Jerking Sleep
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Jerking Sleep
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Kashif J. Piracha, MD, is board-certified in internal medicine and nephrology. He has an active clinical practice at Methodist Willowbrook Hospital in Houston, Texas.
It may seem as though infants have cornered the market on the move: A quick shudder, followed by complete stillness, that occurs while they're sleeping.
Some adults are known to joke that the child must be having a "baby dream." It's a happier thought than the fear it could be a seizure.
You may be able to relate to these "sleep starts." Just as you're drifting off to sleep, you suddenly jolt awake.
There's a name for this sudden movement. It's called myoclonus, which the National Institutes of Health defines as a "brief, involuntary twitching or jerking of a muscle or group of muscles." Hiccups are a form of myoclonus. 1
When it happens during sleep, it's called sleep myoclonus. It's more common in childhood but can linger through adulthood. Most of the time, sleep myoclonus is perfectly normal and is nothing to worry about.
This article discusses the symptoms, causes, and types of myoclonus. It also addresses treatment, which is necessary only if the myoclonus interferes with sleep and diminishes quality of life.
The symptoms of sleep myoclonus are difficult to miss. In addition to twitching and jerking, the signs might also be called shakes, spasms, or contractions. And they can happen in all sorts of ways: once or many times in a row, a single episode or many times a night, in a pattern or not.
The symptoms are similar in that they are:
Sleep myoclonus occurs during the early stages of sleep , especially at the moment of dropping off to sleep. It may be triggered by external stimuli such as noise, movement, or light.
Although the cause is not entirely clear, sleep myoclonus may involve problems with a neurotransmitter, or brain chemical, called dopamine. 2 This distinction alone differentiates it from seizures, which involve electrical changes in the brain.
Myoclonus may be a side effect of some drugs, including levodopa (a treatment for Parkinson's disease), tricyclic antidepressants, and bismuth salts (used for treating heartburn, nausea, and upset stomach). The condition often improves once the drug is stopped.
Many types of myoclonus (not just sleep myoclonus) are usually triggered by one of the following:
If a physician can identify the underlying problem, they will be in a better position to recommend a treatment—if one is necessary at all.
Of the various types of myoclonus, the first is so common and harmless that it usually doesn't require any type of treatment. It's called physiological myoclonus , and it looks like that twitching infant. 3
Other common types of myoclonus are:
Myoclonus is a condition that may worry parents when it occurs in children as it may seem like a seizure or infantile spasms. The important difference is that sleep myoclonus occurs only in sleep.
Infants who experience sleep myoclonus should have a neurologic examination and electroencephalogram (EEG), a test that measures electrical activity in the brain. If these movements occur during wakefulness, further evaluation by your child's doctor may be needed to rule out seizures and other causes.
Sleep myoclonus is common during the first week of a newborn's life and usually resolves within a year. Commonly referred to as "benign neonatal sleep myoclonus," there are no inherent consequences to the condition or reasons for concern. 4
Sleep myoclonus is not considered serious or in need of treatment unless it interferes with sleep and/or someone's quality of life.
If it does, the condition may be treated with Xenazine (tetrabenazine), a drug often used to treat movement disorders such as Huntington’s disease .
In most cases, however, treatment is not necessary if sleep is relatively normal. Sleep myoclonus is widely referred to as a "benign" condition, meaning that it has no short- or long-term effects on health or well-being for the affected individual.
Myoclonus is a "brief, involuntary twitching or jerking of a muscle or group of muscles." Hiccups are a form of myoclonus. With sleep myoclonus, this twitching or jerking occurs during sleep.
A "blip" in the central nervous system may cause myoclonus, or it may be triggered by an underlying medical condition. Sleep myoclonus doesn't usually require treatment unless it interferes with sleep. If it occurs while an infant or child is awake, further testing might be needed to check for epilepsy or other issues.
If you're suffering from sleep myoclonus or have a child or other family member who is, visit a healthcare provider for further evaluation. Although the condition often resolves on its own, a doctor's visit might put your mind at ease and help you rule out other conditions, such as restless legs syndrome. As with any medical condition, the sooner you get treatment, the sooner you can begin taking control of your symptoms.
Yes, you can have hiccups while sleeping, but most people are unlikely to experience it. One study examined a woman who reported having hiccups during her sleep after many years of taking Lunesta, a type of insomnia medication. 5 Sleep myoclonus refers to twitching that occurs while asleep. Myoclonus by itself can refer to hiccupping while awake.
Restless leg syndrome is a disorder which causes a person to experience a strong, uncontrolled urge to move their legs. This feeling can go away soon afterward or immediately upon experiencing the urge, but there are minor differences in how it feels between people. 6 It has been observed to occur with sleep myoclonus.
