Have you ever woken up with a sudden jolt just as you were falling asleep? Maybe it felt like one of your arms or legs had an involuntary spasm?
Perhaps you’ve woken with the feeling of falling, saw a flash of light or heard an unexpected noise. If this sounds familiar, it could be that that you’ve experienced hypnic jerks.
In most cases, a hypnic jerk or two is thought to be a harmless part of the process of transitioning from being awake to asleep. However, if you’re concerned by the severity or how much they disrupt your sleep, or if you have spasms during the daytime, it’s a good idea to consult your doctor.
In this article, I’ll be talking about my experience of hypnic jerks, and how I cope with my partner’s episodes. After that, I’ll cover some background information and coping strategies.
Contents
My experience of hypnic jerks
My own experience of hypnic jerks is that they are usually quite mild and only happen once or twice a week – as far as I’m aware. Just one or two small twitches of a hand or arm seems to be the norm on the nights I have them. After that, I typically fall asleep quite quickly, and if I do have any more, I don’t remember them.
A few times a year, I experience a much bigger jolt that feels like one side of my whole upper body spasms or jumps in bed. I’ve noticed that these tend to happen when I’m particularly tired, such as when travelling or if I’ve hit the gym especially hard that day. Again though, I usually fall asleep fairly soon after one of these more dramatic episodes and they don’t cause me any distress.
Living with someone who has more frequent hypnic jerks
My partner, who kindly agreed for me to talk about her in this article, has multiple hypnic jerks every night without fail. As a bit of a light sleeper myself, her twitching has a tendency to keep me awake until it finally subsides, especially because they are sometimes very pronounced.
Interestingly, like my own hypnic jerks, I only notice her hands and arms making any movements. Even when we have our feet touching, they never seem to twitch. It’s always her upper body.
They also seem to follow a pattern. There may be two to five small movements or twitches over the course of a minute or two, and then one big one. If we are holding hands at the time, it sometimes feels like an intermittent pulsing of her hand, followed by either a tighter squeeze of my hand as her fingers contract or a sudden movement of her whole hand or arm to one side.
They rarely seem to wake her up on their own, but sometimes they cause me to move in bed, which then wakes her up. If she does stir and I jokingly tell her she just had an epic twitch, her usual reply is ‘oh really? I must be falling asleep!’
Her hypnic jerks are nightly, and can go on for several minutes after we turn the light out. They are so predictable, that I’ve learned to accept that it’s likely I won’t fall asleep myself unless I sleep on the other side of the bed with no physical contact or I wait until she’s fallen asleep if our bodies are touching. And if she wakes up to go the bathroom in the middle of the night, and I’m awake too, the hypnic jerks often start all over again.
How I cope with our combined hypnic jerks
For me, the main thing is to always keep in mind that they are likely to be normal and nothing to worry about in both our cases. Fortunately, they don’t last long, so I don’t lie in bed worrying about my occasional twitches.
I harbor no resentment towards my partner just because her hypnic jerks keep me awake for a few minutes. It’s quite likely it would take me that long to relax and fall asleep anyway, with or without her spasms.
Finally, one of the key points I try to remember is that they can be seen as a sign that sleep is probably just around the corner. Even if I have a more dramatic jolt, I just smile to myself and look forward to the next phase – sleep.
As you’ll see in the following sections, there are some lifestyle factors that may be involved in hypnic jerks. For me personally, they are all things I try to do anyway, not specifically for the hypnic jerks. But I do feel that stress is an important one for both of us to keep an eye on, as the hypnic jerks anecdotally seem worse during periods of higher stress.
Background information & research
As someone who has had hypnic jerks for as long as I can remember, and more recently am living with a partner who has them nightly, it’s interesting to see what the current scientific thinking is around hypnic jerks. Let’s take a look.
Different names
First of all, if you look up hypnic jerks online, it’s worth bearing in mind that they are sometimes referred to by different names:
- Sleep starts.
- Night starts.
- Sleep jerks.
- Hypnagogic jerk.
- Myoclonic jerks. A myoclonus is an involuntary muscle twitch, with hiccups being another harmless example.
What are hypnic jerks?
Hypnic jerks are the sudden, involuntary twitching of one or more muscles when you’re falling asleep. The International Classification of Sleep Disorders manual describes them as follows:
Sleep starts, also known as hypnic jerks, are sudden, brief, simultaneous contractions of the body or one or more body segments occurring at sleep onset. Sleep starts (or hypnic jerks) usually consist of a single contraction that often affects the body asymmetrically. The jerks may be either spontaneous or induced by stimuli.
International Classification of Sleep Disorders – 3rd Edition
The fact that they often occur asymmetrically explains why it might feel that just one arm or leg jolts. Furthermore, they can occur independently or in response to external stimuli in the bedroom, such as your partner moving or external noise.
The Mdsmanuals.com website explains a key difference between physiologic myoclonus and pathologic myoclonus. It states that physiologic myoclonus can occur when a person is falling asleep or during early sleep phases, whereas pathologic myoclonus can result from different disorders and medications.
In a review paper in 2012, Dora Lozsadi neatly explained this difference as follows:
Myoclonus is a brief (less than half a second) contraction involving agonist and antagonist muscles, leading to a sudden jerk. It may be a normal phenomenon, as in the so-called ‘sleep starts’. When pathological, myoclonus is a symptom of a broad range of neurological and systemic diseases.
Dora Lozsadi
Symptoms
The most common symptom is the sudden twitching, spasm or jolting sensation of one or more limbs. Some people might have other experiences, such as:
- The feeling of falling.
- A shock sensation.
- Hearing a sudden noise.
- Seeing a flash or unusual light.
- Hallucinations.
In addition, researchers have noted that it’s possible to have a physiological response, such as a faster heartbeat, increased breathing rate or sweating.
If you do have symptoms that feel more severe than simply twitching, it’s a good idea to consult your doctor about your experience.
How common are hypnic jerks?
If you have hypnic jerks, then rest assured you’re not the only one whose wayward limbs seem to have a mind of their own at bedtime. In a study in 2016, Italian researchers suggested that between 60% and 70% of people experience hypnic jerks, both men and women and people of all ages.
What causes hypnic jerks?
As is often the case in the complex world of sleep, the exact cause still isn’t completely understood. The International Classification of Sleep Disorders manual offers this technical explanation:
Hypnic jerks are hypothetically caused by sudden descending volleys originating in the brainstem reticular formation activated by the system instability at the transition between wake and sleep.
Or in layman’s terms, your brain and body are briefly a little bit out of sync as you relax and go from being awake to being asleep.
Factors that may increase the frequency and severity of hypnic jerks
Although the exact cause is still up for debate, researchers have suggested several factors (such as this 2015 paper and this 2023 paper ) that might increase the severity or likelihood of hypnic jerks happening, such as:
- The use of caffeine or other stimulants. Medline.com has more information on the side effects of caffeine.
- Anxiety or stress.
- Fatigue, such as from intense physical work or exercise.
- Sleep deprivation.
- Certain medications.
Is it caused by another condition?
A review of hypnic jerks literature by researchers at the University of Alabama raised an important point. They proposed that hypnic jerks are often seen as benign, but could in some cases be a ‘characteristic of certain illness’.
They also suggest that hypnic jerks are more prevalent in chronic health conditions that disrupt sleep and could also be ‘mimicked by other movement disorders’.
Some of the differential diagnoses they say should be identified include:
- Nocturnal seizures.
- Nonepileptic seizures.
- Parasomnias.
- Hyperekplexia.
- Restless legs syndrome.
- Periodic limb movements in sleep.
- Excessive fragmentary myoclonus.
- Psychiatric diagnosis.
In addition, the Italian researchers in the 2016 study (see above) found that hypnic jerks are common in people with Parkinsonism. The Alabama team also suggested it could be helpful in diagnosing the condition.
Finally, don’t confuse sudden wakings from hypnic jerks with sleep apnea. If you, or someone you know, wakes suddenly gasping for breath or with loud snoring, this should be discussed with a doctor.
