2008 Woodie Awards
Tuesdays With Martha
Issue date: 4/25/06 Section: Columns
- Page 1 of 1
Dear Martha,
Sometimes when I am about to fall asleep, my whole body jerks violently for just a second, waking me back up. What is up with that? I asked my roommate about it and she says that it happens to her sometimes too. Is this normal?
Signed,
The Jerk
Dear Jerky,
The sudden jerk that happens just as you are about to fall asleep is normal and is estimated to occur in about 70% of sleepers. The reason that we don't hear about it a lot is because it varies in intensity, some people sleep through it and there is no one there to tell you it happened. It has a number of names; the most official sounding name is hypnagogic myoclonus, which literally means sleep muscle twitch. It is also called a sleep jerk, a benign sleep myoclonus, hypnic jerk, or a sleep start. Choose the one you like the best, they all mean the same thing.
The cause of sleep jerks are poorly understood although they are observed more commonly in sleep deprived, anxious or physically uncomfortable individuals. Gee, I wonder why students might notice these?
There is some thought that as the body starts to fall asleep, the body misreads the messages sent by the relaxation process as falling or dying and the body is waking itself up to address the danger. The sensation can be a feeling of falling followed by a sudden contraction of muscles and tingly or painful skin, a flash of bright light or even a loud noise. Your sleeping partner or roommate may be more aware of your sleep jerks than you are.
Unless these are significantly inhibiting your sleep, you can put these away in the "interesting, but not worrisome" file and avoid losing any sleep over this anxiety.
Later,
Martha
Sometimes when I am about to fall asleep, my whole body jerks violently for just a second, waking me back up. What is up with that? I asked my roommate about it and she says that it happens to her sometimes too. Is this normal?
Signed,
The Jerk
Dear Jerky,
The sudden jerk that happens just as you are about to fall asleep is normal and is estimated to occur in about 70% of sleepers. The reason that we don't hear about it a lot is because it varies in intensity, some people sleep through it and there is no one there to tell you it happened. It has a number of names; the most official sounding name is hypnagogic myoclonus, which literally means sleep muscle twitch. It is also called a sleep jerk, a benign sleep myoclonus, hypnic jerk, or a sleep start. Choose the one you like the best, they all mean the same thing.
The cause of sleep jerks are poorly understood although they are observed more commonly in sleep deprived, anxious or physically uncomfortable individuals. Gee, I wonder why students might notice these?
There is some thought that as the body starts to fall asleep, the body misreads the messages sent by the relaxation process as falling or dying and the body is waking itself up to address the danger. The sensation can be a feeling of falling followed by a sudden contraction of muscles and tingly or painful skin, a flash of bright light or even a loud noise. Your sleeping partner or roommate may be more aware of your sleep jerks than you are.
Unless these are significantly inhibiting your sleep, you can put these away in the "interesting, but not worrisome" file and avoid losing any sleep over this anxiety.
Later,
Martha
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