U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. National Institutes of Health. Myoclonus .
John BM, Patnaik SK. Benign neonatal sleep myoclonus: Is it so uncommon? Medical journal, Armed Forces India , 2006;62(2):186–187. doi:org/10.1016/S0377-1237(06)80069-9
Vorona RD, Szklo-Coxe M, Ware JC. Hypnotic hiccups . BMJ Case Rep. 2014;bcr2013202365. doi:10.1136/bcr-2013-202365
Maheswaran M, Kushida CA. Restless legs syndrome in children . MedGenMed. 2006;8(2):79.
By Brandon Peters, MD
Brandon Peters, MD, is a board-certified neurologist and sleep medicine specialist.
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Sleep Advisor » Sleep Science » Hypnic Jerking Explained – The Comprehensive Guide For 2022
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Have you ever been lying down in bed, just about to drift off into blissful sleep when suddenly your body jerks you awake? Out of the blue, you’re startled by this involuntary twitching, and you can feel your heart racing. If you’ve found yourself in this situation before, rest assured that you’re not the only one, and this is more common than you think.
You’ve fallen victim to a natural phenomenon known as a hypnic jerk or a sleep twitch . While it may be entirely normal, it doesn’t make it any more pleasant. Hypnic jerking is nothing more than an involuntary twitch that usually happens just as you are about to step into dreamland. While it’s known by many different names, they all stand for the same thing.
Hypnagogic jerking refers to involuntary muscle contractions that cause sudden and brief twitches when you’re trying to fall asleep. The word “hypnagogic” describes the time immediately before you fall asleep, while “hypnopompic” would be when you wake up. Hypnic jerks could easily disrupt your bedtime, leaving you feeling wide awake because they are so startling.
Some people experiencing them may lash out or move their legs and arms, while others might jump up or twitch ever so slightly. In very few cases, though, this same sleep twitch is accompanied by a scream or shout as your body reacts to the violent nature of this phenomenon.
As we’ve mentioned before, the hypnic jerk has a few variations of its name. It is commonly referred to as hypnagogic jerk, sleep start, night start, or a regular sleep twitch. While the names might differ, these are generally describing one condition.
Additionally, it is called myoclonus or myoclonic jerk, which is the actual medical term used to describe that particular involuntary muscle twitch.
These jerks are sudden and involuntary, which means you have no control over them. Some people relate them to feeling startled or as though they're falling. If you're really startled, you may experience a rapid heartbeat, sweating, or accelerated breathing, though extreme reactions such as these may indicate the presence of anxiety spectrum disorders and should be discussed with a physician.
In some cases, these twitches could occur alongside hypnagogic hallucinations or vivid dreams. The most obvious thing to note is that you are likely to wake up if the twitch is considerable, and because they are so startling, they could interrupt your sleep and lead to sleep-onset insomnia if they happen frequently.
According to an article published in the Journal of Sleep Medicine, hypnic jerks are quite common, with up to 70 percent of people of all ages and genders experiencing them. They seem to appear more frequently in childhood, often being mistaken for seizures and epilepsy. While little is known about their cause in adults, there are some prevailing theories.
Even though these twitches happen to people with certain bad sleeping habits, people who lead normal, healthy lives can experience them as well.
One of the first things you can do is avoid caffeine in the afternoon and evening. Even if you love a refreshing cup of coffee in the afternoon, this could have a serious effect on your overnight sleep, and both the lack of sleep and the stimulation from caffeine could easily cause a hypnic jerk.
It would be best for you to keep caffeine to a minimum, and if you need to have it, make sure that you do so in the morning and avoid it past midday. This should give you the best chance of minimizing the jerks.
This is another thing that you might want to consider. Not consuming alcohol would allow you to enhance your sleep and could help prevent a hypnic jerk as well. Alcohol is a depressant but it also has some qualities of a stimulant, which means it can affect the brain and make it more challenging to fall and stay asleep.
Sure, we get that it’s quite tempting to knock back a glass of wine. However, it’s important to note that this could potentially compromise the quality of your sleep and you may find yourself twitching through the night.
Get More Info: How Does Alcohol Affect Sleep ?
Exercise is great for your body, and you should consider it if you haven’t already. However, there are appropriate times of the day when you should be exercising. If you do it too close to your bedtime, this could easily cause hypnagogic jerks, and as we’ve stated above, this is one of the leading causes.
You should try to keep your exercising activities for the morning hours. If you don’t have time for it then, stick to more relaxed undertakings later in the evening, like Pilates or Yoga.