I don’t want to cause panic with the above information, but I think it’s good to be aware that ‘usually’ benign doesn’t mean ‘always benign for everyone’. Again, if you’re concerned about your own experience of hypnic jerks, it’s okay to raise it with your doctor, even if you think it’s likely to be normal. Peace of mind is valuable!
Reader survey results
Way back in 2014, I conducted a short survey for readers to share their experience of sleep starts. The results are of course biased because the people who voted were already searching for information about the topic. With thousands of people participating though, I think the results are still interesting.
1. Frequency
In the graphic below, you can see how often voters experienced hypnic jerks. It’s interesting to note that many readers had them on a daily basis. The largest percentage of 42.2% say they have them occasionally though.
2. How they affect your sleep
Here you can see that many people were able to sleep well after an episode. 43.9% of people say it disrupts their sleep at first, but then they sleep okay.
3. The role of stress and anxiety
The final poll shows how people feel about the impact of stress or anxiety. 50.8% thought anxiety or stress ‘definitely’ makes their hypnic jerks worse. It could be that tackling stress or anxiety in your life is a good idea if it’s relevant to you.
Managing hypnic jerks
Do you need to see a doctor?
While sleep experts often suggest that hypnic jerks are benign in most cases, they do recognise that they can have a negative impact on some people’s sleep and well-being.
If your hypnic jerks aren’t severe and you don’t have any other symptoms or health concerns that are worrying you, then try to relax and allow yourself to fall asleep naturally when they occur.
However, if you have them regularly and/or severely, or have other symptoms, you might want to raise it with your doctor. If they think it’s a sign of another disorder, they might ask you to do a sleep study or further tests.
They might also offer to prescribe medication to reduce the frequency. And importantly, they can offer reassurance if that’s the appropriate course of action and give you advice about healthy sleep habits that might be beneficial in your case.
Finally, despite what I’ve said, trust your instincts. If you just ‘have the feeling’ you’d like to speak to your doctor about it, then do so.
How can you stop hypnic jerks?
It might not be possible to totally stop hypnic jerks from happening. Accepting them as normal and harmless is perhaps your best option if they aren’t severe.
Additionally, the following self-help ideas might be worth considering:
- Cut down on caffeine, nicotine and other stimulants – especially in the evening.
- Reduce how much intense work or exercise you do in the evening. Do exercise in the morning or afternoon instead.
- Eat a balanced, healthy diet.
- Use a comfortable mattress and bedding.
- Sleep in a comfortable position.
- If you suffer from anxiety or stress, do some relaxation exercises in bed. One simple breathing exercise is to inhale for a count of 4, hold for 4, then exhale for a count of 4.
- Try not to allow yourself to get too tired. You may understandably have a busy and tiring lifestyle. But it’s important to give yourself enough time to sleep well.
Avoid the vicious cycle of worry
Hypnic jerks may trigger a vicious cycle of worry if you become fixated on them.
If you worry about hypnic jerks, you might start to get less sleep and become more fatigued. The problem then is that if stress and fatigue can contribute to the frequency of hypnic jerks, you might find yourself in a vicious cycle.
The key is not to allow the occasional sleep start to disrupt your sleep any more than it has to. Again, try to relax, forget about it and go back to sleep.
Readers’ tips for coping with hypnic jerks
In the comments below, many readers have offered suggestions for reducing their hypnic jerks. So I’ve compiled a list of the most common and interesting ideas.
These ideas don’t all have medical backing and are anecdotal. Please take them with a pinch of salt. But you might find the ideas useful if nothing else has helped.
- Try to see the funny side (I do this myself).
- Magnesium supplements have been helpful for some readers, as has rubbing magnesium oils or transdermal magnesium into the area where you most commonly twitch. One suggestion was to get a blood test to check if you have a deficiency. Disclaimer: please discuss supplementation with your doctor as there is no conclusive evidence that magnesium helps with hypnic jerks.
- Assess your current diet. Make sure it’s healthy and balanced. Eat less processed sugary and salty foods. Eat plenty of fresh fruit and vegetables.
- If you follow a special diet, such as being vegan, pay particular attention to your vitamin and mineral intake, such as the B vitamins. Ensure your diet includes the right quantity, and preferably get your B vitamins through food rather than supplements if possible.
- Don’t drink alcohol, coffee or energy drinks for a week and see if it improves.
- Don’t stress about it, as worrying makes it worse.
- Try to properly deal with any major source of stress in your life.
- If you suffer from anxiety, take steps to tackle this in your daily life.
- Stop doing very intense exercise late in the evening for a week and see if it improves.
- Try to see them as a sign that you must be falling asleep. So it’s a positive thing as you know you’ll soon be asleep.
- Ask your doctor if any medication you currently take could contribute to your hypnic jerks.
- Check if medication you’re taking has a known side effect of myoclonus. If it does, raise it with your doctor.
- Experiment with different sleep positions if you sometimes feel uncomfortable in bed.
- Don’t go to bed very late at night.
- Film yourself sleeping or use a sleep tracker. One reader said he discovered through doing this that he was snoring, and that the hypnic jerks occurred while he was snoring heavily.
- Some female readers feel that it can be connected to hormonal changes.
- Ask for a referral to a sleep clinic if it’s particularly troubling.
- Ensure you have a quiet sleeping environment. It could be a sudden noise which startles you awake.
- Stay hydrated.
- If you’re being bothered by them repeatedly, get up and do something relaxing for 10-20 minutes, then try to sleep again.
- Have a warm shower before bed. Then do relaxation exercises before getting into bed or while in bed.
- If you do exercise, it could be excess lactic acid contributing to hypnic jerks. So try looking into ways to reduce the lactic acid.
Your views
It’s always interesting to hear your experiences, and I know many readers have benefited from reading the stories and advice of others.
So please keep your comments, tips and theories coming. And if you have any practical ideas for dealing with hypnic jerks, I’ll continue to add them to the list.
hi. I have experienced these jerks for many years. A bit annoying but no real problem, and they don’t frighten me. Recent years I have been on selective serotonin re uptake inhibitors. Number of jerks increased hugely at first. But still not worried having chatted with my GP about it. Now have settled down to pretty much baseline level. So I’m fine with that.
Thanks for all this information. I was loathed to look on the internet for answers (after previous scary self-diagnosis !) but after a very restless night of continually jerking awake until 3.30am I gave in ! I am not on any medication at all and mine started alongside having gallbladder problems (which I have now had removed). I also get the feeling that my body in on over-drive which is hard to describe and feels like a mechanism whirring away too fast with too much adrenaline or something. Can still feel the after affects even now I am awake. At first I worried that it was something bad and was going to have a heart attack etc which led to panic attacks but have managed to keep myself a bit calmer about it. I definitely feel that they are worse around ovulation time and if I have over eaten that day. I am also wondering if the combined problems could be linked to a sensitive stomach or allergic reaction or food intolerance ? I am definitely going to try the magnesium to see if that helps.
Hi Kathryn,
Thanks for your comment, and I’m glad you found the article helpful. Self-diagnosis is obviously fraught with potential problems, which is why I regularly advise people to speak to their doctor! And so on that note, I think a doctor is also probably the best person to advise you about whether your stomach problems could be linked to the hypnic jerks.
Good luck with the magnesium. It seems to have helped many readers, so you might have some luck with that.
Regards
Ethan
I’ve started getting the hypnic jerk tonight. Ive recently been cutting down on my anxiety medicine so I can hopefully taper off of it. I was on 20mg of Citalopram and had started taking them every other night around three weeks ago. A couple nights ago I cut down my dosage further to 10mg every other night and tonight the hypnic jerks have started. I tried going off of this medicine last year and this same thing happened. I started to even get the hypnic jerk during the day when I was awake; it was as if I would just suddenly stop breathing for no reason. Could it just be a side-effect of going off of my anxiety medicine? It’s super frustrating! I really would like to be off of this medication, but these side effects are hard to deal with! I also suffer from asthma, so these hypnic jerks making me feel like I stop breathing suddenly freaks me out even more. If you have any suggestions I would appreciate it! I’ve been on anxiety medication for over two years now, and I am so ready to be off of it!
Hi Jessica,
Thank for your comment, and sorry to hear you’ve been having a difficult time coming off the meds. But well done for going through with it. I think the best thing is to talk to your doctor about this. Assuming they’re helping you with tapering off, they would probably want to know this is happening to you during this period of time.
