Couldn't sleep
I couldn't sleep. Didn't happen yesterday, didn't seem like it was happening today despite getting tired pretty early. What is going on? I had to get to the bottom of this. My worst fear is of course cardiac reasons, but I think there's a pretty low probability of that, so I look at more age-appropriate reasons like nerve entrapment.
So, feeling that characteristic "my head feels funny" feeling when laying down, I had to make sure I wasn't feeling funny because my head was somehow impairing my oxygen intake. So, I got my oximeter and measured it. 98/99.... hmm, that looks good. But, isn't this odd? My pulse is going anywhere from 75 to 85. My pulse rarely goes above 60, normally, and when tired and laying down, it's commonly in the low 50s or upper 40s. Why it would be consistently doing nearly double that was mystifying. So, I got my blood pressure machine and took my blood pressure.
141/72. Woah, that's high!
The only thing that I thought might been different is that my upper back was "solid" (Unlike historically), so I suspected maybe it accidentally entrapped a nerve causing this unending cortisol to pump through my veins, preventing sleep (Since, yesterday, I had did significant rotational exercise for the first time, which caused sharp pain in my rib. And the lack of sleep started yesterday night, so I thought maybe I screwed something up then. I also did neck strengthening exercises, but that seemed uneventful so didn't think of it.) So, I went upstairs to do some spinal decompression. Went back downstairs, took my heart rate readings and they didn't change while at rest. Huh... what's going on?
Maybe it's my neck. I've noticed some fleeting pain sensations in that area since yesterday, and it's quite possible that the posture my spine was solidfying at might've done something in that region since yesterday. So, freaking looked up towards the heavens (As far as I could) while pushing myself off the ground and I could feel a good stretch. While I wouldn't think that would do the trick, it certainly seemed like it did! My resting heart rate consistently trended downwards to 60 (Not quite low 50s like normal, but close enough.) and my blood pressure trended down to 128/68, much more normal. Still somewhat elevated at this time of day from past values, but nothing like 80% higher than normal. More like 10% higher than normal.
Now, I don't know if this is a permanent solution. Maybe my head position while I sleep is causing it, so perhaps it will happen again when I try to fall asleep. But, I can definitely tell you I'm going to be looking for neck decompression equipment (I already have some...) and will try to prevent it from happening again. (Not entirely sure what caused it begin with, other than my neck had partially solidified in the forward position with my back. And, now that I have thought about it, I was doing neck strengthening exercises yesterday (neck resistance training), so that might've contributed somehow (i.e., probably did.). Now the question is how? It seemed like I was merely straining my neck muscles in resisting the force of my hand. Maybe that aggravated an existing cervical disc herniation, which apparently I seem to have?
It seems like the top of my cervical neck has shifted back a bit (I can feel the difference), so it seems like this might just be a (semi-)permanent solution. Now I know to look out for this in the future if it happens again, and I know of at least one seeming solution. (Hope it works.)
Anyway, another symptom that seems like it went along with this was this feeling of partial numbness in the tips and weakness in the grip of my left thumb, index and middle finger and that started about a few days before the sleepless night yesterday (And partially today). And, it seems like that's gone away (I think?...). So, I have an early warning system it seems.
Anyway, my right ear/jaw is bugging me. Seems like I have a partially dislocated jaw there from the football accident, and consistent pressure from laying on that side for two hours trying in vain to fall asleep seems to have bugged it. The periodic fleeting sharper dull pains in the ear & temple seems kind of worrying (Thinking it might be linked to lack of sleep via other mechanisms), but I highly suspect it's just the jaw.
Anyway, the "My head feels funny" feeling is definitely distinct. It feels sinusy/crushed on one hand (At times), and it also feels like your mind isn't quite laying down/sinking into the bed like your head is. It feels like it's at least a good deal above it and refuses to contact the bed.
Anyway, I'm waiting for the next 'falling asleep' cycle. Mine seem to happen at 11 a.m., 12-1 a.m. and 3 a.m.
So, feeling that characteristic "my head feels funny" feeling when laying down, I had to make sure I wasn't feeling funny because my head was somehow impairing my oxygen intake. So, I got my oximeter and measured it. 98/99.... hmm, that looks good. But, isn't this odd? My pulse is going anywhere from 75 to 85. My pulse rarely goes above 60, normally, and when tired and laying down, it's commonly in the low 50s or upper 40s. Why it would be consistently doing nearly double that was mystifying. So, I got my blood pressure machine and took my blood pressure.
141/72. Woah, that's high!
The only thing that I thought might been different is that my upper back was "solid" (Unlike historically), so I suspected maybe it accidentally entrapped a nerve causing this unending cortisol to pump through my veins, preventing sleep (Since, yesterday, I had did significant rotational exercise for the first time, which caused sharp pain in my rib. And the lack of sleep started yesterday night, so I thought maybe I screwed something up then. I also did neck strengthening exercises, but that seemed uneventful so didn't think of it.) So, I went upstairs to do some spinal decompression. Went back downstairs, took my heart rate readings and they didn't change while at rest. Huh... what's going on?
Maybe it's my neck. I've noticed some fleeting pain sensations in that area since yesterday, and it's quite possible that the posture my spine was solidfying at might've done something in that region since yesterday. So, freaking looked up towards the heavens (As far as I could) while pushing myself off the ground and I could feel a good stretch. While I wouldn't think that would do the trick, it certainly seemed like it did! My resting heart rate consistently trended downwards to 60 (Not quite low 50s like normal, but close enough.) and my blood pressure trended down to 128/68, much more normal. Still somewhat elevated at this time of day from past values, but nothing like 80% higher than normal. More like 10% higher than normal.
Now, I don't know if this is a permanent solution. Maybe my head position while I sleep is causing it, so perhaps it will happen again when I try to fall asleep. But, I can definitely tell you I'm going to be looking for neck decompression equipment (I already have some...) and will try to prevent it from happening again. (Not entirely sure what caused it begin with, other than my neck had partially solidified in the forward position with my back. And, now that I have thought about it, I was doing neck strengthening exercises yesterday (neck resistance training), so that might've contributed somehow (i.e., probably did.). Now the question is how? It seemed like I was merely straining my neck muscles in resisting the force of my hand. Maybe that aggravated an existing cervical disc herniation, which apparently I seem to have?
It seems like the top of my cervical neck has shifted back a bit (I can feel the difference), so it seems like this might just be a (semi-)permanent solution. Now I know to look out for this in the future if it happens again, and I know of at least one seeming solution. (Hope it works.)
Anyway, another symptom that seems like it went along with this was this feeling of partial numbness in the tips and weakness in the grip of my left thumb, index and middle finger and that started about a few days before the sleepless night yesterday (And partially today). And, it seems like that's gone away (I think?...). So, I have an early warning system it seems.
Anyway, my right ear/jaw is bugging me. Seems like I have a partially dislocated jaw there from the football accident, and consistent pressure from laying on that side for two hours trying in vain to fall asleep seems to have bugged it. The periodic fleeting sharper dull pains in the ear & temple seems kind of worrying (Thinking it might be linked to lack of sleep via other mechanisms), but I highly suspect it's just the jaw.
Anyway, the "My head feels funny" feeling is definitely distinct. It feels sinusy/crushed on one hand (At times), and it also feels like your mind isn't quite laying down/sinking into the bed like your head is. It feels like it's at least a good deal above it and refuses to contact the bed.
Anyway, I'm waiting for the next 'falling asleep' cycle. Mine seem to happen at 11 a.m., 12-1 a.m. and 3 a.m.