Are you experiencing a hypnic jerk? It is sudden, involuntary movement occurring when you are starting to fall asleep. Your body experiences a spasm like an involuntary leg or arm movement. It is like waking up when you feel like falling, hear a loud noise, or see a flash of light. It all happens when you are about to fall asleep. So, it can jolt you awake. Some people cannot go back to sleep after experiencing involuntary movement. While in most cases, the involuntary movement may not cause any issues, others suffering from it frequently can experience sleep disturbance. Without proper sleep, they cannot function properly. So, it can affect their lives. It is important to see a sleep professional to evaluate the condition properly and get the necessary assistance.
About Hypnic Jerk
Everyone falls victim to a hypnic jerk at some point in their life. It is a normal occurrence causing jerking or twitching of arms or legs. The natural phenomenon may not cause any problems. But, it is not a pleasant experience. As you slip into the dreamland, you twitch involuntarily. It has several names and they all stand for the same thing. It is the involuntary muscle contractions causing sudden twitches lasting a few seconds while you try to fall asleep. The startling feeling will leave you wide awake. So, some people who experience it may have trouble falling back to sleep.
The experiences of people may vary as some describe it as slight twitching of their legs or arm, while others lash out their arms and legs. In some rare cases, people suffering it can scream or shout as a reaction to the violent nature of the phenomenon. In normal cases, you tend to ignore the problem as it occurs once in a while. But, some people suffer from it frequently, which makes it difficult to get proper sleep. In such cases, seeing a doctor is essential as a lack of sleep can result in several complications. It puts your mental and physical health in jeopardy.
Different Names Of Hypnic Jerk
If you want to know more about the condition, then you need to know that the condition is referred to by different names. Here are some of the terms used to suggest the same condition:
- Sleep jerks
- Night starts
- Sleep starts
- Hypnagogic jerk.
- Myoclonic jerks (myoclonus is an involuntary muscle twitch – hiccups are another harmless example).
Symptoms Associated With A Hypnic Jerk
When you suffer from sleep starts, you have no control over them. The action is involuntary and sudden. So, you feel like falling from a height or startled. It can also accompany the following symptoms:
- Sweating
- Rapid heartbeat
- A temporary state of shock
- Faster breathing
- Vivid dreams
- Hypnagogic hallucinations
These twitches can occur along with one or more of the above-mentioned symptoms. When a hypnic jerk becomes considerable, you tend to awake from the sleep. As sleep starts are startling, it affects your sleep cycle. In people, who suffer from frequent sleep starts, sleep-onset insomnia develops. So, it can affect your mental and physical health.
Causes Of A Hypnic Jerk
A hypnic jerk is a common condition that most people experience. More than 70% of the people of all age groups experience it at least once. It is more frequent in childhood. When it recurs in children, parents mistake it for epilepsy or seizures. The underlying cause of the condition remains unclear. But, doctors speculate some theories like:
Poor Sleep Habits
If you have an irregular sleep schedule, then you are prone to sleep starts. Frequently interrupted slumber and chronic sleep loss also contribute to involuntary twitches.
Stimulants
The use of stimulants can have an impact on the brain as well as the body. So, using nicotine, caffeine, or certain drugs results in such involuntary movements.
Strenuous Exercise
You need to include exercise in your routine for a healthy body. But, you need to avoid working out too close to your bedtime. Exercising stimulates your mind. So, when you work out before going to bed, it will increase the chances of twitching.
Stress
When you experience stress or anxiety, then these conditions can stimulate the brain. When your brain is stimulated, it makes it difficult to wind down for sleeping. In such cases, you tend to experience sleep starts.
While people who experience the above-mentioned condition suffer from frequent sleep starts, other people can also experience the problem. While bad sleeping habits can increase the chances of suffering from the condition, a healthy person can also experience the condition.
