Shaking Bed Syndrome

[Kavik]

I'd say about 50% of the time that I lie down to go to bed, I feel the sensation of my bed shaking as though an earthquake were happening. This doesn't happen when I'm half asleep; it happens when I'm still fully awake but trying to sleep. In fact, it's so distracting that it makes sleep more difficult to initiate. I've never experienced this when sleeping on the couch though, or any other surface for that matter.

Every single thing I'm finding online about this is some hocus pocus spirit haunting crap. Also, it's just a gentle giggling or swaying of the bed, not a vibrating or buzzing as some online describe it.

I'm not on drugs or alcohol, don't have sleep paralysis, and don't believe in spirits, just to rule those out.

Has anyone else experienced this?

[tp4tissue]

It's normal, everyone gets that.   Kind of like your body is floating through space/ rocking slightly

[noisyturtle]

It's normal, everyone gets that.   Kind of like your body is floating through space/ rocking slightly

I've never in my life experienced anything of the sort.

[tp4tissue]

I've never in my life experienced anything of the sort.

Really ? when you're trying to go to sleep, and while not moving, your legs/lower body feels like they're floating away.  Never felt that?

It might not be a precise description, but a very subtle out of body sensation.

Have asked at least 8 peeps , they've all confirmed such xperience.

[noisyturtle]

Nope, never. But then again I'm a very light sleeper and the line between when I'm awake and when I'm asleep is blurred.

[trashpanda]

Where do you live? If in a city, it's very possible you're feeling the vibrations of passing traffic, trucks, (or streetcar or subway?). 4.0 earthquakes are said to feel just like dump trucks passing. Beds and mattresses that aren't super solid will pass along vibrations that you wouldn't necessarily even notice otherwise.

[Findecanor]

I can sometimes feel a bit of nausea when I close my eyes. It does not happen often though, and I just have to open my eyes and get my bearings to shake it off.

BTW. I live in an apartment block and I have neighbours who use their vibrating washer-dryers at night. In one room, I can faintly hear my neighbour's machine but not feel it, and in another I can sometimes feel the wall tremble but I never hear much from the machine that caused it.

Another known phenomenon is infra-sound — sound at a frequency that is too low to be heard, but which can sometimes be felt. Or more weirdly: people can feel that something happened when it turns on and off, but they can't often pinpoint what that had caused the sensation.
It can be caused by badly tuned ventilation systems or industrial machines.

[gipetto]

It could be a medical issue, maybe an inner ear complaint causing vertigo or something neurological. I have psychosis and it affects my perception in subtle ways. Sometimes the image in my vision will appear to move as if through water.

[Rob27shred]

[pixelpusher]

I've been in a handful of small earthquakes (ranging from 2.5 to 4.0), so I do know what they feel like.

I have this sensation in bed at least once a month.  I sometimes check USGS for earthquake info, but there's never been an earthquake.  I feel ya, man.  Just weird things our bodies do I guess.

[Kavik]

My house is on the edge of the neighborhood, so I do hear/feel semi-trucks pass by occasionally; however, this sensation is different from that. My area has had a few minor earthquakes in the past 9 years (supposedly because of fracking) after never having had any my whole life, so I used to check the USGS website when I felt these, but it became so frequent that I figured it couldn't be an earthquake each time.

The inner ear is a good theory. I do frequently have episodes of lightheadedness or brief disorientation, but I always assumed it was blood pressure related.

I'll research infra-sound. I do have some tinnitus that sometimes manifests as a pulsating bass sound at night.

[tp4tissue]

I've also read that certain foods, MSG,   can cause neuro transmitter imbalance.  that could cause something such as this.

Most likely theorys seems to be spinal compression + decompression.

