bjamin,

I missed you post last week. I have experienced slowed pulse a few times. For me, each time, I believe it was triggered by neck inflammation. Once, I fell asleep in the car for a few hours and slept with my head hanging forward. It took 2 weeks for me to get back to normal. I had low BP and pulse. I could hardly get up from a chair without teetering.

Regarding your neck, your neuro will not be any help. The subtle neck injuries are not imageable. They require trial and error behavior changes. For me, when my wife noticed the change in my facial expression when I was sleeping flat on my back or in my recliner and with a tense look if I was sleeping with my head and neck elevated.

I also experienced a strange event when I was having an EEG with sleep session. With the electrodes on my head and a towel rolled up supporting my head, my head was tipped forward. As I tried to fall asleep and relaxed my breathing, my breathing stopped. I had to consciously take a breath. I was able to repeat this breathing issue. Then, my wife stayed up and watched my breathing and saw me stop breathing 16 times in a hour.

We determined that neck position was the likely trigger. Time has supported this.

btw, I was taking clonazepam to help me sleep without jerking. It was making me sleepy all day. I tried combating the sleepy days with caffeine and my doctor objected strenuously. I was changed to gabapentin (1200 mgs) to get away from the sleepy days.

15 years later, I still take 300 mgs of gabapentin. It helps my brain to 'let go' of things that get in the way of falling asleep. I still need to use good sleep hygiene to fall asleep.

Using sleep meds, especially hypnotics or benzos, the brain does not sleep properly. Sure, you get sleep, but you get limited restoration from that sleep.

Do you have any way to try different sleep positions to see if there is a position that allows you to sleep soundly?

In the early stages, I needed mundane stimulation to fall asleep. I watched boring TV or videos. I spend many nights falling asleep to one of a few music CDs or DVDs. I have a friend who still needs to use visual stimulation to focus his mind 20 years after his concussion. He has a TV and DVD player in his bedroom.

So, be your own investigator. Experiment. Find the combination of things that allow your brain to let go. Don't discount the slightest or oddest issue.

btw, I also had to experiment with bed sheet texture and pajama texture. I do best in all cotton that has a warm feel.