Sleep Cycle Stages
Before going into more detail, you need to know the sleep stages and when a hypnic jerk occurs. While falling asleep, you pass through four stages. The first three stages are non-REM (rapid eye movement) and the last stage is REM (rapid eye movement). Here are the details of the stages:
Stage 1
During the stage, you are in light sleep. You keep drifting in and out of sleep. So, it is easy to awake. Most people experience sleep starts in the first non-REM sleep stage. It is because you are just starting to fall asleep. So, you can experience a sudden contraction of muscles. These muscle actions precede sleep starts. The first stage usually lasts for about ten minutes.
Stage 2
When you enter the second stage of the non-rapid eye movement sleep cycle, your eye movement stops. Your brain waves become larges as it slows down. So, your body starts to relax and fall asleep. It results in the slowing down of heart rate and dropping of body temperature. The second stage lasts around twenty minutes. Therefore, the first two stages of the sleep cycle are normally referred to as light sleep.
Stage 3
When a sleeper enters the third stage, the brain waves start to slow. But, it becomes larger than the last two stages. So, during the stage, you sleep through any potential sleep disturbances without twitching or flinching. You are in deep sleep. This stage lasts for about thirty-five to forty-five minutes.
Stage 4
This is the final stage of the sleep cycle. Unlike the other three stages, this stage is rapid eye movement (REM) stage. The first phase of this particular stage lasts for around ten minutes and it begins after you fall asleep for at least ninety minutes. During stage 4, your eyes move rapidly and you see a powerful dream in the sleep. It is also possible to see an increase in your breathing and heart rates. As the night goes by, this stage gets longer. So, the last phase of this stage can last for about an hour.
When you feel jolted from your sleep or experience jerk, then you have experienced a sleep start. To make a confirmed diagnosis, you need to see a specialist sleep doctor and undergo certain tests. It will help detect the condition.
Complications Associated With A Hypnic Jerk
As mentioned several times, sleep starts may not cause any harm. But, chronic or violet sleep starts can trigger several problems. It will impact your home as well as work life. If the condition affects your sleep cycle, then you will become more prone to problems in the future. You can experience both short-term and long-term problems due to recurrent hypnic jerk. Here are some of the issues associated with violet sleep starts:
- Groggy feeling
- Fatigue or exhaustion
- Weakened immune system
- Bad mood
- Heart problems
- Weight gain
- Depression
- Low energy
- Low work productivity
So, you need to address the problem and tackle the cause of the unpleasant condition. It will avoid the problem from escalating and affecting your personal as well as professional life.
See A Doctor For Hypnic Jerk
In majority of the cases, hypnic jerks are common occurrences. So, it is not a serious problem. You have nothing to worry about it. You can relax and go back to sleep again. But, when you suffer from sleep starts regularly and occurs severely, then you need to see your primary care physician. When the doctor feels some underlying sleep disorder triggers the issue, then you need to see a sleep expert. You need to undergo a sleep study or other tests to reveal the actual problems. Based on the diagnosis, your doctor prescribes medications. You need to follow the instructions and advice provided by the doctor. Follow healthy sleep habits to overcome the conditions.
Diagnosing A Hypnic Jerk
While experience sleep starts every once in a while is not a serious problem. You never have to worry about it as it is a common condition. But, when you experience frequent sleep starts, which makes it difficult to sleep properly, you need to see a physician. Lack of sleep can affect your mental and physical health. So, you need to see a doctor confirm a hypnic jerk. Here are some of the diagnostic tests used to detect the condition:
Physical Assessment
In the majority of cases, a physical analysis can help diagnose sleep starts. Your doctor asks about symptoms like falling sensation when you sleep or getting up suddenly with a jerk while you are sleeping. These symptoms confirm the condition. When your physician suspects sleep starts, then you need to see a sleep specialist.
Polysomnography
Sleep experts make you undergo a sleep study. It is the test used to diagnose any sleep disorders you can suffer. The test records the breathing, heart rate, the oxygen levels in the blood along with recording your brain waves. During the test, the experts also check your eye and leg movement. So, the test helps record any physiological changes you may experience during the sleep cycle. Based on the test, the sleep expert can detect any issues.