All the best
Ethan
Hi. This has been fascinating to read. I hadn’t realized that this was such a common problem, to be honest. I’m a 51 year old guy and have always been something of a ‘night owl’, so that means I’m also something of an insomniac. No matter how much I want or need to go directly to sleep, it usually takes 1 to 2 hours before I actually drop off.
In regards to the jerks that occur as I’m staying to fall asleep, those were fairly rare and never a real issue, until I was diagnosed with polyneuropathy and put on Gabapentin, in 2010. Since then, having some part of my body violently jerk as I’m starting to fall asleep has become almost a nightly event. The same is true for the symptom that prompted my web search into this subject… The brain pulse that feels like my brain ‘short-circuited’, complete with the sensation of a loud ‘zap’ sound. When that occurs, whatever I was thinking about at that moment is completely blanked out and it takes me a few minutes to remember what I was thinking about. My brain has the unfortunate tendency to wake up when my head hits the pillow, which is part of the reason why I have trouble going to sleep to begin with. So, I fantasize or think about things to help me to help me nod off (no, not those kind of fantasies, you pervs). Maybe that confuses my brain… I’m thinking about something and falling asleep, so the brain ‘jumps’ and startles me back to wakefulness.
Anyway, as I said, this has become very common place since I started taking gabapentin from my neuropathy pain. So, my question becomes, “Did gabapentin cause my Myoclonus-like symptoms or simply exacerbate an existing condition?! Given that I’ve been an unemployed Electronics Engineer for the better part of two years and have other stresses on top of that, stress/ anxiety could definitely be a major contributor. Having a foot, leg, or arm suddenly jerk is one thing, but when your torso or back does it… That’s just as disconcerting as the brain ‘jumps’.
Hi Scott,
Thanks for your comment. I don’t know the answer to your question to be honest. But I think the fact that the spasms started around the time you started on the meds warrants a conversation with your doctor about it, just to make sure eveything is ok and that you’re not reacting badly to the meds.
Also, in terms of the stress and anxiety problem at night, I highly recommend taking a look at the article I wrote about mindfulness techniques. You might find it helps you keep your brain a little quieter.
Regards
Ethan
I have had relentless hypnic jerking/spasms every single night since April. I remember visiting this website many times over searching for clues as to why I was getting them. Since I did not find my answer here, I thought I would revisit in case my story gives even just one person an idea of what is causing theirs. My story starts with a prescription of Clonazepam. My first prescription came last September when my daughter was 2 months old. I had a bad spell when both of my daughters were both very sick and I was sucking boogers around the clock for a week. I took the Clonazepam (along with Trazedone, alternating days) for about 6 weeks and stopped. My normal sleep returned. Then, on February 16th, I went back to my doctor looking for help again as I was now having some minor issues dealing with my husband snoring, a baby that was still waking up at night, and my parents who had temporarily moved in and were staying up late and making noise. All of my 34 years I was a good sleeper, getting 8-10 hours of solid sleep most nights. Now that I was getting only 6-7 hours each night caused a little concern because I was always told that 8 hours was beneficial for health. Never would have I guessed that getting a prescription sleep aid was going to be the worst decision of my life. I took the new pills as needed (alternating with Trazedone again), which ended up being nearly every single night due to noise. Stupid me. And stupid doctor for not warning me of the possible side effects. I first noticed something was wrong when a month passed and suddenly I was sleeping less, even on nights that I took something. Then, within a week of this happening, I suddenly became hypersensitive to noise. I started sleeping in a separate bedroom; yet, I was startled by even the slightest little creak in the house. I went my first night with zero sleep. I was exhausted and didn’t know what to do other than see my doctor again. She told that I had postpartum anxiety. What? How could that be? My daughter was already 8 month old and I was very happy and loving motherhood. I had never had anxiety in my life. It just didn’t make sense. But I listened to her and followed her advise when she told me to try Doxi-Pen (another sleeping pill). I went home, stopped the Clonazepam and Trazedone, and took the new med every night for 4 nights. By the 3rd night, my anxious sleep turned into full blown jerks and jolts that would wake me every single time I dozed off. Back to the doctor again after the 4th night off Clonazepam (not knowing what I was experiencing was withdrawals) and I was told that I had sleep myoclonus which according to my doctor was likely the result of a lack of sleep. Of course I believed that because my sleep was getting worse and worse. Guess what though? Her only treatment for it was more clonazepam. She said I would be good as new after getting a week’s worth of rest. A week passed and I had slept great. I was now taking .5mg a night. Suddenly after that first week, I noticed the twitching was back and I was needing more clonazepam to sleep. Something was not right so I went back to the doctor. Now I was led to believe I had a possible neurological disorder among other things. I had several blood tests, an EEG, EKG, MRI and echocardiogram. Everything was normal. My sanity was slipping and I was severely depressed. Each night allowed me about 4 hours of sleep if I was lucky. The twitching was relentless. After several doctor visits, including a visit to the ER and 2 sessions with a naturopathic, I decided to take my health in my own hands. Could the Clonazepam be doing this?? I scoured the internet searching for clues and came across benzobuddies.org. OMG, my answer was staring at me through the stories of countless benzo users who had suffered the same thing. You see, I began getting symptoms when my body was no longer responding to the dose of meds, and also because I was skipping nights (inter-dose withdrawals). The nights I had skipped clonazepam and took Trazedone, I slept the worst (I started a sleep diary on March 8th, so I know). Then, when I went off of it completely for those 4 days, the twitching started. That was the day that I started tapering myself off of 1mg of clonazepam, each night. It took me 2 long months to get down to .125mg of clonazepam, suffering terribly after each dosage reduction. I am now 11 days off of clonazepam. Two nights ago was really rough. I did not sleep for even a minute. I’ve had to dope myself with a lesser evil (Seroquel) just to snag a few hours of sleep on the other nights. I have had many other symptoms through my withdrawal which I won’t discuss since this is a thread on hypnotic jerking. And you know what’s funny? My doctor didn’t seem convinced when I told her that Clonazepam was doing this to me. Doctors do not understand how awful these drugs can be. Sure, they have their place for those who desperately need them, but they are overprescribed and patients do not get the counseling that they need BEFORE taking them. I should have been warned. But, here I am, warning all of you since most doctors won’t. And also beware that other medications are known to do this, including antibiotics (rarely).
I want to add one more thing so that people will understand why this happens during drug withdrawals. Benzo drugs work on your GABA receptors. GABA is the calming neurotransmitter (without it, we would be unable to sleep, among other things). It also has an indirect effect on other receptors (dopamine and serotonin included). When you take away the drug, all hell breaks loose because your transmitters are confused and misfiring. Brains are a delicate thing, and shouldn’t be messed with, in my opinion. It takes time for them to find their equilibrium again, so I will not be surprised if I continue to twitch for several more weeks. If you have never taken a drug and are having these symptoms, it still might be useful for you to understand this as you could be experiencing anxiety and that is what’s causing the twitching. How do you fix the anxiety? Not with drugs! Your Gaba receptors are already out of whack, you don’t want to screw with them more! It will only make it worse in the long-run. You will probably need to look into Cognitive Behavioral Therapy or something along those lines. Good diet, exercise, and meditation… not medication (that’s my two cents).
Hi Jessica,
Thanks for your comment and for taking the time to explain your story in such detail. I’m sorry to hear you underwent such a horrible time, it must have been very stressful and difficult or you. You’re right in that medication can cause all kinds of physical problems, spasms included. However, that doesn’t mean it’s an explanation for hypnic jerks. Hypnic jerks are not the same as the spasms which can occur due to benzo withdrawal for example.
That said, it’s still useful for readers who are also confused about why they might be experiencing the symptoms that they are. Perhaps there are other people out there who have a similar story. And as you say, if it just helps one person, it’s useful.
I do agree that self-help and natural techniques as described by good sleep hygiene are preferable to medication for sleep problems most of the time. And if that doesn’t help, then perhaps consider taking sleeping pills. For many people though, sleeping pills are very effective in the short-term and they don’t have the same problems as you did.