[trashpanda]

oh inner ear is a really good suggestion!

i'm a coder by trade and since I started a new job (with a new desk and office chair) I found I was experiencing vertigo at times, specifically right after getting into a moving elevator or streetcar, but also while lying in bed. turns out the new chair/desk combination was straining my SCM neck muscle on my right side (am right-handed), which caused tension all the way up to my ear, which triggered vertigo. after a visit to a good osteopath and RMT I'm back to normal.

there's also a thing called Benign Paroxysmal Positional Vertigo -- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Benign_paroxysmal_positional_vertigo
this can cause a sense of dizziness or motion while lying down. physiotherapy or chiropractic can fix this.

[Daniel-J]

It's probably an individual thing. Try a little sedative before bed or a hot bath with salt, it should help to relax before bed.

[phinix]

I've been trying to feel it in last couple of nights when went to bed. Changed sides, rolled over etc - nothing.
It must be individual thingy:)

[tp4tissue]

I've been trying to feel it in last couple of nights when went to bed. Changed sides, rolled over etc - nothing.
It must be individual thingy:)

For Tp4,  it only happens in the initial moments of maintaining non-movement.  If you move, the sensation stops completely.

[phinix]

I've been trying to feel it in last couple of nights when went to bed. Changed sides, rolled over etc - nothing.
It must be individual thingy:)

For Tp4,  it only happens in the initial moments of maintaining non-movement.  If you move, the sensation stops completely.

Yeah, sorry, I meant that I lied down, tried to fall a sleep, went to alpha stage, but nothing happened, then rolled over and tried again, nothing.
I'll try more in next couple of days to see if I can "trigger" it:)

[tp4tissue]

Yeah, sorry, I meant that I lied down, tried to fall a sleep, went to alpha stage, but nothing happened, then rolled over and tried again, nothing.
I'll try more in next couple of days to see if I can "trigger" it:)

Lay perfectly still, imagine you're in a row boat in the middle of a calm lake.

This is the typical imagery Tp4 utilizes to fall asleep, and it reliably triggers the sensation.

[phinix]

Yeah, sorry, I meant that I lied down, tried to fall a sleep, went to alpha stage, but nothing happened, then rolled over and tried again, nothing.
I'll try more in next couple of days to see if I can "trigger" it:)

Lay perfectly still, imagine you're in a row boat in the middle of a calm lake.

This is the typical imagery Tp4 utilizes to fall asleep, and it reliably triggers the sensation.

I'll do that tonight and report back tomorrow

[Kavik]

I haven't been feeling this very much lately, but I started to feel it happen a night or two ago and remembered TP4's mention that any bodily movement will stop it, so I wiggled my arm a bit, and it stopped!  It started again immediately after my arm stopped moving. So I wiggled my arm again to stop it, but I don't remember if it stopped or I just fell asleep. Either way, it didn't bother me after that.

Otherwise, TP4's description of the sensation sounds different. I don't experience any floating sensations, just the bed wiggling/shaking.

Phinix, are you intentionally trying to feel this?!  I suppose it would be fun if you could stop it at any time, but it's really annoying when trying to sleep!

[phinix]

I haven't been feeling this very much lately, but I started to feel it happen a night or two ago and remembered TP4's mention that any bodily movement will stop it, so I wiggled my arm a bit, and it stopped!  It started again immediately after my arm stopped moving. So I wiggled my arm again to stop it, but I don't remember if it stopped or I just fell asleep. Either way, it didn't bother me after that.

Otherwise, TP4's description of the sensation sounds different. I don't experience any floating sensations, just the bed wiggling/shaking.

Phinix, are you intentionally trying to feel this?!  I suppose it would be fun if you could stop it at any time, but it's really annoying when trying to sleep!

Yeah, I still cannot get it!
I want to try it out to fel what you feel, but I cant trigger it.
I tried to lie down, wasn't moving at all. It was all quiet, no lights, tried to make a good mood  )
I almost fell a sleep, so shook myself again, moved myself to other side of the bed and tried to fall asleep again, went to alpha stage, but nothing happened. Nothing.
I wanted to feel it and see if I could find a way to make it stop for you. But it doesnt work for me, for some reason I cant trigger it...

[tp4tissue]

After you lay down, give your spine a good stretch, maybe that will work.