Prevent A Hypnic Jerk
In the majority of cases, a hypnic jerk may not cause any concern. So, it does not need any treatment. It is a normal phenomenon. But, in some people, the condition can affect the quality of their sleep. So, you will find it difficult to sleep. The ideas suggested below may not totally stop the condition. But, it can help you prevent sleep starts from affecting your sleep cycle and reduce its severity. Here are some basic tips to prevent the condition:
Try A Routine To Unplug
You need to develop a pre-bedtime routine that will help you sleep without experiencing sleep starts. So, try to include a series of things half an hour before you try to sleep. Here are the two main things you need to try:
- Relax your mind. Try to meditate or listen to music. It will help you relax your mind. Such relaxation techniques will help you quit thinking about the worrying issues you have faced during the day. A calm mind makes it easier to fall asleep.
- Next, you need to follow technological blackout. Turn off all the electronic devices like the laptops, television, and others. You can stay in the dark for some time. This will help your mind to adjust to the stress-free environment. So, you will feel relaxed. You can experience a deeper and jerking-free sleep for improving your health.
Choose Comfortable Mattress And Bedding
You need to understand that sleep is crucial for improving the quality of life. But, with a hectic and tiresome schedule, you may not have enough time to complete all tasks. Your body requires still requires necessary rest. So, you need sufficient sleep to regenerate your body. It helps you get the necessary energy to complete the tasks. If you are not getting enough sleep, then your mattress can play a part in it. You can try to get a new mattress that feels comfortable. It will give you a good night’s rest. Never wait until the situation is dire and it becomes difficult to lie in your bed.
Try To Sleep In A Comfortable Position
Do you know that different sleep positions have different benefits? Switching your sleep position can help you overcome many health issues. But, switching your position and sleeping in that particular position cannot happen in one night. But, you can take steps to try it out. Take time to gradually train your body to choose a new but comfortable position. It will improve your sleep quality and avoid sleep starts. Modifying your sleep position can help you improve the quality and quantity of sleep. If never stress about it. Take it easy and slowly find a comfortable position for better sleep.
Avoid Worry Cycle
When you become fixated on the vicious cycle of worry, then it triggers sleep starts. You worry about the jerks and twitching in the sleep, which results in loss of sleep. You become fatigued and exhausted. It will further contribute to the frequency of sleep starts. So, a vicious cycle begins. The key to overcoming the problem is not to allow the occasional sleep starts to affect your sleep. You need to relax and go back to sleep. Forgetting about the sleep starts will help you break the vicious cycle.
8 Tips To Cure A Hypnic Jerk
You can try eight effective methods at home to cure a hypnic jerk. These steps will help you sleep without any interruptions.
Aromatherapy For Hypnic Jerk
Aromatherapy means using essential oils to ensure uninterrupted sleep. Inhaling fumes of essential oils can calm you and helps fitful sleep. Lavender oil is one of the popular choices to aid in better sleep. It has soothing properties to make you calm and relieve symptoms related to stress as well as anxiety. Chamomile oil is another popular choice to soothe tension and anxiety. The oil promotes good sleep and deals with sleep start at night. For ensuring proper sleep, you need to take a diffuser and fill it with water. Then, add three drops of lavender or chamomile oil to it. Inhale that diffuse aroma before going to sleep every day. Aromatherapy works well and helps with uninterrupted sleep. It is because of the essential oils having a soothing aroma.
Manage Vitamin Deficiencies
Vitamins and minerals are necessary for a healthy body. But, when you suffer from the following vitamin deficiencies can increase the risk of sleep starts:
- Vitamin D3
- Vitamin B12
Calcium deficiency can make you vulnerable to sleep starts. Vitamin D3 increases calcium absorption in the intestine. So, it helps prevent deficiency. It is also important to correct the vitamin B12 deficiency to improve sleep starts. Try to include a sufficient amount of the vitamins in your daily diet to avoid the condition. Here are some of the food items containing vitamin D3 and vitamin B12 that you can include in the diet:
- Egg yolks
- Fatty fish
- Cheese
- Tuna
- Milk
- Poultry
If your diet is not offering enough vitamins, then you need to talk to your doctor about taking supplements. Always follow the instructions of the doctor when you are taking the supplements.