Anyway, I hope you continue to recover, and manage to get your sleep pattern back to normal, and naturally.
Regards
Ethan
By this logic one would never take a drug of any kind having to do with the brain or frankly any other part of the body. Some drugs IE Klonopin are life savers.
Hi Jessica, I agree with you that drugs can sometimes worsen the hypnic jerks in some people. I’ve come across several comments from people who are dealing with that issue as I’ve been researching about hypnic jerks. I’m currently not on any medication but have been unable to find a natural solution for mine so far (I’ve tried magnesium and calcium supplements, various night teas, meditation, etc). I’d rather not take medication because I’m afraid of becoming dependent on something or just causing the problem to become worse in the long run. I’ve had mine every night for the last 2.5 months and it’s getting increasingly difficult to maintain a full-time job. Sometimes I go in to work on no sleep at all. Just curious, you said you had been off the clonazepam for 11 days in your post – have the jerks gotten any better since then?
I was hit by serious hypnic jerks about two years ago and after that I couldn’t sleep for four-five days. (I had a very long and tough workout session the day before the jerks started) I was rushed to a hospital due to my serious case and the doctor prescribed me diazepams. He told me that my “supplements” including l-Glutamine and Whey protein were the causes of my sleep disorders.
But his medication didn’t work that well. I would sleep for a few hours during nights but only after experiencing two hours of serious hypnic jerks, sometimes I felt like kicking something hard with my legs and waking up with a heart race.
I then changed my doctor and visited a psychologist. He checked my background and prescribed me “Citalopram” and “Clonazepam”. His medication started to work from day 1. I would easily fall asleep about one hour after taking Clonazepam during the night.
I used Clonazepam for almost 9 months, taking one 1mg pill each night. Then I started lowering the dosage gradually until I could finally fall asleep without them.
I was OK for 6 months but again I have started experiencing these jerks from last week when I hit the gym for my first bodybuilding session (after one year).
I can now easily relate these jerks to Bodybuilding and heavy workouts. I don’t use any supplements and am totally clean.
I would really like to know why a weight lifting session causes such a bad sleep disruption.
(I am again taking clonazepams every other night) :(
Hi Ham,
Thanks for your comment and for sharing your story. It’s very interesting to read about what you’ve been through, and the relation between body-building and hypnic jerks.
Interestingly, I also do a lot of exercise and weight-training. I also use whey protein, but don’t get hypnic jerks very often. What I have found though is that if I over-train, train too late in the day (post 6 pm) or do one extremely heavy session one day, it can cause me sleep problems. I often find I’m exhausted and fall asleep quickly, but then wake up far too early, or wake up several times in the night. So personally, I try to keep my training early in the day, and not go crazy with it.
Back to you, and the honest truth is I don’t know why you’re having that reaction. Perhaps you could experiment and try doing some light training, early in the day, and then slowly build up over the weeks. If you find that it’s ok with lighter sessions, but not with heavier, then you’ll begin to have an idea about what your body is happy with or not.
I also do wonder whether there’s a vitamin or mineral problem there. Perhaps you’re depleting your body’s stocks of something. Maybe you could talk to a nutrition expert and see if they have an idea?
Regards
Ethan
Can you have this and often not be aware of it? My hubby says I frequently sound as if I’m panicking in my sleep and it keeps him awake. Most of the time I have no memory of it.
Hi Sue
I think it is possible to have it and not be aware. But what does he mean by panicking in your sleep?
Regards
Ethan
As I am falling asleep sometimes I am reading a book or playing on my tablet and my eyes will suddenly shut and suddenly I jerk back awake about to drop what is in my hands is this hypnic jerk?
Hi Beth
I think that’s very probably hypnic jerks, yes. Or perhaps you relax your muscles and drop your book or tablet, which then startles you awake.
Regards
Ethan
Hello All!
I read all the comments as well as the article. While I am relieved to know its not an issue in itself I’ve experience these for along time even as a child. I agree it has a lot to do with anxiety and depression and insomnia but would like feedback (from you Ethan or anyone else willing) about sleeping and insomnia in general. I have been attending out patient groups learning about and practicing meditation, mindfulness, relaxation techniques; I take antidepressants and am currently pretty emotionally stable overall but still have major sleep issues. I don’t worry about the jerking awake it feels like falling to me, much like in the opening of your article, but once awake I’m ok and soon fall asleep again, when I can sleep. My issue is when I can’t sleep at all. Lately I have been happy to get even 3 hours a night. I recently stayed awake 5 days and 4 nights in a row and only slept 3 hours since. I do find the jerking is exacerbated at times like this and when suffering panic attacks as a previous writer described but often then I just don’t sleep at all. People don’t believe me that I stay awake so long as I live alone and am much of a shut in due to social anxiety, they never see me like others who have a wife or husband tell them later. I’ve tried everything but the magnesium this is first I’ve heard of it and am anxious to try it. I find this information comforting but still worry about staying up for days on end I know its not healthy. I don’t stay up longer that 5 days (yet) but thats enough to make me hallucinate, slur my speak and walk like a drunk when I don’t drink. I don’t spend my time worrying about it (or I’m not aware if I do) I’m just thankful to get any sleep when I get it. My doctor won’t prescribe benzos or sleepers which I find extremely frustrating while watching paid advertisements because it’s so late nothing else is on. I’m glad I found your article, I enjoyed reading it and found comfort in it and in relating with the others but none of them said they stayed up like me. I look forward to your feedback and hopefully a few hours sleep!
Hi there
Thanks for your comment, and I’m glad you found the article comforting. I’m sorry to hear you’ve been having such a terrible time with insomnia. That sounds like quite severe insomnia to me, and must be quite debilitating after a few days of not sleeping. What advice did your doctor give you when saying they wouldn’t prescribe anything? Presumably they had some other ideas for you?
I think that if you can’t get medical help (you could always ask for a second opinion with a different doctor) then it’s up to you to try some of the many self-help options out there. It generally falls under the umbrella terms of sleep hygiene and I have a large section about it here. My advice would be to spend time going through all the different sections, and trying to piece as many together as you possibly can. Hopefully if you can dedicate some time and effort into addressing any areas of your life which might be contributing to the insomnia, it might ease in time.
Perhaps the magnesium will also be helpful. Let me know if it has a positive effect on your sleep and hypnic jerks.
All the best
Ethan
Sorry you can’t sleep and you are not alone. I just read yet another article on the “Yahoo” site about Trazadone which is an antidepressant with sleep as a common side effect. Many doctors prescribe it for insomnia since it’s been around for a long time and is relatively cheap. It’s also not as addicting as benzos or Ambient. I’ve taken it myself in the past but found it to work temporarily, then sporadically, as do some other people. But some people say that Trazadone works great for years, some people claim that without medications, they would be like you, not sleep at all. I’ve seen this same comment made on the reviews for benzos and sleeping pills as well. So if it makes you feel any better, you are not alone. You might want to try seeing a holistic type of doctor or nurse practitioner for help.
Unfortunately my doctor didn’t have much advise except to try adjusting the time and amount of my antidepressants. I am seeing another doctor next week and hope to find better understanding, support and advise. I will review the information you recommended and keep you updated about my progress with the magnesium. Thanks for listening and providing this information. Its all to often that doctors don’t provide feedback about this kind of stuff which just makes all our conditions worse! Having some support such as this is very helpful and in case your wondering; no sleep last night either.
First of all thank you Sylvia for taking the time to respond to the previous comment.
I’m glad to hear you’re still communicating with a doctor about your sleep problems. Let’s hope you can find some help which works for you. I’m glad you found the website supportive. I’m sure if doctors had the time to spend more time with patients, they would do. But unfortunately in many countries they are under so much pressure, it’s a struggle for them to see everyone who needs their help. That’s why I think it’s good to seek help in different areas, and as Sylvia puts it, to seek a holistic approach. Something which often involved a little creativity and time spent researching where else you can find support and advice. There’s plenty of it out there, you just have to look around a bit and see what you can find.
Please do keep me updated – it’s always good to know that readers have managed to find solutions to their sleep problems.
