Is it dangerous to frequently startle while sleeping?

Have you ever had a situation where you were about to fall asleep and felt yourself falling, tripping over, and then suddenly waking up? This is called a hypnagogic jerk .

Hypnotic jerking is an involuntary twitching of one or more muscles that occurs as a person falls asleep. This condition tends to occur in stages 1 or 2 of sleep and disappears in stage 3, which is rapid eye movement sleep. In other words, they occur when a person transitions from a waking state to a sleeping state.

The strength of a startle during sleep can be so mild that the person does not feel it at all, only those around them will notice. Or the seizure may be strong enough to startle the person and wake them up.

1. Signs of being startled while sleeping

Hypnotic jerks or startles during sleep are different for each person. Sometimes the contractions are enough to scare you, and other times you'll fall asleep even after being startled. Signs of this seizure include:

- Muscle twitching or spasms, such as in the legs

- Feeling of falling

- Dreams that make you fall or startle

- Heart rate increases when you wake up

- Shallow breathing when you wake up

2. Causes of startles during sleep

Currently, the exact cause of this condition is unknown. They are a normal reaction of the body and do not cause any harm. This condition may be caused by incorrect stimulation of nerves in the reticular brainstem, creating a reaction that leads to startling during sleep.

In addition, some other factors can also increase the risk of hypnic jerks such as:

- Using stimulants

Stimulants like caffeine and nicotine wake up your brain. These substances can also stay in your body for several hours, disrupting sleep. In one study, people who stopped drinking coffee 6 hours before bed still had trouble sleeping. Taking too much caffeine or nicotine or consuming these substances too close to bedtime can lead to muscle spasms.

- Exercise vigorously in the evening

Regular exercise has been shown to improve sleep quality and provide many other health benefits. However, it is important to exercise in a more energetic manner, making you feel more alert rather than tired. For this reason, exercising too vigorously late in the evening can lead to muscle spasms.

- Sleepless

Lack of sleep can cause poor mood and poor concentration, while also increasing the risk of myoclonus.

- Stress and anxiety

Stress and anxiety can keep your mind active even when your body is falling asleep. This makes it difficult to relax and disrupts the transition between wakefulness and sleep, potentially causing muscle spasms.

3. Is it dangerous to frequently startle while sleeping?

Hypnic jerks can be alarming, but they are not dangerous and are not a sign of any underlying health condition. Up to 70% of people experience hypnic jerks.

In some cases, this phenomenon can just disrupt your sleep. At this time, if the condition continues for a long time, you may feel tired due to lack of sleep or poor sleep quality.

When should I see a doctor if I'm startled during sleep?

Usually, hypnic jerks are harmless and do not require medical attention. However, if you experience any of the following symptoms, you should see a doctor:

- During the day, if you experience persistent muscle spasms that spread to other parts of your body, you may be experiencing another type of myoclonus.

- If you experience other types of jerky movements during sleep in addition to hypnagogic jerks when you fall asleep, it could be a symptom of periodic limb movement disorder.

- Muscle spasms wake you up and make it difficult to fall asleep, leading to fatigue and lethargy during the day.

4. How to prevent startles when sleeping

Startling while sleeping can also be a normal reflex of the body so it is difficult to eliminate or prevent. However, you can reduce their frequency and intensity and improve your sleep in a few ways:

- Build good sleeping habits

+ Go to bed and wake up at the same time every day, including weekends

+ Set your bedroom temperature at around 25-26 degrees Celsius

+ Keep the bedroom dark and quiet, you can use curtains to block out the light

+ Stop using electronic devices at least 1 hour before going to bed

- Keep a comfortable spirit

Before going to bed, you should stay mentally relaxed and relaxed by practicing yoga, meditation, deep breathing, reading books, listening to music,...

- Avoid caffeine

Caffeine can provide some energy and alertness boosts during the day, but consuming too much, especially late in the day, can interfere with your ability to sleep well. Therefore, you should avoid consuming more than 400 milligrams per day and schedule your last cup of coffee at least eight hours before bedtime.

- Avoid Nicotine and alcohol

As mentioned, nicotine and alcohol can increase the risk of sleep apnea by affecting sleep quality because they reduce the brain's ability to relax at night. Therefore, you should avoid using these stimulants.