This seems to have started 6-8 months ago. Many nights, when my wife first falls asleep she does this shudder about every 10 seconds or so. It’s fairly violent but she has no idea that she’s doing it. I have woken her up in the past to see if she’s OK because it honestly kind of scared me! But she has no idea what I’m talking about. If I don’t fall asleep first It’s kind of a nightmare laying there with this going on. I just barely start to drift off and bam there it is again! What is this and what is the remedy?
Preventing hypnic jerks
- Avoiding over-tiredness. A person can avoid excessive tiredness by getting sufficient quality sleep.
- Avoiding caffeine.
- Avoiding other stimulant drugs.
- Seek help for stress and anxiety.
- Creating a bedtime routine.
- Turning down the lights.
- Relaxing meditations.
Hypnic jerks and other types of myoclonus start in the same part of your brain that controls your startle response. When you fall asleep, it is suspected that a misfire sometimes occurs between nerves in the reticular brainstem, creating a reaction that leads to a hypnic jerk.
This is what’s going on? This body movement is what doctors and scientists call a hypnic (or hypnagogic) or myoclonic jerk. It’s also known as a “sleep start,” and it can startle you out of falling asleep. This type of feeling is normal, and it can happen before people enter the deeper stages of sleep.
Clonazepam was found to be very effective in reducing the hypnic jerks associated with SSRIs. In all the cases, the sleep-induced Electroencephalogram was normal.
Hypnic jerks and other types of myoclonus start in the same part of your brain that controls your startle response. When you fall asleep, it is suspected that a misfire sometimes occurs between nerves in the reticular brainstem, creating a reaction that leads to a hypnic jerk.
This involuntary body movement is known by doctors and scientists as a hypnic (or hypnagogic) or myoclonic jerk. It’s also referred to as a “sleep start,” and it can suddenly jolt you awake just as you’re about to fall asleep. This sensation is normal and can occur before a person enters the deeper stages of sleep.
Examples include:
- Head or spinal cord injury.
- Infection.
- Kidney or liver failure.
- Lipid storage disease.
- Chemical or drug poisoning.
- Prolonged oxygen deprivation.
- Medicine reaction.
- Autoimmune inflammatory conditions.