Avoid Alcohol
If you like to drink, then think before knocking back the glass of alcoholic beverage. It is because consuming alcohol can affect your sleep quality. Drinking alcohol can make you twitch throughout the night. Before consuming alcohol, you need to consider this scenario. So, saying no to alcoholic beverages will help you sleep well. Alcohol acts as both stimulant and depressant. So, it has the potential to affect the functioning of the brain. This makes it difficult to fall asleep or sleep through the night without any interruptions.
Meditate To Manage Hypnic Jerk
Meditation also helps you deal with hypnic jerks to a large extent – especially breath meditation that involves slow and steady deep breathing exercises. It promotes peace of mind and helps alleviate symptoms of hypnic jerks.
Limit Caffeine Intake
Caffeine is a stimulant. It is the reason why people feel energized and awake after drinking a cup of coffee or an energy drink. It also increases the intensity of sleep starts. Drinking caffeinated drinks can aggravate the symptoms of stress as well as anxiety in the affected individuals. So, you need to steer clear of drinks containing caffeine. If you cannot avoid drinking caffeinated beverages, then at least cut back on the quantity. While you would love to drink a cup of coffee in the afternoon, it can have a serious effect on the night’s sleep. So, avoid caffeine in the afternoon and evening. Drinking it can cause not just lack of sleep, but also trigger hypnic jerk.
Consume caffeinated drinks can cause a delay in the timing of your body clock. So, such beverages will reduce your overall sleep time. It affects the amount of deep sleep you will enjoy. It is best to limit your caffeine intake in the morning. Avoid consuming any caffeinated beverages past midday. Staying away from triggers causing the condition is essential to minimize the risk.
Take A Warm Bath
Taking bath in warm water before you go to sleep will relax your body. It relaxes all the muscles in the body. So, it prevents any muscle twitches or contractions triggering sleep starts.
Stay Away From Electronic Device
Before going to bed, you need to stay away from electronic devices. While using electronic devices has become a part of your daily routine, restrict it at night time. Using any type of electronic devices like tablets, smartphones, laptop, or television can suppress melatonin. It is the hormone inducing sleep. With the high use of electronic devices, the human body limits melatonin production, which affects the sleeping pattern. It also puts you at risk of getting sleep starts. So, refrain from using electronic devices at night before your bedtime.
Magnesium Supplements To Manage Hypnic Jerk
You can include magnesium supplements to manage sleep starts. The remedy works as magnesium is effective in preventing muscle spasms as well as twitches. It relaxes your muscles. Sleep starts usually occurs due to muscle contractions. So, incorporating magnesium-rich foods in your daily diet will help you deal with the condition. Here are some of the food items you can add:
- Fish
- Green leafy vegetables
- Fruits (like avocados and figs)
- Nuts
If your food does not offer you enough magnesium, then you can consult the doctor. Your doctor can prescribe additional supplements to help you deal with the condition better.
Conclusion
You need to understand that a hypnic jerk is not a disease, but a natural phenomenon. While the condition itself is not a sleep disorder, it indicates the presence of an underlying sleep disorder. When you suffer from recurrent sleep starts, it takes a toll on your normal sleeping routine. So, it starts affecting your life. Not having enough sleep will affect your physical and mental health. Therefore, you can follow the steps suggested here to get rid of the nagging condition messing with your fitful sleep.
References
https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/324666#:~:text=A%20hypnic%20jerk%20is%20an,involuntary%20muscle%20movement%20called%20myoclonus.
https://www.healthline.com/health/hypnagogic-jerk
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hypnic_jerk