Sleep myoclonus causes involuntary muscle twitches during sleep or when a person falls asleep. In some cases, sleep myoclonus occurs on its own without an identifiable cause. Sleep myoclonus can also develop as a result of a sleep disorder or a neurological disorder.
Hypnic jerks are generally considered a normal part of falling asleep and do not typically require treatment. However, you may want to talk to your doctor if sleep starts are disrupting your sleep or causing anxiety.
Physiologic myoclonus involves quick muscle twitches followed by relaxation. Examples are hiccups and the jerks or “sleep starts” that some people experience while drifting off to sleep. This form occurs in healthy people, causes no difficulties, and does not require medical treatment.
Nocturnal seizures happen while a person is falling asleep or waking up. They can cause unusual nighttime behavior, such as waking for no reason, urinating while sleeping, and jerking and shaking of the body. They are linked to epilepsy. Nocturnal seizures are usually a type of seizure called a tonic-clonic seizure.
Myoclonic epilepsy causes the muscles in the body to contract. This type of seizure causes quick jerking movements. Myoclonic seizures often happen in everyday life. This includes hiccups and a sudden jerk while falling asleep.
Men twitch and jerk at random times in their sleep for the same reason as women. Whether it be sleep deprivation, stress, anxiety, or a falling dream, it is common for both to experience movement throughout the night.
Caffeine, amphetamines, antidepressants, antipsychotics, benzodiazepines, and stimulants can all increase the likelihood of experiencing hypnic jerks.
Hypnic jerks, or sleep starts, are common simple movement disorders occurring at sleep onset and consisting of one to two whole body jerks. They may be associated with a sense of falling, hypnagogic dream, or sensory flash.
Are there any other signs or symptoms of hypnic jerks? Apart from the obvious muscle twitches, you may also experience increased heartbeat, rapid breathing, sweating, clammy skin, and a falling sensation.
Fun fact: this is called a “hypnic jerk,” and it occurs in nearly 70% of the population. While this common occurrence is nothing to worry about, if you notice yourself jerking awake frequently throughout the night, every night, it could be a sign of sleep apnea.
As you transition to sleep, the alpha rhythm starts to break down, becoming disorganized, and your brain waves generally start to slow. It's at this point that you might twitch awake. Most people — an estimated 60 to 70 percent of them — have experienced hypnic jerks.
The same phenomenon is called a hypnic jerk if it occurs upon awakening. For example, you might believe that you were falling. A leg movement may incite a fragmentary dream image that you were perhaps kicking a soccer ball.
Physically, hypnic jerks resemble the "jump" experienced by a person when startled, sometimes accompanied by a falling sensation. Hypnic jerks are associated with a rapid heartbeat, quickened breathing, sweat, and sometimes "a peculiar sensory feeling of 'shock' or 'falling into the void'".
A hypnagogic jerk is an involuntary phenomenon that causes brief muscle contractions as you're falling asleep. Experts aren't sure what exactly causes these sudden jerks or jolts to happen, but they may be affected by factors like stress, anxiety, sleep deprivation, or evening caffeine intake.
Poor sleep habits, which are part of sleep hygiene, are a common cause of insufficient or low-quality sleep. Having an inconsistent sleep schedule, using electronic devices in bed, and eating too late at night are examples of habits and routines that can lead to restless sleep.
Hypnic jerks, also known as hypnagogic jerks, are involuntary muscle spasms that occur during the time a person falls asleep. There are many theories about what causes these sleep starts and they are quite common. While they do occur in all types of individuals, those with bad sleep habits become highly susceptible.
Myoclonus may occur normally (for example, jerking of a leg when a person is falling asleep), but it may result from a disorder, such as liver failure, a head injury, low blood sugar, or Parkinson disease or from use of certain drugs. Muscles may jerk quickly or slowly, and jerking may be rhythmic or not.
It can lead to a variety of health issues and drastically reduce life expectancy if not managed properly. Studies show that patients who develop sleep apnea before the age of fifty have a life expectancy between 8 and 18 years.
Although uncommon, it is possible to die during sleep from untreated obstructive sleep apnea. Observational research has found that OSA increases a person's risk of sudden death. This risk is believed to be higher in people of older age, in people with a critical illness, and in people with severe OSA.
Q: Can weight loss cure sleep apnea? A: The short answer is no. While there are several sleep apnea treatment options available, there is no cure. However, weight loss may help reduce sleep apnea symptoms for some people, but only if you have obstructive sleep apnea.
People who have sleep apnea stop breathing for 10 to 30 seconds at a time while they are sleeping. These short stops in breathing can happen up to 400 times every night.
A: For most patients, I recommend that if you're experiencing muscle twitches with no other symptoms, wait it out for few months. Usually, the twitching will stop on its own. If it doesn't stop, make an appointment to see me or another neurologist.
There are three different types of muscle spasms in MS: Flexor spasm — The limb bends up toward the body. Extensor spasm — The limb shoots out, away from the body. Adductor spasm, commonly in the legs and thighs — The limbs come in toward each other.
Myoclonus (pronounced “my-OCK-lon-us”) is the term for a quick, sharp muscle movement, which often looks like a twitch or a spasm. It can affect one muscle or groups of related muscles.