. In these moments it is difficult to enjoy things that you normally enjoy." ...I always learn something new from you

Those is common when I have hypnic jerks.

Thank you for the video. In my case I have almost overcome insomnia, but I still have a hard time overcoming hyperawareness of light and sound, and I was hoping to hear how to help with that. In other words, I don't obsess about sleeping and there's no hyperawareness about the sleem mechanism, but rather on small annoying sounds, like partner moving around.

Hmmm very interesting. So by welcoming the hyper awareness and accepting it, makes it come sooner? Before the time period where we actually fall asleep so that they are not conflicting? GENIUS!

Hi Alina, thank you. It is very helpful. I have the same problem. Do you provide sessions online. If so, how can I subscribe and what is the procedure.

I feel that sometimes, but lately, past 2 weeks i feel like i stopped breathing. I think is anxiety since a close friend of mine got open heart surgery aswell as my dad with in same week. i exercise daily, weights, running and bjj and i feel great doing it. STILL i worry i am having a heart attack

Hi Alina. You said or I understand that hyperawareness is a mechanism of protection. Protection of what ? That is the question I ask myself. Maybe also I have loose confidence in my normal sleep (First time I talked to Daniel 2 to 3 years ago and describe him what happend to me he told me that may be I have the fear of loosing control). Any way is just like you say I cannot be aware of the instant I go to sleep. So I just let sleep come by itself and also watch may anxiety. (not always work but is an improvement). And the same time cutting medication. Juat like to mention that I follow Daniel and Martin. Thank you very much for your help.

I can worry about something and still go asleep only when i focus on insomnia then ii wont sleep

Thanks for your amazing videos, Alina. "There must be something wrong with me" has definitely been a thought that has been haunting me and it gives me comfort to know from your videos that this isn't the case. Do you think that SSRIs (anti-anxiety/anti-depressant Selective Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitor medications like Lexapro, etc.) can be helpful to retrain the brain to stop fearing insomnia? Or should they be avoided?

Wow, Alinaa, thank you for this insightful video, it definitely makes sense, just one question is it possible if you are too welcoming and accepting of the hyperarousal that your brain will decide that it can’t do without it keeping you safe and try and keep the status quo especially if it’s been going on for so long and become a habit. My hyperarousal has been going on for 5 years following an extremely traumatic event. I am aware of everything going on around me and if I do manage to sleep I never wake up feeling groggy like I used to, it’s like I never slept, that’s how strong my hyper vigilance is 😔

Hi Alina, Ihave had extremely bad (or good depending on your perspective!) insomnia, at least 2 nights a week of nosleep at all. I am finding your approach helpful with the fear and expectation but I have another layer of night pain. I have been working on "Pain" through Curable but at night, I find it so hard to implement many of their strategies. Any ideas please? If it's not the falling asleep, it is this! and the nights I can fall asleep, this kicks in.... The pain is more intense at night so I have no doubt it is Neuroplasticity! and my brain doing a number on me! Thank you. I haven't found anyone that addresses both issues!

Hyperarousal / ADHD /PTSP high Blood preassure, Heart Palpitations, take Clonidine

I got hypnic jerks everytime I fall asleep. :(

I had no idea that this had a name and that it happens to other people. I'd never heard of it before but it's happening to me. Thanks so much. It helps just to know it's not just me!

Same thing is happening with me

❤️❤️

I wish I could get in touch with you to ask more about this. I have been struggling with this for months and I have a baby. It’s caused so much anxiety and issues and being able to accept it is hard for me.

Why do heart palpitations follow the sudden awareness and complete wakefulness?

I am understanding, not fearing sleep, but how do you not fear functioning well with friends or family or something if you have a big event the next day? ? That’s what always seems to really plague me😂 thank you so much for your wisdom

Currently struggling with this and nothing is helping 😩😩

What if I made a habit before of getting your body relax to fall asleep and releasing tension, before I've learned about all of your videos and then it becomes now automatic my brains always monitoring if my body and legs are relax so it can sleep? How can I unlearn that habit?

Mine started a month+ ago😭 ive always been a person that falls asleep within seconds and wakes up next morning.