All the best
Ethan
Thank you both for your posts. I have tried trazadone and experienced terrible side effects so was unable to continue. I tried a few antidepressants which work that way but more often than not the results are bad side effects. I am seeing a specialist and going for a sleep evaluation so I’m hoping to learn something through that. I’m just trying to stay positive.
As for the sleep jerks, they do worsen when sleep deprived. I had terrible ones the first few times I fell asleep once awake 5 days. For me I know for sure sleep deprivation and body exhaustion are major contributors.
Thanks again for your comments and support.
Hi again
You’re very welcome. Let’s hope the sleep specialist can provide some solutions which work for you. If you have a moment in the future, please do pop back and let us know how it went. It’s always good to know that readers found help.
Regards
Ethan
I thought it happens when your heart rate goes really low (like when your extra tired) and it’s actually your bodies natural remedy to bring it back to “life”. if your heart rate gets too low it stops.
Hi Jonny
I don’t think this is the case, though I can understand why you might think that. Was that your idea, or did you read something somewhere which made you think that was what’s happening?
Regards
Ethan
Hi,
I get Hypnic jerks every night before falling asleep. I also get them during the day at any time as I am so fatigued.
My problem is that any slight noise during my hours of sleep will cause a Hypnic jerk and I awake. The slightest sound, the fridge starting (downstairs in the kitchen), a pipe clicking (under the floorboards), a floorboard just flexing with a change in temperature is enough. And I have had enough, I feel like smashing the house down with a sledge hammer. A couple of nights ago I tied (securely) a clock with a loud tick above my head to try and distract any other noise from penetrating but that did not work. I seem to be tuned in to the noises and I awoke 5 or 6 times in the night. Not good. When I get the jerks while asleep they are quite powerful, and the back of my neck appears to whoosh! Any ideas other than sending for the men in white coats?
Hi John
Thanks for your comment and I’m sorry to hear you’ve been having such trouble sleeping. Have you spoken to a doctor about the jerks you get during the day? It might be a good idea to get that checked out to see if it’s something else causing it.
I also think that a better strategy for dealing with noise might help. I don’t think a clock is going to help a lot. I would personally use earplugs or even a white noise machine.
Regards
Ethan
Ethan
I used to get so bad I wouldn’t fall asleep til 2 or 3am just from sheer exhaustion then only to go through it again next night. the only thing that stops it is xanax I got from the doctor. also if I watch tv ill doze off fine but as soon as I wake up and turn it off bamm hits me. I have come to the conclusion it is all stress weather its things that happen to you or body stress. My mind wont shut down when my body wants to.
Hi Doug
I think you’re right in that stress can play a huge role in the frequency and intensity of hypnic jerks people experience. You don’t get them any more though, or just to a lesser extent with the Xanax?
Regards
Ethan
I can tell when I am going to have them so I take them when needed. relaxes me and stops it.
Ah ok, I understand. It’s often better to use medication on a per-need basis. Does your doctor suggest that as a way to use them?
It is Central Nervous system related. Xanax ER or XR stopped mine almost completed but the extended release I could feel the whole next day and frankly I got suicidal. Be careful with Xanax. Klonpin is much safer if it works. Less or no handover for me. If you have them at on-set of sleep eventually you will have them in early mornings. Alcohol makes mine 100 times worse or even cause them. I am still not sure. Even one drink.
I believe I am experiencing these hypnic jerks. The other day my kids told me while I slept I kept kinda shaking in my sleep. I asked what it looked like and my 8 year old got on the couch and started to do these little jolt like movements. I must admit it does scare me.
Once asleep I usually don’t wake back up from them even if they are occurring. However falling asleep to start is really hard. Most nights I can lay awake tossing and turning till 3-4am. Waking up at 7-8am. I know stress and fatigue are part of it. But when I wake from them my heart races and if I test my BP its usually around 148/88. Which is high for me. My fear is that long term exposer will cause heart problems. I have had echo done and gel scan of my veins sorry can’t think of the name. All came out clean. But when its real bad the night before the next day I get chest pain and pulsing headaches all day. I feel like I can pass out at any moment. Again I know its more likely to be stress and or anxiety but its hard to overcome when they physical pains are present and its not normal.
Hi Shane
Thanks for your comment. Sorry to hear you’ve been having this level of physical problems and it’s taking it’s toll on you. You might be right in that stress and/or anxiety is playing a role. Despite being associated with problems in the head, they can have a whole range of unpleasant physical symptoms too. Add to that fatigue, and it’s no wonder that you’re having some difficulties.
Did you ever speak to the doctor about the possibility of wearing a 24 hour heart monitor? Sometimes they can offer this, which will collect a better picture of what’s going on rather than a one off scan and ultrasound (the gel thing probably).
I think that if you recognize that stress is a big factor in your life, then it’s important you take some action about that. My personal favorite self-help route for example is mindfulness. You might also find some mindfulness exercises in this article which you can do in the night when you wake up feeling anxious. Otherwise, do some research online and see if you can find something which appeals to you as a way of dealing with the stress and anxiety.
Regards
Ethan
Thanks for this! It got me a bit less worried. I have epilepsy so this is kind of freaking me out. I’m going to bring it up with my doctor just in case because this almost never happened to me and now suddenly it’s been happening a lot.
Hi Samantha
Thanks for your comment, and I can understand why it would worry you in the context of having epilepsy. I think it’s probably a good idea to talk to your doctor about it, especially if it’s only just started recently, just to be on the safe side.
Regards
Ethan
I had this several years now right before I fall into deep sleep I jolt awake. It was so bad night after night it would keep me up for hours doing it over and over until the point of exhaustion and finally get to sleep. I have finally figured out its stress related. I started lifting weights and exercising and noticed when my body would get over stressed it happened sometimes for a week straight. I pushed through it and it went away and continued to eat good and exercise and this worked to stop them. I have anxiety issues and do take xanax from my doctor when needed and its the only thing that helps me through these episodes. One thing I noticed that’s strange. If im watching tv in bed during these episodes I will doze off and sleep but when I wake up and turn the tv off and try to go back to sleep they start.
Hi Doug
Thanks for your comment. I think that being healthy and exercising is great for sleep. But yes, sometimes if you over-do it, you can end up with sleep problems. It’s interesting though that you feel you pushed through and they stopped eventually. I also think that stress in general is a major factor for many people.
I’m not sure why the TV thing would happen. Perhaps it’s because you somehow feel more relaxed when there is the familiarity of a TV. Or perhaps it’s affecting the stage of sleep you’re transitioning into. Just guesses really!
Regards
Ethan
I thought maybe when the TV is on my ears are listening thus my brain is occupied and they don’t happen. then when I wake up and turn it off it starts
That’s an interesting theory Doug. Perhaps just having some music on softly in the background or a podcast could help.
I’m not gonna lie I experience these every so often but I kind of enjoy getting them I’ve only gotten them on the verge of sleep and when I do get them I would usually chuckle or smile before laying back down and resuming sleep the feeling they give me is somewhat similar to ASMR if you have heard of it.
Hi there,
Thanks for your comment. I also find hypnic jerks quite entertaining, and welcome them as I know they usually mean sleep is around the corner. I hadn’t heard of ASMR, but I just looked it up online, and it certainly seems interesting!
Regards
Ethan
I usually get them at night after I had taken a nap during the day….why is that?
Hi Sophia,
I’m not sure to be honest, but if it’s a problem for you, then perhaps cut out the daytime naps and see if they stop completely.
Regards
Ethan
I recently started getting hypnic jerks. First it was here and there, now its everyday and I´m not getting any sleep at all cause it happens so much during the night. I worry too much about it and go to sleep thinking its going to happen again and I´m not going to get any sleep again. So, after reading this I´m very much relieved and will try my best no to worry or stress about it. Plus I recently started suffering from panic or anxiety attacks so I do really believe that that is one main cause of hypnic jerks. I´m 33 years old, never had this issues before in my entire life until recently. Thanks for this, really made a difference.
Hi Jimmy,
Thank you for your comment, and I’m really pleased the article was helpful. It’s not so easy not to worry about your sleep, but it can be one of the most powerful ways to improve many sleep problems. Sometimes the vicious circle of worrying about sleep is worse than the actual initial sleep problem! I would definitely recommend checking out mindfulness techniques. You might find it helps you stop thinking so much about the sleep problems.
