Hello doctor, I am a 32-year-old female and overall in good health. Starting last month quite suddenly, I started having insomnia issues. The symptoms were difficulty to fall asleep, sensations of adrenaline, waking up scared when falling asleep, a sensation of weakness or numbness in both arms, mental agitation, restless legs syndrome, falling asleep late, waking up several times per night, unable to get back to sleep and having very vivid dreams. I just felt very weird altogether. I had this pretty bad for about a week last month then starting feeling a bit better with just one to two wakes during the night usually around 4 to 5 a.m. At the end of last month, I started taking melatonin supplements before going to bed, around 1.5 mg before going to bed and it made me sleep very well. I fell asleep within 40 minutes of taking it and then sleeping well throughout the night. Yesterday, I stopped the melatonin since I did not think I was supposed to take it for a long time and I had a horrible night. I woke up six to seven times, staying awake between 10 to 40 minutes each time, dreaming very vividly, being aware that I am dreaming while asleep, did not feel like I managed any deep sleep at all. I do not know what exactly is the matter with me. I am now fearing sporadic fatal insomnia and that is not helping things at all. I feel very distressed now.A bit about my context. I am a mother of a 1-year-old who sleeps in the same room with me, but he sleeps well throughout the night. I do check him whenever I wake up from sleep. I have done that since he was born but only had insomnia in the last one to two months. I am a bit stressed with all the work involving staying at home with the small child but nothing extreme. Last summer, I started having migraine with an aura all of a sudden during the stresses of starting solids and having to employ my non-existing cooking skills. I had an MRI and an angiogram and it was clear. I was diagnosed with migraines with aura and had a few of them for a few months and then they seemed to have stopped two months later. In the last three to four months, I also started having occasional hypnagogic and hypnopompic hallucinations with visual patterns appearing, pulsating with my own pulse and.or rotating my vision. I can only see them when there is dark and they disappear in about 5 to 20 minutes.I also have autoimmune hyperthyroidism, which only occasionally acts up. I have had this for 13 years. I only take medications when my thyroid acts up. I never had insomnia with this condition and I do not feel like being hyperthyroid at the moment with normal pulse, not a lot of anxiety, no panic attacks, not losing weight but I will check it tomorrow just in case. However, even if I am hyper, I would still not be sure the insomnia is related to that since I never had insomnia as a result of my thyroid condition. I have no one in my family with fatal insomnia, but my mother did have insomnia as a result of her anxiety and depression. This started when she was over 40. I do not have depression and have only mild anxiety related mainly to this new onset insomnia.  First of all, can this be sporadic fatal insomnia because this scares me a lot during the night?   Also, can this be some sort of psychosis or whatever? Something neurological?   During the day, I feel and function normally. Today I do feel especially shaken up and feel unusual. What else can this be?   Is the melatonin working well for me?   What should I do? Any advice?
Hello. If you are suspecting something like sporadic familial insomnia, it is wise to see a neurologist with your specific complaints. This is because it is very difficult to diagnose on the basis of symptoms only. It needs investigations like genetic analysis and sleep studies to confirm. My advice would be to not get overly anxious but to see a neurologist and get investigated properly. Also, melatonin is completely natural and safe and if you were feeling so relieved with it, it is wise to continue it for now. Consult your specialist doctor, discuss with him or her and with their consent take it. For more information consult a sleep medicine physician online -->