Home Mental disordersSleep problems Sleep myoclonus: spasms before sleeping

Sleep myoclonus: spasms before sleeping

by Alivia Nyhan
Published: Last Updated on

If they tell us about sleep myoclonus, most of us will not know what they are talking about, even if all of us, to a greater or lesser extent, have suffered them at some time. Sleep myoclonus are nothing more than those muscle spasms that appear when we are falling asleep, usually in the form of kicking or having the sensation that we are falling, just at that moment when we are finally about to leave wakefulness and that they make us wake up, startle us and have to start over the process of falling asleep from the dream.

Now that we know what sleep myoclonus is, there are still many questions to be answered, why do they occur? Do they have treatment? Why do babies have myoclonus? In the following article on sleep myoclonus or sleep spasms we are going to answer all those questions.

Spasms when sleeping in adults

Sleep myoclonus or hypnic or myoclonic jerks , as they are also known, are sudden, brief and involuntary muscle movements that occur when our body enters the sleep phase that scientists know as Hypnagogia, that is, just that moment when we go from wakefulness to sleep.

Scientists do not agree on the origin of these shocks, although we do know that it is a benign disorder that does not cause any damage to the body. Some theories indicate that these jerks occur because our brain misinterprets the progressive relaxation of the muscles that occurs when we go to sleep and believes that we are falling, and with that shock it tries to wake us up, something that could save our lives if it really were So.

In adults, this disorder is often related to an increased level of stress , tiredness, or anxiety .

Sleep myoclonus in babies

These seizures also occur in infants and children, known as benign myoclonus of infancy , usually appear in the first three weeks of life. The difference is that they appear during the REM phase of sleep, not in the transition from wakefulness, and they usually lead to spasms of large muscle groups, such as arms, legs, etc.

These muscle seizures occur abruptly, briefly, and sporadically in your extremities while you are sleeping. Clinically they are known as benign neonatal sleep myoclonias and, as the name suggests, they are benign, that is, they do not pose any problem to the child’s health.

These spasms are much more common during the first weeks of the baby’s life , progressively disappearing around 3 months. In some cases they can remain, but it is not usual for them to continue after 7 months. However, its frequency is highest during the first month and decreases as the weeks go by.

Although it has been shown to occur in the central nervous system, we still cannot be sure what its exact cause is, in fact, there is no pathological basis behind these manifestations, so it is believed to be related to genetics.

Unlike the case of adults, myoclonus in babies appear during the REM phase , when sleep is deeper and it is more difficult for the child to wake up. Although they can appear spontaneously, the truth is that the percentage of children who suffer from it on a recurring basis is very low. About 3% of children have seizures, however, these can be distinguished between pathological, such as epilepsy, or benign, such as neonatal myoclonus.

Sleep myoclonus: treatment

When someone experiences these spasms before going to sleep, they may be alarmed and believe that they may be caused by conditions such as epilepsy. On a medical level, this condition is very easy to distinguish from other disorders through modern neurophysiology techniques.

It must be said that most myoclonus do not pose any health problem, however, in some cases they can be the manifestation of an underlying disease . In fact, the spectrum of disorders that can cause it is very wide, from some non-worrisome conditions in healthy people to some serious systemic diseases.

The first thing that the specialists will have to do is to discern if this condition is caused by some disease, if it is one more symptoms, or is it a simple annoyance derived from sleep without further inconvenience.

In general, the treatment that is given to myoclonus – when necessary – is antiepileptic drugs and Piracetam .

This article is merely informative, at FastlyHeal .com we do not have the power to prescribe medical treatments or make any type of diagnosis. We invite you to see a doctor in the case of presenting any type of condition or discomfort.

If you want to read more articles similar to Sleep myoclonus: spasms before sleeping , we recommend that you enter our category of Mental disorders .

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