Regards
Ethan
I do this often I’m always scared to death. do you think its hereditary cause my mother did it too? i need some sleep.
Hi Denise
I think it’s an extremely common thing, whether it’s hereditary or not, so try not to worry about it too much. Hopefully you’ll feel a little more at ease having read the article. Try to remember that it’s harmless, and nothing to be scared of.
Regards
Ethan
My husband does this… but he doesn’t wake up. He just stays alseep…He freaking punches me in the back or throws his arm on Me in the middle of the night. I try to wake him up to tell him that he scared and hurt me and he laughs at me in his sleep and rolls over… I tell him the next day and he doesn’t remeber any of it. I hate it. LoL he feels horrible about it and now won’t even come near me when we sleep. Going to apply some of these tips and hope for the best.
Hi Laura
Thanks for your comment, and I can understand how this must be upsetting for you both. i do wonder whether it’s hyonic jerks or not though if he is doing so much in his sleep. There could be some element of the body not shutting down into a state of muscle paralysis, which is what normally happens to prevent such potentially dangerous behaviour. Does he sometimes alpear to act out dreams im his sleep? If so it could be something like REM behaviour disorder amd worth getting checked out. But also do try some of the tips, such as taking magnesium supplements and see if that helps.
Regards
Ethan
Overall, mine have gotten worse although from night to night they vary in severity and frequency.
Lately on my worse nights I have vocalizations with them and the night before last it was quite loud; almost a scream.
I haven’t really been able to find anything that improves them but I do notice that when I go to bed when in pain or very sleepy they are likely to be worse, although sometimes I have bad nights even when those two things are not going on.
I wish researchers would put some time and money into solving this problem, as it seems to me that if they’re happening enough so that people can’t get quality sleep that can ultimately cause all sorts of health problems.
Also, it follows that if doctors and scientists don’t know how to stop them then they really haven’t studied them enough to know for sure they aren’t dangerous.
Some nights I can’t really get to sleep and stay asleep until about 5 AM when they finally stop long enough to get a few uninterrupted hours.
Hi giftbearer
Thanks for your comment, and I’m sorry to hear you’ve had such bad sleep disruption due to hypnic jerks.
I can understand your frustration that there doesn’t appear to be one simple solution. It would be great if you could search online for it, and find one clear paragraph saying what to do to stop them permanently, but that isn’t the case unfortunately. And that’s often the way with sleep problems in general, because it can be quite complex with lots of differnt factors influencing how well we sleep or not.
My advice would be to have a good look at the list of tips from readers in the article, as there are lots of doog ideas there. And particularly about magnesium supplements, something which many readers say has helped them.
All the best
Ethan
I’ve been getting these too, along with restless legs for almost a year now. I’ve had chronic insomnia and unrefreshing sleep that first showed up almost 3 yrs ago. My neurologist prescribed Clonazopam. I use just 1/2 mg some nights to get uninterrupted sleep. It does override the jerking and snapping noise but it varies in how much time it takes getting to sleep. Must be used with caution since it’s addictive.
Hi there,
Thanks for your comment. A number of readers have reported being prescribed clonazepam and that it does indeed help. But I think you’re right to advise caution as it is addictive. If the problem can be overcome by other means, that’s definitely a better eay forward. But im the short term under proper medical supervision drugs like this can provide some relief.
Regards
Ethan
I have RLS and take Sifrol .125 mg which does stop RLS. I am also on light dose of “happy pills” my wife calls them Faverin 100 for anxiety for the last 9 months and i finally feel I will be able to cut back on these tablets. I did find when I first went on to these tablets I was really throwing myself about so I slept by myself for 7 months as I was scared I would throw out my arms and punch my wife!!
I was told to make sure when on medication you take it at the same time, also I split them up over a couple of hours before going to bed as I also take Minipress as I was continually getting up going to the toilet. I also have Tinnitus in the ears and I have started taking Blackmores 6000 with tebonin and I think this does help. I also read not to have carbonated drinks, make sure you have Carbs at night time and even have a piece of cake (if diet allows!!!) before going to bed as this helps to relax the brain. I have just read about “white noise” and i do actually do this by having a fan on.
I CANT BELIEVE WITH THE RINGING IN THE EARS IS SO COMMON THAT NO ONE HAS COME UP WITH A CURE.
I drink very little alcohol and i dont drink coffee as i was getting headaches from even the smallest amount.
sorry for the spelling!!
Hi Alan
Thank you for your comment. I can understand your frustration about tinnitus as I also have it. Unfortunately, scientists still haven’t found an answer to many common problems. Though it sounds like you have some ideas of things which can help, which is great.
Regards
Ethan
Hi Robyn
The same as many people. I hope it lessens in time for you.
Ethan
I just wanted to say that I have them regularly. Usually when I haven’t had enough sleep for a couple nights in a row. I can tell when I am going to have them because my body gets the creepy crawlies. My jerks always start in my stomach. I have a huge jerk and sometimes my arms and legs are involved and sometimes not. I will usually have it happen about once every 7-10 days and have between 4-10 each time. Because of the creepy crawlies and need to move ( I think I have restless leg as well) my husband will try to relax me by rubbing my back. I will start jerking after he’s rubbed about 10 minutes. He has said that the jerks will lessen and eventually I sleep through them till they stop.
Hi Deanna
Thanks for your comment. I think many previous readers have commented on how sleep deprivation or changes to their sleep schedule can make hypnic jerks worse for them. I guess that’s a good reason to try to ensure you have a regular, stable sleep schedule and that you try not to allow the pressures of daily life to eat into your precious sleep time.
Regards
Ethan
I forgot to mention, sorry, but both times that this happened to me, it was not when I had just fallen asleep, at least, I’m pretty sure it wasn’t. :)
It’s sometimes hard to tell that too…how long had you been asleep for before something happened? Again it could be an indicator that it’s not a real hypnic jerk, but just a reaction to your dream:-)
Unlike everyone else who has commented, or maybe not, there were tons of comments and I didn’t read through them all!, I believe I have only experienced this type of thing maybe twice or at most, three times, so far in my life and they have all occurred when I was very young. I personally thought them to be sort of cool. For instance, the last one that I remember involved me being in a car race, kinda like NASCAR, but on dirt roads, etc. The details are a little hazy, I think I was maybe 7 years old or around there. Anyways, all I remember is the car, I may have been in it, sped toward a huge dirt speed “bump”, well, like the “bumps” they have at the motorcross things, and as the car sped up the bump, suddenly, the ground dropped out from under me and I just woke up. My heart was racing and I felt like I had had an adrenaline rush, which is why I said it was a pretty cool experience. Since then, I have never had something like that happen to me again.
Hi Stefanie
Thanks for your comment. You’re not the first to say that they find hypnic jerks amusing in one way or another, myself included. I’m not sure if what you describe is really a hypnic jerk, or just one of those weird times when we dream something, then wake up with some kind of physical action which seems to reflect the dream. It’s hard to say though which came first – the dream or the physical movement, as both can elicit the other.
Regards
Ethan
Hi just read your very interesting article, my problem, according to my wife, is that the jerks go on all night, is this the “jerks” or something else, could you put any light on the subject for me
Hi Christopher
It depends what she means by goes on all night. Is it randomly during the night, or is it every few seconds or minutes? Is it really jerks, or is it just you moving about in bed as we all do many times in the night, and this is waking her up with a start? I’d say you need a bit more info from her, or film yourself sleeping to see what’s going on for yourself.
Regards
Ethan
I heard that this was a carry-over from when we were monkeys and hung out up trees. It was dangerous if the monkey slept up a tree, so they developed this jerk response prior to sleeping.
Hi Simon
I’ve never heard that explanation before! It sounds to me like that would be even more risky, as the jerk could end up throwing them out of the tree!
