What Causes Hypnagogic Jerks?
A hypnagogic jerk is the involuntary muscle spasm some individuals experience as they fall asleep. The name refers to the period between wakefulness and sleep: the hypnagogic state. Others may call the jerks 'sleep starts' or 'hypnic jerks.' Regardless, they're spontaneous or may occur from external stimuli. Patients may experience bright lights, loud noises, hallucinations, and the feeling of falling during a hypnagogic jerk. Currently, there isn't much conclusive research on causes. But some scientists believe they know certain contributing factors. For example, lack of sleep, consuming too much caffeine, and stress can all lead to hypnagogic jerks. Depending on the cause, there are different remedies to explore.
Exercising Too Close To Bedtime
As noted, a hypnagogic jerk is an involuntary twitch that happens when the individual is almost asleep. Other symptoms can occur besides the initial shudder, including quickened breath, a racing heartbeat, sweating, and sometimes feelings of shock. The shock may feel like the individual had narrowly avoided falling off a cliff. Many theories exist to try and explain why hypnagogic jerks happen, but nobody has found a conclusive cause. Still, scientists have found a connection between hypnagogic jerks and exercise too close to bedtime. The best way to test this is to experiment with exercise routines. Patients should try working out earlier in the day and see if this improves their sleep. Another possible cause could be the brain's misunderstanding of what's going on. When the muscles relax, the brain may believe it's falling. This causes the brain to panic, sending the signal to the muscles to pay attention right now, leading to the hypnagogic jerk.
Stress Or Anxiety
Research indicates up to seventy percent of the population experiences hypnagogic jerks. Not all hypnagogic jerks startle individuals awake, though; it's possible to sleep through many of them. Other names for sleep starts include myoclonic jerks, night starts, and sleep twitches. Regardless of the name, hypnagogic jerks aren't considered serious. They rarely produce side effects or complications. Still, there are steps individuals can take to reduce them at night. Stress or anxiety can both keep the brain wide awake at night, even as the muscles start to fall asleep. If you remember, an active brain worries about relaxing muscles, and it will try to arouse them. To make matters worse, the more individuals experience these twitches, the more they tend to worry about them, which can lead to a vicious cycle left untreated. Under these circumstances, it's necessary to treat the source of stress.
Consumption Of Caffeine
Caffeine affects the central nervous system by reducing fatigue and increasing alertness. It takes twenty minutes to take effect, and then it stays in the body for at least six hours. Not only this, but caffeine also stimulates adrenaline. Put into this context, it's not hard to see how the consumption of caffeine can lead to hypnagogic jerks. For best results, individuals should stop consuming caffeine roughly eight to ten hours before bedtime. This helps ensure the caffeine is out of their system before they head to bed for the night. Alternatively, individuals can also lessen their overall consumption of caffeine. If they typically drink four cups of coffee a day, they may wish to reduce it to three and observe the effects.
Sleep Deprivation
Hypnagogic jerks can happen at random, but certain factors do make them much more likely to occur. A lack of sleep is one of the leading contributors to sleep jerks. Reports indicate up to thirty-five percent of American adults do not get at least seven hours of sleep each night. Considering many individuals need to sleep closer to eight hours for optimal health, the percentage only gets worse. Individuals who often feel tired during the day can likely count themselves as sleep deprived. The best way to remedy sleep deprivation is to get enough quality sleep. This is more than getting the right amount; it means sticking to a consistent schedule. It also means cutting back on caffeine at night. Individuals can help reset their circadian system by spending fifteen minutes out in the sun as soon as they wake up. This sends a natural message to their body that the day has begun, preventing confusion from later light.
Poor Sleep Routine Habits
Most often, hypnagogic jerks happen in stage one of sleep. As the first stage of sleep, it's the lightest one. The brain can confuse it for wakefulness, which makes it difficult to pinpoint when hypnagogic jerks happen. They can also happen later at night, but individuals are less likely to remember those. Regardless of the time they occur, they could be caused by poor sleep routine habits. As before, patients will need to stick to a consistent schedule, ensure they sleep long enough, and try to cut caffeine. Other sleep disorders can cause hypnagogic jerks, too, like obstructive sleep apnea. If these episodes occur often, patients need to speak with a doctor for evaluation. Generally speaking, however, they do not need to seek further treatment for hypnagogic jerks. Patients should only need to seek professional help if they cause complications, such as tongue biting, physical injury, or bedwetting.