I have found that listening to an audiobook, audio of rain, or meditation helps to get rid of hyperawareness. the audio has to be in a quiet mode and has to shut off automatically after a set time.

Hi! How long do you have to do this training? Its overtaking me... I have them about 5 6 times a night sometimes 15 to 20 when its bad.

It is normal to feel an intense sensation to get up and pace the floor when you can't sleep? I deal with this it is very frustrating. I think it is anxiety driven.

Hi Alina. I have a question on befriending wakefulness. The only thing I have energy for that I genuinely enjoy is watching videos on my phone, but I’m also trying not to look at the time when I’m sleeping. Which is impossible on a smart phone! Should I be looking for a different activity or should I just stop being afraid of seeing what time it is.

I struggle with this hyperawareness very much. Everytime I feel really tired so that i feel i could probably fall asleep right now and my body and mind are already starting this process, I get triggered by that and get a very bad anxiety rush, my heart starts pounding super hard and sometimes even for a long time, which is terrible. When i witness myself being on the edge of almost falling asleep i get soooo nervous and excited and scared of "messing it up" or: i cannot even believe this is happening right now, like a dream is comeing true or i won the lottery. I cannot handle the pressure so to speak and im getting this anxiety attack and heart racing. Its sooo awfull and frustrating! So you say we have to neutrally witness these and dont judge them as bad or wrong? I maybe also have to witness my thoughts which go like: "oh my god, is this true? I think i am almost falling asleep, cant believe its happening, ok stay calm, im so excited, cant wait for it, hopefully we make it..." and then there is the anxiety there and my frustration that i lost it again. I will have to find out how i can manage to neutrally watch this phenomenon unfolding itself and stay an objective observer? This is all so painfull and hard to handle :( thanks for your good work !

Hi, I have something similar to this. When I go to bed, I am aware that I am going to lay down to sleep, so from the minute I lay down my brain starts to wait for the moment I am going to fall asleep. How do I get rid of this so I can just lay down, don’t think about sleep and just fall asleep?

Does anyone feel the adrenaline rush but specifically in their chest region? Which then wakes them up. Ive had this for a month now. I am literally exhausted and I cant remember whay decent sleep feels like. Because the adrenaline rush is so bad I just lay in bed worrying I have a heart issue.

is taking sleeping pills good for stopping hyper awareness? what's your take on it?

Body tries to protect us 😂 if it keeps doint that im not sure ill be alive much longer. Btw i do manage to fall asleep, its not easy but i manage. The problem is, in the first 5 mins of sleep, the first faze of sleep it wakes me up. Its scary, i dont feel my heart rate or pulse. I wonder why, is Reaper trying to take me? 😅

You're the netswrtio

Me i feel I didn't sleep because I'm aware of everything around me? Is this what she's talking about

i really try to accept it but it feels like ur always alert so how can it go away if ur alert? it feels like ur waiting for sleep to come, and ur heart starts racing bcs it doesn't come...it's not going away that easily...struggling with that rn:(

Hello Alinaa. Thank you always for your insights. I have never had this phenomenon before. But now my brain knows it can happen to me and feels threatened. Do i let my brain think this way? Anyways, i cannot control my thoughts.

Insomnia is more common for people with a high IQ, no joke the smarter decisions i make the moreextra energy i get. Im talking about your life, like if you decide to only eat veggies and meat or something like that, be fucken careful, that shitll sneak up on you. The more intelligent decisions you make, the more the multiple and the more your ability to control nuclear explosions of thoughts be come. So again, genuinely be careful, enlightenment is some real shit, at first its finem but it all multiples, anyways its really late and i need to get to bed now finally #11:00AM

Going on 3 years. Sunday night was so brutal I called in sick on Monday. Did a sleep study. Nothing. I am living in a nightmare. Thank you for this channel.

During hyperawareness, what would cause you to stop breathing? I dose off at ties on my sofa and I am hyperaware when I am falling asleep and my breathing stops and I wake. I have been diagnosed with sleep apnea but I think this is not related to sleep apnea as it happens right when I dose off.