Regards
Ethan
Hi all
I first started to get these jerks last year after 2 days of heavy drinking and little sleep (plus a line of some unknown powder – Im not proud) The jerks were intense…one after the other and they stopped me from sleep for another 3 nights…the only thing that stopped them was diazepam….anyways, I stopped taking the diazepam as they are a slippery slope and the jerks hardly have happened since…maybe once or twice…until today! And guess what people, I had a skinful of booze last night…
Therefore I am now 100% convinced that they are caused by alcohol and dehydration…I don’t even think that tiredness plays a part because in the last year I have had a few sleepless nights due to insomnia (which has also improved with the help of mirtazapine – i highly recommend it) and there was no sign of these jerks.
Hi Paul
Thanks for your comment. You’re not the first reader to comment about how a night of heavy drinking caused hypnic jerks. I think that it’s obviously not the explanation for everyone, because not everyone who gets them drinks. But definitely for some people it seems to make them appear, or makes them worse. Perhaps in part due to withdrawal, and part from dehydration and mineral loss.
I guess you’ll need to be prepared for the eventuality if you drink, unfortunately.
Regards
Ethan
Hi Paul
How much Mirtazpine are you on? How bad were your hypnic jerks?
I have had a mild twitch as i am falling asleep which is no big deal. It happens and i must be awake enough to know that it was just like a muscle twitch. I have had this for a long time. I also have restless leg syndrom and and treated for that with mirapex. Which works wonders. I always thought that the twitching was part of that and pretty much ignored it. But here recently i have been statled awake 1 to 2 times a night maybe once a week in the middle of the night when i am in a deep sleep. I feel like i had been shaking or bouncing. And it takes a minute to realize i am in my bed in my room. And it gives me a bit of anxiety. I am able to go back to sleep but it worries me is that what this is? What are your thoughts?
Hi Kasey,
Thanks for your comment. It sounds like it could be explained either by restless legs syndrome or by a hypnic jerk. Just because you have one doesn’t mean you can’t experience the other too. It could be that it’s the same twitch you’ve had in the past, but for whatever reason recently it’s been a bit stronger, or you’ve just noticed it more. I would say wait a while and see if it settles back down again. If not you could always speak to the doctor treating the RLS.
All the best
Ethan
I was once told that the feeling of falling while asleep was a clumsy angel. The angel was picking you up to carry you away but tripped and dropped you back into your body. From what i read in the beginning of this article and others, it sounds like a possibility where for a short period of time your body slowly starts to shut down on you anyway.
Hi Dan
What a lovely idea! I’m not one for believing in angels generally, but I do like the slap-stick image that your description conjures up:-)
Regards
Ethan
I have a friend who has quite similar experience with one of the person who post here. I am helping him to check it out. He experienced this jerks on hands and legs before falling asleep. Instead of being worried, he actually enjoyed it.. He just relax and let it jerk go to full force and return to sleep and gradually the jerk become weak on other nights and gone..
reference from previous poster:
clucker
May 20, 2014 at 6:35 am
Hi Steven
Thank you for your comment. I think that not worrying about it is one of the best ways of dealing with it. For many people, it’s something they might be able to reduce, but will possibly just have to learn to live with and accept. So it sounds like he is already of the right mind-set.
Regards
Ethan
I happen to get this extremely frequently, often over five times a night just twitching and awakening suddenly, to realize your not falling. It’s a weird sensation to go from rapidly falling to jerking upwards in your own bed, then looking around to realizing you are just in your own room. I haven’t found it too annoying as I asleep as soon as I get it but another thing that has come with all this sleep jerking is feeling extremely dizzy when standing or sometimes when you’re not doing anything at all. I just get all these dots in my vision and unbelievable dizziness. Although I know that a lot of people get this, I get it to the point where I have fainted and then jerk and wake myself up again, only to find myself on the floor and then I realize that I have fainted. Just wondering whether having these kinds of episodes are normal?
Thanks, Isabel
Hi Isabel,
Thanks for your comment. I think from what you say, you should get yourself checked out by your doctor. Any fainting spells and dizziness is something which should be looked into.
Regards
Ethan
Deep breathing when I first lay down helps to prevent mine. It releases stress and helps my body to relax progressively and consciously…so that my brain and my muscles are more in sync.
Hi Ann
I completely agree that breathing exercises can work wonders in bed when trying to relax, and can help with various sleep problems.
Regards
Ethan
I often get these jerks while falling asleep in uncomfortable positions such as in the car or on an airplane. I seem to fall right asleep after them though.
Hi Sydney
I think that’s also quite common, and it’s good that you manage to fall asleep straight away after though.
Regards
Ethan
Hi Ethan,
I’m wondering if you can help me. I seem to be having these hypnic jolts every night. I can fall asleep fine, but when I do, about half an hour later I have this kind of jolt. It’s been happening every night for the past five days and I’m starting to loose my mind.
I’ve had Depression and Anxiety for a long time, but neither ever affected my sleep like this, they usually just created nightmares whereas in this case, I haven’t had dreams or slept almost at all.
Nothing big has happened recently that changed my sleeping so I’m not sure what’s going on but I’d like to figure something out so I don’t continue to try sleeping for 8 hours only to end up getting 4 hours of sleep.
Take Care,
Eliza
Hi Eliza
Thanks for your comment, and I’m sorry to hear the hypnic jerks have been causing havoc with your sleep. Have you spoken to your doctor about it? They might be able to advise you, and also check the mineral and vitamin levels in your body. Many readers have reported that taking magnesium or calcium supplements has helped them. More than any other of the tips I think. It could be worth trying. Otherwise, perhaps just start trying out the various suggestions which others have found helped them.
And above all, try not to get too stressed about it, which I know is easier said than done. I think if it does happen, and you wake up, the best thing is to not dwell on it or react to it. Try to accept it as something which is just happening at this period in time, and allow yourself to forget it and fall asleep again. You could even try doing some relaxation techniques in bed if it wake you up and you find yourself getting stressed or upset by it.
All the best
Ethan
Haha, that was fun to read! My guess is he was dreaming about tripping. I’ve had that too – dreaming about running along a hall or something, before randomly backflipping into a hypnic jerk and laying wide awake in my bed. I always burst into a laugh afterwards – not fun for anybody else around me though.
You might be right there asd… I had totally forgotten about this comment!
Regards
Ethan
Hi all,
I had these jerks in my left leg every night for a few weeks and it seemed to get worse, keeping me awake although i was tired. I took magnesium Glycinate tablets, taking one in the morning and one with my supper, by the second night no more jerking! The magnesium even relaxes you so you sleep better. I was going to see the doctor as one starts to get worried, i wonder what drug would have been prescribed. My jerking must have been a symptom of my magnesium levels being low.
take care
Andre
Hi Andre
Thank you for your comment, and it’s really great to hear that you found something which helped you so quickly and effectively! More and more people seem to report good results with magnesium supplements, so yours is another story to add to the anecdotal evidence.
Many thanks
Ethan
5am and nervous about going back to bed. Thought I’d do a little research !
Very useful, thank you (all).
My experience is of ‘near death’. My brain seems to focus on something that it sees as a problem situation but one which I know is not real. When I realise this, in my near-unconscious state, it feels as if my brain is dying and that I am thinking my last ever semi rational thought. Though not necessarily breathing my last breath. And all that happens within a second or two. I always cry out.
Possible contributing factors? Being overtired, conversely trying to sleep when not tired enough, alcohol (usually the night following the drinking of, and (possibly a new suggestion) sudoku problem solving just before bed! My brain seems to remain in sudoku-solving mode!
62 year old reasonably healthy male. Started about 4 years ago. Not every night by any means, but I’ve just had at least ten of them within an hour or two.
Comforting to know there are others who suffer and extremely helpful to hear there is no cause for alarm. Am just now going back to bed with that thought in mind. Thank you.
Richard
Hi Richard,
Thank you for your comment, and I’m pleased that you found the article helpful and comforting. That’s always good to hear!
I think from what you say, that it’s more likely the alcohol and tiredness are contributing factors, rather than sudoku! But who knows…
I guess you can work it out bit by bit by eliminating one of those factors at a time (including the sudoku) and seeing if it makes a difference. Obviously eliminating tiredness isn’t so easy, but it you can perhaps try and maintain a stable sleep schedule for a week or two and get plenty of rest, then you could see if it helps.
All the best
Ethan
They say the bright light from a computer etc is not good for the brain, if you look at my other comment about what i was told for relaxing the brain.
