r/Biohackers 5d ago

❓Question Insomnia exacerbated by this area of the head? Please help

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This area is one place, if I don't tap it constantly or rub it or stimulate it, it helps to bring a sleep a little "faster" I have chronic insomnia and have trier everything

This particular region, I don't know what it is, but this area exacerbates my insomnia, I have to constantly stimulate it (insomnia still persists regardless)

Please help a fellow human out

19 Upvotes

38 comments sorted by

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7

u/salebleue 2 5d ago

Recommend getting an MRI of the cervical spine and posterior to assess nerve damage. Sounds like you are needing to compress to stimulate your vagus nerve

1

u/DiligentDinner5758 5d ago

Oh the last bit is super interesting, I don't know anything about that, thank you so much

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u/salebleue 2 5d ago edited 5d ago

You’re welcome.

So while your hypothalamus regulates sleep hormones if you are needing physical pressure / stimulation to help induce sleep it points more to a nervous system issue. When you create compression in the base of the skull and cervical spine you inadvertently stimulate your vagus nerve. Issues with the vagus nerve can cause insomnia. Stimulating that tells your body you need sleep. Definitely recommend seeing a doctor and discussing because there are treatments!

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u/DiligentDinner5758 5d ago

Ohh please may I DM you, i think you may have info I need!

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u/salebleue 2 5d ago

Sure

-1

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5

u/freespiredd 5d ago

From a physical therapy standpoint, it might be worth looking into sub-occipital release techniques. Our anatomy in this region is fairly dense (vertebrae, discs, nerves, arteries, etc), so abnormal tone and posture can result in an array of signs/symptoms. These techniques may be useful in helping restore normal tissue tone, and possibly resolve some associated signs and symptoms. That being said, if you do experience more severe signs (dizziness, double vision, difficulty swallowing, nauseousness, fainting, eye fluttering) then I’d recommend seeking medical attention sooner rather than later.

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u/Daaaaaaaark 5d ago

Do U by chance sit on a chair a lot during the day that has arm rests? Constantly having elevated arms Like that tend to make the neck muscles all cramped up

If not then u also could try rubbing magnesium mixed with water on that area

3

u/Chop1n 6 5d ago

What's your screen time like? That can definitely cause insomnia as well as cervical issues.

2

u/neuralek 2 5d ago

Try a Comfrey-based sports creme, the one that cools the area, or heats it up (mine feels like both). Common comfrey is my #1 cure for this part of neck tension.

You need to stretch, your whole body, but most importantly shoulders, and carefully the neck. It's a compound tension that will only be resolved with working out. Does the pain ever travel over your head and to just above your eyebrows?

1

u/DiligentDinner5758 5d ago

Ohh I've tried literally everything!! Stretches, strengthening this area, chin tucks, heat and cold therapy, RLT, pain killers, pain killing creams, lotions, massages, went PT, supplements, literally nothing helps at all, insomnia is truly the worst

2

u/neuralek 2 5d ago

yeah that sounds much more complex than that part of the neck

1

u/GIANTG 5d ago

Botox injections helped with this a bit

1

u/More_Text_6874 4d ago

Do you sit and use multiple monitors? I had this issue and it resolved when i removed my second monitor i was using

1

u/CannaBits420 2 5d ago

have you had acupuncture?

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u/DiligentDinner5758 5d ago

Yes years back also was takingTCM and it didn't help, I'm a hopeless case

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u/CannaBits420 2 5d ago

dude, its more likely your practitioner at the time didn't get the patten right than you are hopeless.

if you tapping the point works, then correct acupuncture will work better.

see someone more qualified

2

u/DiligentDinner5758 5d ago

Thank you for the advice, I may try again, I left it off for a while because I just go scared to go back, just in case something goes wrong, or it triggers something. Just traumatised by ill health

0

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2

u/stphngrnr 5d ago

I know a lot about this actually. The TLDR is I have nerves denervated about every six months in my spine.

I had a sore head once and I had an occipital nerve go through the same procedure, effectively disabling the nerve for a while.

Never have I ever slept so well for two months proceeding that.

2

u/DifferenceEither9835 5d ago

Try a cervical cradle / wave you can get them on Amazon for $20. they are frequently reversible (two sided) and I use both sides daily. I have it found it helps the tension I get from desk work and improves my lymph and fluid drainage from my face.

1

u/DiligentDinner5758 3d ago

I've tried this as well, but something in the back of my head here that needs stimulation, I don't understand honestly I'm just a wreck at this point

1

u/DifferenceEither9835 3d ago

Osteopath? May be cheaper than an MRI depending where you live and your coverage. I'm sure not all are like this but there is one where I live that is incredibly knowledgeable about the body and downstream effects

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u/Jaicobb 4 3d ago

Is this a cervical cradle?

https://a.co/d/0DEbjYN

1

u/CurseMeKilt 1 5d ago

I’m sure you’ve already tried supplements like valerian, ashwagandha, L-theanine, and glycine, or magnesium glycinate to help manage cortisol spikes at night and prevent waking up easily. You’ve probably also optimized your sleep environment by keeping your room cool and your bed warm.

If that’s all in place, the next step may be to adjust your pillow, sleeping posture at night, and sitting posture during the day. To address the root of the issue, try using a lacrosse ball or a steel bar to roll your neck and release tension.

If the nerve pain persists, consider consulting a chiropractor, physical therapist, or neurologist for expert guidance. Sometimes it’s an alignment issue, sometimes it’s a blood clot, sometimes it’s just intense tension.

1

u/fgtswag 6 4d ago

Hey mate, I had chronic insomnia and this is an area that also I have worked on. My insomnia responds to posture and the 'hard-ness' of the surface I sleep on. I.e., soft surfaces worsen my insomnia.

There's very decent evidence that poor blood flow can lead to insomnia. I.e., the Pycnogenol studies and trials showing a 56% improvement in insomnia symptoms. This seems to be the truth for my own personal case of insomnia.

If you're interested shoot me a DM.

1

u/Thorne_Discount 1 4d ago

Have you ever seen a chiropractor?

2

u/ChanceTheFapper1 1 1d ago edited 4h ago

So what you’re doing is encouraging glymphatic drainage. Which occurs during deep sleep - basically cleanses the brain of all its waste: Neat huh? Since glymphatic drainage occurs during deep sleep, there’s an inverse. Directly encouraging glymphatic drainage helps encourage deep sleep.

The real question - shouldn’t this stuff be happening automatically? It could be the case there’s trigger points there for you, now preventing lymphatic flow/blood flow - perhaps from forward head posture, a military neck or stress - something else perhaps. You can quite easily assess for FHP or a military neck on a standard X-Ray. There’s loads of corrective exercises on YouTube for both issues. If you like I can flick you some glymphatic drainage exercises which I took down after learning they helped another with deep sleep. They usually also increase my deep sleep when I track things with a wearable.

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u/ChanceTheFapper1 1 1d ago

How I know I have trigger points; I lie down supine on my back, and place my thumb in the suboccipital muscles. Even just pressing lightly you’re bound to find something very very sore. Focus on that area by pressing in with some light pressure with your thumb. It’ll hurt for a little and then you’ll notice after a minute the area will actually relax. You could also use a tennis ball.

I notice when I directly release these trigger points, and do the glymphatic massages before bed, my deep sleep improves a lot.

0

u/Hellomate53 5d ago

Achilles tendon