Understanding Hypnic Jerks - Why does the body show jerks before falling asleep?

People sometimes get the feeling of a sudden, involuntary muscle contraction right before they are on the verge of sleeping which is known as a hypnic jerk. Hypnic jerk, also termed as hypnagogic jerks or "sleep starts" are a type of sleep myoclonus, which is a twitch of one or more muscles that is not in your control and it usually occurs right before you are about to sleep.

These are irregular jerks that occur at Stages 1 or 2 and disappear at Stage 3 of rapid eye movement sleep. In this article, we will learn all about hypnic jerks, their possible causes and preventive measures.

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What is a hypnic jerk?

These twitches can make a person insomniac. (image by freepik on freepik)

Hypnic jerks can occur in various forms ranging from simple twitches to irregular spasms that can wake a person in the middle of the night. Not only these jerks, sometimes one might also feel that they are falling, have a sensory flash that feels like an electric shock, or have terrifying dreams about falling. These symptoms are not a sign of a deeply rooted condition but can cause insomnia.

A hypnic jerk is quite a common problem and happens to almost 60-70% of the population. The elderly complain more about hypnic jerk frequency than children but it has been found that these involuntary jerks are a developmental feature of the human nervous system and can be present even in fetuses.

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Causes of hypnic jerks

These involuntary twitches can turn into serious spasms. (image by freepik on freepik)

The exact cause of hypnic jerks remains unknown but there are some factors involved that can be the reason for the occurrence of these jerks and they are:

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Extreme Tiredness

People who get overtired and are sleep-deprived usually get these involuntary jerks. Also, individuals who sleep in uncomfortable sleeping positions can trigger these uncontrollable jerks.

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Stimulants

Taking caffeine, nicotine or some specific drugs can trigger the repetition of a hypnic jerk as these stimulants can disturb your sleep-wake cycle and can ultimately cause the feeling of falling while sleeping.

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Stress

Too much levels of stress and anxiety can disturb the resting phase right before sleep. As a result, this leads to the elevation of the risk of these involuntary muscle twitches as your brain gets triggered.

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Brain Activity

When a hypnic jerk occurs, there is a specific activity inside the brain and it is called vertex sharp waves which typically worsens these involuntary muscle twitches.

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Preventive measures to avoid a hypnic jerk

(Image by vecstock on Freepik)

There is no way that we can completely eliminate hypnic jerk but there are some preventive measures that we can follow to avoid the frequency and they are:

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Avoiding Over-Tiredness

Quality sleep is important in order to avoid too much tiredness. To sleep better, one can change the surrounding environment wherever they sleep. Dim lights, quality pillows and mattresses, and quietness will help them sleep better.

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Avoid Caffeine

Less consumption of caffeine specifically in the late afternoon or in the evening is necessary as it disturbs the circadian rhythm of an individual and the relaxation time right before sleep.

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Steering clear of stimulant drugs

There are stimulating drugs available like nicotine and alcohol that an individual should avoid in order to gain quality sleep. These drugs directly affect your sleeping pattern, leading to the occurrence of involuntary twitches.

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Reducing Stress

Addressing stress and anxiety is altogether very important as it can increase the frequency of involuntary jerks.

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Take Meditations

Medications specifically to reduce stress and anxiety can be consumed. Adding some breathing exercises to your daily routine might help an individual lower the frequency of those twitches.

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It is a type of condition that can easily turn your peaceful nights into sleepless ones. So, in order to avoid that, please consult a healthcare professional, understand its root cause, and treat it accordingly.