Why twitching in sleep

At that time, only clearly visible and pronounced movements such as turning, twitching or spasms were recorded. Funded by the Austrian Science Fund FWF, the project Motor activity during sleep in health and disease collected representative and up-to-date standard values for physiological sleep, which aroused great international attention. Since many sleep disorders become manifest in an unusual degree of motor activity, this clinical basic-research project focused on determining normal levels of movement.

The test subjects were pre-selected by a market research institute on the basis of a questionnaire interview. This was followed by a detailed interview about medical aspects of sleep at the University Clinic for Neurology in Innsbruck so as to exclude people with clinically relevant sleep disorders such as difficulty falling asleep or sleeping through the night, restless legs syndrome, sleepwalking, acting out dreams, narcolepsy or other illnesses involving an excessive tendency to fall asleep during the day, disturbances of the sleep-wake rhythm or indications of breathing disorders during sleep.

Need to make an appointment with a Piedmont physician? Save time, book online. Close X. Back to Living Better Living Better newsletter. Zip Code. Why do people twitch when falling asleep? Can sleep deprivation cause twitching when falling asleep? These muscle jerks can be mild and unnoticeable, but there are times when they are intense enough to wake you up. There are some experiences that can occur alongside these muscle twitches while sleeping.

These can include dreaming about situations of being startled, jumping, or falling, as well as rapid heartbeats and rapid breathing. In most cases, hypnic jerks are a normal part of sleep initiation. Although there is a common perception among sleep scientists and clinicians that hypnic jerks are generally benign, they can certainly be startling — especially if they happen frequently!

Hypnic jerks affect nearly everyone. But why do people twitch in their sleep? Though the exact cause and reason for these jerks or twitches are unclear, there are some explanations. One hypothesis goes back to our primate ancestors. It suggests that when they were sleeping in the trees and fell out, their muscles tensed up to brace for impact. Other stimulating drugs, such as nicotine and alcohol, may lead to restless sleep, which can result in issues with sleep deprivation or disruptive hypnic jerks.

Creating a bedtime routine may help the body relax and reduce stress. Some people drink calming teas or warm milk and read a book before bed. Others may prefer to do gentle stretches or listen to music. Researchers know that light stimulates the brain to be more alert, which means that it can help a person wake up more easily in the morning but could make sleep more difficult.

Blue light, which is the cold light from some light bulbs, televisions, computer monitors, and smartphones, tells the body that it is daytime. Turning down these lights or avoiding technology before bed will reduce the levels of blue light and may help a person relax. Some people use guided meditations or breathing exercises to help them relax.

Something as simple as taking slow, deep breaths for 5 minutes may help a person reduce their stress levels. Hypnic jerks, or sleep starts, are normal and common. Experiencing them does not mean that a person has an underlying medical condition. Certain lifestyle changes may help people reduce the number of hypnic jerks that they experience.

Anyone who is experiencing hypnic jerks regularly and is concerned about their overall health or sleep quality should talk to a doctor.

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