[phinix]

After you lay down, give your spine a good stretch, maybe that will work.

and how do you do that?!

[tp4tissue]

After you lay down, give your spine a good stretch, maybe that will work.

and how do you do that?!

Same way cats do it.. arms up, twist left and right.

[phinix]

After you lay down, give your spine a good stretch, maybe that will work.

and how do you do that?!

Same way cats do it.. arms up, twist left and right.

My cat must be too lazy to do that as I cant remember him doing it:)

But I'll do that tonight:)

[invariance]

Could be possible you are having very mild ’hypno jerks’ that are muscle twitches, not strong enough to wake you, but enough to send movements through the bed.

[Kavik]

Could be possible you are having very mild ’hypno jerks’ that are muscle twitches, not strong enough to wake you, but enough to send movements through the bed.

I get hypnagogic jerks occasionally, but those happen when I am in the process of falling asleep. I am wide awake when the bed shaking happens, and it prevents sleep.

[ar98609]

I can tell by reading through these responses that lots of these people have never felt this.  It is not a floating away sensation, it is not a hypnic jerk, nausea, or vertigo ( although I suspect it might be related to vertigo somehow)  Living in CA I have experienced earthquakes and that is EXACTLY what this feels like.  The first 3 times I experienced it - I actually got up and checked my phone.  I don't do that now because I know it is not really an earthquake.  I just started having this experience this past spring.  I also started to feel another totally different thing that felt like internal vibrating or shivers...not my body moving but internally - which seems just as weird.  Interestingly enough, I recently read that many people who have recovered from Covid  19 have experienced one or both of these things among many other long term more serious side effects. I don't think I had Covid 19 unless I was asymptomatic but I might get an antibody test just to make sure.  Anyway - It is a real thing and it's good to know that I'm not the only one who has felt this!

[Kavik]

I can tell by reading through these responses that lots of these people have never felt this.  It is not a floating away sensation, it is not a hypnic jerk, nausea, or vertigo ( although I suspect it might be related to vertigo somehow)  Living in CA I have experienced earthquakes and that is EXACTLY what this feels like.  The first 3 times I experienced it - I actually got up and checked my phone.  I don't do that now because I know it is not really an earthquake.  I just started having this experience this past spring.  I also started to feel another totally different thing that felt like internal vibrating or shivers...not my body moving but internally - which seems just as weird.  Interestingly enough, I recently read that many people who have recovered from Covid  19 have experienced one or both of these things among many other long term more serious side effects. I don't think I had Covid 19 unless I was asymptomatic but I might get an antibody test just to make sure.  Anyway - It is a real thing and it's good to know that I'm not the only one who has felt this!

Interesting. Your experience sounds exactly like mine. I used to check the earthquake map online and eventually stopped as well. I must say that 1. I definitely experienced this before COVID-19 was a thing (many months, maybe a year or so before posting this) and 2. I went several months without this happening until just two or three nights ago! The most recent occasion was not as intense as usual, but I did TP4's arm wiggle trick, and I was able to fall asleep rather soon thereafter.

[Pooppepebootyholewipe3000]

I'd say about 50% of the time that I lie down to go to bed, I feel the sensation of my bed shaking as though an earthquake were happening. This doesn't happen when I'm half asleep; it happens when I'm still fully awake but trying to sleep. In fact, it's so distracting that it makes sleep more difficult to initiate. I've never experienced this when sleeping on the couch though, or any other surface for that matter.

Every single thing I'm finding online about this is some hocus pocus spirit haunting crap. Also, it's just a gentle giggling or swaying of the bed, not a vibrating or buzzing as some online describe it.

I'm not on drugs or alcohol, don't have sleep paralysis, and don't believe in spirits, just to rule those out.

Has anyone else experienced this?

Dude I’m getting that right now, and it started when I started watching paranormal investigations, but as I’m writing this it’s not happening, litterally the exact description you wrote was exactly everything I went through, I don’t have any medical issues I don’t drink lmao I’m 15 so did you find out what it was?