I am 13 years old and I have been having them as long I can remember. I am also tripping the stairs almost everyday and fall even when I am walking with care. I would like to know if these problems are related. I often feel like I am falling of the stairs while having these jerks. I also have them regularly though they are light at that time. It happens when I am day-dreaming while in bed. I do that to fall asleep. I am often afraid to fall asleep because of these.
Hi Shreya
Thanks for your comment, and sorry to hear you’ve been having sleep problems. Have you spoken to your parents about this? It might help to talk to someone about it. I don’t understand why you’re tripping on the stairs every day though. You might find it useful to talk to them about that too.
Regards
Ethan
Hi, Ethan.
I’ve had these hypnic jerks now for about eight straight nights. Two nights ago was not as bad as the other nights… I thought maybe I was normalizing at last. But nope!
Is this common? I mean, to seldom—if ever—experience these things, but all of the sudden it happens all the time? I am trying to determine if I am any more stressed than usual, but I can’t really pin-point anything. The only thing I can think of is that I made my appointment to see the Neurologist the day/night they began. Maybe I am subconsciously anxious, and my anxiety is making itself know in this way? I don’t know.
But now, I go to bed expecting it. I have even delayed going to bed because I don’t want to deal with it. Not good, but not sure what else to do.
I think I will try experimenting with cutting-down on coffee to maybe just one cup in the morning, for starters. Unfortunately, I can’t go to the gym earlier as my work situation doesn’t easily allow for that.
Thanks again for the follow-up.
Hi James
I think it is possible to suddenly start experiencing hypnic jerks. Or maybe you have had them before, but just not strong enough for you to really pay attention to.
It could be that there is some underlying anxiety there from what you say. I guess one way to find out will be to see if they reduce once you’ve been to see the neurologist, assuming they don’t tell you something you worry about more!
I do think it’s important to try not to get into the vicious circle of not worrying about sleep though. And I know that’s easier said than done. I would recommend looking at the section on relaxation techniques for sleep and doing some of those as you’re lying in bed. You might find they help deal with anxiety, and also help you stop worrying about sleeping or not.
All the best
Ethan
I am 48 years old, and have never experienced hypnic jerks until recently—not that I can recall. They began maybe several weeks ago, but were pretty much one-offs and I fell asleep easily after just experiencing the jerk once.
But the past four nights (tonight being the fourth… hence my being here now) I’ve had them many times per night. My sleep has been wrecked these past nights—only having finally fallen asleep after hours of experiencing these jerks.
I am at a point where I expect them now, and that is making things worse, of course.
My wife says I have nothing to worry about—to just recognize them for what they are. However, I’ve been experiencing other neuropathy-type symptoms since last December, and have been trying to get to the bottom of them since.
Could I just be stressed-out by everything… and these hypnic jerks are just another “symptom”. Or, could they be a part of a larger problem? … which, the thought of, makes me even more stressed?
Thanks.
Hi James
Thanks for your comment, and I’m sorry to hear you’ve going through such a stressful experience. Even though hypnic jerks are harmless, I know it can be very disturbing to have them so regularly. And the accumulative effect of the lack of sleep and worry can definitely make things worse.
I’m not sure what you mean by other neuropathy symptoms, but my advice would be to talk to your doctor about everything you are experiencing, if you haven’t already done so.
Then I think it’s important to work on the worry about them happening. And I know that’s easier said that done. Personally I’m a big believer in the power of doing relaxation exercises, breathing, meditation of whatever you feel comfortable with while you’re in bed to help take your mind of the worry, and to relax.
And I also recommend having a look at the readers’ tips section in the article. Many people have found that the tips there have helped a lot – particularly those about magnesium and calcium supplements. So you could try that.
I hope things improve soon for you.
All the best
Ethan
Hi, Ethan.
Thanks so much for the reply.
I have been working with my doctor/s (I lost my doctor on Jan. 1st and got a new one) since mid-Decemeber when I first began experiencing my symptom (tingling and prickling in the extremities, mainly. But occasional brief, fleeting pain, as well). I’ve had CT scans and and MRI that ruled-out some of the more serious concerns I’ve had. All tests normal. I am seeing a Neurologist next month (earliest she could see me!) and will have some further tests done under her care.
So, when anything like these hypnic jerks makes themselves known, it adds to the stress and anxiety.
I have read the tips that the other users here have contributed. I try breathing exercises when I get anxious… I’ve always worked out at the gym late in the evening, as my work schedule permits, and have never had any issues with it effecting my sleep. But I’ll see if any of the others might benefit me.
Thank you again.
James
Hi James,
No problem. Well it’s good your getting all the tests done and are in the hands of the professionals. Hopefully they will be able to bring your some peace of mind and improvement.
Let me know how it goes if you get a moment, and also if you think any of the other tips help out. If you can do your gym training earlier in the day, even just as an experiment for a short while, it might be interesting to see if it is now having an effect.
All the best
Ethan
Ethan,
I found this article Googling ‘body jerks before falling asleep’ out of curiosity because it happens to me quite frequently; that sudden whole-body jerk that happens just as I’m about to fall asleep. I had started to drift off while leaning my head on my husband’s shoulder this afternoon and then my whole body jerked. It jumped my husband and he said, “Whoa. Where you going? Did you just jump out of a plane or something?”
I notice that it happens alot when I don’t actually want to fall asleep, I just want to rest..not sleep. That may be why it happens to me. My brain knows it’s not time for sleep. My own subconscious alarm possibly? Or my brain and body want to sleep but I don’t have time to sleep right at that moment. Something like that.
I suspect it may also be stress induced but I’m never ‘not stressed’ so it would be hard for me to make that determination.
Anyway, just thought I’d add my ‘2 cents’. I don’t think my own personal experience with them means anything is medically wrong. I think I’m overtired and over stressed and could use a really long vacation on beautiful warm sandy beach. ;-)
Thanks for all the insight on this ‘Hypnic Jerk’ thing.
Hi Tammy
Thank you for your comment, and I’m pleased your found the article helpful.
I think there is every chance that being tired and stressed is contributing to the hypnic jerks. So many readers have mentioned the same, it’s hard to ignore that possibility!
My advice would be to start saving for that long vacation…you probably deserve it!
Regards
Ethan
There is no question alcohol exacerbates them or caused them. The heavier you drink the worse they are . Cannot drink at all anymore . Sad .
Hi Mark,
Yes, I think many people have noticed the same thing. It’s a shame you can’t find a drink which you can still enjoy in small quantities at least!
All the best
Ethan
Have suffered through this on/off for 20+ years, the jerking awake especially bad during times of heightened anxiety, the only help in the past has been getting up out of bed and exercising, sometimes many times throughout the night just to be able to get a couple of hours sleep….recently the exercise hasnt done the trick, so i tried adding extra powdered magnesium/ multi vitamins to the diet, which is definitely helping and am a bit optimistic. …alcohol definitely does not help and seems to make the jerking awake worse…my condolences to everyone suffering this ailment, its a devastating ordeal to be exhausted laying in bed at 4AM and unable to fall asleep
Hi Mike
Thank you for your comment, and I’m sorry to hear you’ve had such problems spanning so many years. I can understand your frustration!
From what you’re saying about needing to get out of bed and exercise, it makes me think restless legs syndrome. Have you thought about that possibility before?
I’m glad the magnesium and vitamins seem to be helping. Perhaps over time it will build in its effect.
All the best
Ethan
Well that’s amazing sleepless in oz true story mine started after I knew I had to face some nasty people the next morning who we’re going to hurt me amazing you said that
I’ve been experiencing these ” jerks ” for approx 4-5 yrs, previously had a high stress job and tend to be anxious in general . Mine tend to feel like a swelling of shaking from my legs , up through my torso into my head, but it varies , I don’t actually shake but it feels that way. It’s usually as most say just before nodding off at night but have had it whilst trying to sleep in the day. Also suffer from lightheadedness and other symptoms of anxiety. Found the comments about possible aids very useful , will,definitely give a few a try .
Hi Tony,
Thanks for your comment. I’m glad you found the article and comments helpful. Yes, there are some great tips and suggestions from readers and I hope you find something to help
Regards
Ethan