The Bedtime Twitch

Have you ever had bedtime twitches? Just as you are drifting off to sleep, your body suddenly jolts upward and awaken you. It happens to me a lot of times and had no idea what's causing this.

I was reading a magazine last night and I found an article about it. The involuntary muscle movement is called "myclonic jerks" or sleep starts. It is often accompanied by "mini dreams" about falling. Experts say these are commonly triggered by light, noise, movement or uncomfortable sleep positions. It is generally harmless [whew!] but it can spoil sleep quality.

They suggested trying this to reduce the frequency: wear loose clothing to bed, keep your bedroom dark, close the bedroom door to keep out pets and wear ear plugs to block noise.

There are some rare cases though that myclonic jerks can signal an underlying problem like nerve damage, so it's best to consult your doctor if the tip does not help.


Mommy's Little Corner

Comments

Anonymous said…
I haven't had them in a while.
Anonymous said…
I get these jolts when I am really tired and fall sleep as soon as I hit my pillow.

Harmless naman pala buti na lang hehe

Happy Monday, tita! :)
Francesca said…
yea, I've experienced that mom. at least harmless siya. thanks for the info! c:
Jackie said…
Not nice I know, had it since little. I also have the problem of night leg cramps since I turned 60, which is annoying as well as painful. At a loss as everything medical and alternative people have suggested hasn't worked so far :(
Anonymous said…
Liza,

Dyan kami nagaaway ni misis. Mahilig mag-pyjama pero yung ubod nang kapal. What happens is she keeps twitching even in the wee hours in the moring and i'm disturbed whenever she does all the body movement na unnecessary...
jana said…
I also have that, dreaming like im falling endlessly many times!
Strider said…
Yup,'had the same falling experience in dreamworld, Then when I'm about to hit ground zero...bang! Suddenly I'm awake coupled by a knee jerk & elbow twitch.
Here I thought I was the only weirdo who had this going on. My husband thinks its pretty funny when I jump in my sleep.

Thanks for the info
Kristie
Anonymous said…
Wow, great to know there is a name for it because I get it every now and again!
Anonymous said…
OMG I get these all the time and I thought I was CRAZY! The only thing that seems to help is removing caffeine and adding Darvocet.
MeiYah said…
i used to experience that too hehehehe...
Anonymous said…
There is a concept by a scientist that this is because of the fact that we used to be monkeys.

It's a reflex action to stop us falling out of our tree.
Unknown said…
used to happen to me alot when I was younger...
So that's what it is.. and the dreams of falling. Lagi nangyayari sakin when I was younger. Buti harmless.. thanks sa info!!!