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[Kavik]

I'd say about 50% of the time that I lie down to go to bed, I feel the sensation of my bed shaking as though an earthquake were happening. This doesn't happen when I'm half asleep; it happens when I'm still fully awake but trying to sleep. In fact, it's so distracting that it makes sleep more difficult to initiate. I've never experienced this when sleeping on the couch though, or any other surface for that matter.

Every single thing I'm finding online about this is some hocus pocus spirit haunting crap. Also, it's just a gentle giggling or swaying of the bed, not a vibrating or buzzing as some online describe it.

I'm not on drugs or alcohol, don't have sleep paralysis, and don't believe in spirits, just to rule those out.

Has anyone else experienced this?

Dude I’m getting that right now, and it started when I started watching paranormal investigations, but as I’m writing this it’s not happening, litterally the exact description you wrote was exactly everything I went through, I don’t have any medical issues I don’t drink lmao I’m 15 so did you find out what it was?


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

No, I never discovered the cause, but it happens far less often now. It has happened a couple times in the past few weeks, but the arm wiggle trick really works.

How many times have you experienced this? Just the one time?

[robthelobster]

I know this thread was made two years ago, so not sure if anyone will see this, but I'm almost certain this is Restless Legs Syndrome. Unlike the name suggests, it can be felt in your whole body. It causes an uncomfortable sensation (I've felt itching, cramping and shaking) that is relieved by moving your body. It occurs while you are awake and trying to get to sleep and can stop you from being able to fall asleep.

I know I have RLS and I felt this shaking stronger and in a wider area than ever before yesterday, so it led me to look into it because I didn't immediately connect it to my RLS. I found this post and I realized it must have been my RLS when I read that for OP moving relieves it. I didn't realize it yesterday, but that was also the case for me. I haven't had this in a long time and not with these exact symptoms before, but I'm quite sure it has to be that.

[tp4tissue]

you'd know if it's restless leg, restless leg is very visible,   this is a perceptual shaking without any physical motion.

[robthelobster]

Restless leg syndrome is not the same as restless legs, it is a sleep disorder that causes uncomfortable perceptual sensations in your body when you try to stay motionless which are only relieved by movement. These sensations are not visible, but the movement you do to relieve it is. Sometimes this movement is shaking your legs or twitching, but it is semi-voluntary. Semi-voluntary as in technically you decide to do the motion yourself, but it can get quite excruciating to try to resist it. They're not really like tics because any kind of movement will do, it's just that staying motionless gets increasingly more uncomfortable.

Maybe it's not the same for you, but the shaking for me follows the same pattern; perception of uncomfortable shaking, especially in the legs but also in the rest of the body, which is only relieved by moving.

[granola bar enthusiast]

this is unheard to me, mostly because nobody has ever spoken about it to me, and also because i have never once experienced it in my life.

maybe its just because when i fall asleep i just go into fetal position in bed close my eyes and think about the first thing that comes to mind, it usually takes 30 minutes to fall asleep and i dont even notice it when i am starting to fall asleep

[Kavik]

I know this thread was made two years ago, so not sure if anyone will see this, but I'm almost certain this is Restless Legs Syndrome. Unlike the name suggests, it can be felt in your whole body. It causes an uncomfortable sensation (I've felt itching, cramping and shaking) that is relieved by moving your body. It occurs while you are awake and trying to get to sleep and can stop you from being able to fall asleep.

I know I have RLS and I felt this shaking stronger and in a wider area than ever before yesterday, so it led me to look into it because I didn't immediately connect it to my RLS. I found this post and I realized it must have been my RLS when I read that for OP moving relieves it. I didn't realize it yesterday, but that was also the case for me. I haven't had this in a long time and not with these exact symptoms before, but I'm quite sure it has to be that.

It's not restless leg syndrome. I have experienced that too and know of the odd sensation you mention that can only be relieved by movement. This bed shaking is not an internal sensation (at least that's not how it's perceived). It feels as if the bed itself were being rocked by an external force.