There are a number of different herbs and essential oils that may help to induce a deeper and more relaxed sleep. Lavender is one of them, and it’s known to produce a calming and particularly enjoyable aroma.
The list goes on, and there are many soothing aromas and herbs that could help you go through the night in a more relaxed manner. They may also result in fewer hypnic twitches or eliminate them entirely.
Get yourself in the habit of a bedtime ritual . This includes a series of things that you should do half an hour before you fall asleep. First off, it might be a good idea to relax your mind and quit thinking about the issues of the day.
Second, cut out technology entirely before bed. Turn off the TV, forget your phone, put the laptop in the other room, and stay there in the dark. Your mind should quickly adjust to that as a stress-free environment that induces relaxation. This would translate to a deeper, twitch-free state of sleep.
Learn More: How Technology Impacts Sleep Quality
There are a few additional supplements that you could use to reduce twitching during the night. Calcium, as well as magnesium, are known to relax your muscles and prevent spasms. In fact, magnesium plays a role in regulating muscle contractions, and deficiencies of this mineral have been shown to lead to myoclonic jerks.
View Our Comparison: Magnesium vs. Melatonin
There are several ways to reduce anxiety before bed, and they all center around calming the body and mind. Yoga, meditation, journaling, or even just some relaxing stretches can be helpful. The important thing is to refocus your mind from whatever is causing you to stress to a more peaceful state.
For some people, it helps to take five minutes to journal your concerns, allowing yourself to worry about them for a set amount of time. When you’re done, close the journal and shift your focus to something else. Read a book (just nothing suspenseful before bed), listen to some calming music, or perform a guided meditation.
For More Info: How to Cope With Anxiety and Sleep
The twitching itself is not a disorder. However, as we’ve already stated, there are certain sleep disorders that could lead to it. Anxiety, as well as panic attacks, could be caused by repeated sleep starts. The fear of suffering a twitch is also something that could set off a lot of issues, and it could dramatically disrupt your bedtime.
Do not confuse the hypnic jerks with the far more dangerous sleeping disorder known as sleep apnea. This is a condition where you get your breathing airways obstructed because your tissue and muscles in your throat are overly relaxed, which could cause some serious issues.
There is no definitive answer to this question. However, there are a few well-known causes of this sleeping phenomenon. Excessive alcohol, too much caffeine, exercising far too close to bedtime, stress, anxiety, and others of the kind are common causes. On the bright side, there is a lot that you can do to reduce or prevent the twitching in its entirety.
While it may temporarily feel like a life or death situation, hypnic twitches tend to last for no more than a microsecond and don’t cause any harm. None of your vitals are shown to stop, and there is no chance of this being a near-death experience.
The issue is that it could cause serious anxiety if it happens over and over again. In addition, it may disrupt your sleep, which could lead to more twitching.
There are a few different explanations for why you may “jump” in your sleep. Heavy snorers usually experience this “jump” feeling because their airways may become blocked. As soon as the airflow gets disrupted, you may experience that jumping sensation and wake up.
Another explanation is related to dreaming. When you are in a deep sleep, your brain prevents you from acting out your dreams since this could be dangerous. However, there are times when this doesn’t happen and you may sleepwalk or flail around in your dreamlike state.
Hypnic jerks usually happen when you’re beginning to fall asleep, but they can also happen when you’re sleeping. On the other hand, regular muscle twitching is a common phenomenon that can happen when you’re awake. There are many known causes, but most commonly they are related to magnesium deficiency.
While there is no known cure, you may be able to reduce twitching by following the recommendations we gave above. Minimize caffeine and alcohol, exercise during normal training hours, give yourself a break in terms of stress, unplug, and make sure that you have a good night of sleep. Try not to focus on twitching as you’re falling asleep and you should be able to see the difference quickly.
If the situation becomes chronic and you’re experiencing severe hypnic jerks, this could have a rather serious impact on your life. It may result in sleep deprivation, which quickly translates to stress and anxiety. Additionally, a lack of sleep is also known to cause issues such as depression, weight gain, higher blood pressure, heart conditions, and more.
If you’re experiencing chronic hypnic twitching, talk to your doctor to discuss other conditions and to talk about possible solutions.
While sleep jerks are quite common and may happen for no reason at all, they could also be a sign that you need to take a step back and look at your overall lifestyle. If you’re not making time for sleep or have poor habits that are keeping you awake at night, you may find that prioritizing rest helps alleviate twitching.
Take a look at the common causes we’ve listed above, and follow our steps for reducing hypnic twitches. While you may not be able to prevent them entirely, you should be able to minimize them. In the end
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