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Do your legs and arms jerk when you are asleep?

Eldiablojoe

Eldiablojoe

macrumors 6502a
Original poster
Lately, I'm having a tough time sleeping because an arm or leg will jerk. Sometimes a little, sometimes really strongly. I know this isn't too unusual, but it seems to be happening quite a bit more recently. Anyone have any idea what causes this?

Thanks
 
I hate it when it happens. I always wake up with my heart pounding.

I guess it's the brain "shutting down" and in the process creating uncontrolled movements.
 
I find lots of Alcohol before bed helps ... seriously though ... you should get it checked out.

good luck
 
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hypnic_jerk

Though if you're awakening at night from it - then it's likely something else. See a doctor maybe?

Also - if you're up for it, there's an app called Sleep Cycle - that uses your iPhone to monitor how you sleep, it actually does what it claims, but it's more interesting to see how things affect how you sleep.
 
I think what you're referring to is something called a myoclonic twitch or hypnic jerk, very very rarely is it anything other than a simple contraction of the muscles so I wouldn't fret.

I quite often have it happen as I'm falling asleep, always it's in my leg – often I'm starting to dream a little and then the twitch snaps me out of it. Usually the twitch incorporates itself into the dream in some way, usually it's me walking along a kerb and my foot slips. The frustrating thing is is that as soon as I start dreaming I'm walking along such a kerb I know that I'm dreaming and that I'm about to be rudely awoken.
 
It's perfectly normal and OK. All of the inmates at my asylum have similar symptoms.

KGB😱
 
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Do you remember your dreams? I sometimes wake-up with my heart racing too. In fact I have a working theory that a dream when old and worn-out might actually cause a fatal heart attack. I can think of far worse ways to go, then fighting off aliens. 😉

I get involuntary movement due to perceived threats in mine. Or some times sports, like a baseball bat swing, or a tee shot.

You might to do well to ask your GP to book you into a Sleep Clinic.
 
Many of the jerking actions are not necessarily caused by dreaming. they are called myoclonic jerks. Sometime dreams occur incorporating the actions (rather then causing them) as a way of preserving sleep. It's like when your phone rings and you incorporate the ringing phone into your dream to help preserve sleep.

I'm not really well informed on the significance of myoclonic jerks. I have hit myself in the face with arm jerks. Or at least that's what my wife (at the time) told me - "oh, dear, you hit yourself".

Seriously, I don't think they are significant from a health pint of view, but it is worth checking with someone with some expertise regarding sleep event - a sleep clinic (as mentioned above) is a good idea. If for no other reason than reassurance that it is nothing serious.
 
When falling asleep it happens occasionally, although I'm almost never awakened by them, and I almost never even know they happen. Usually I'm awakened by the GF complaining I just kneed her or something.
 
Occasionally, and like others it usually occurs in my dream too. One time a raptor jumped out at me and I punched it (the air).

Another time a raptor stabbed me in the stomach and I woke up with stomach pains.
 
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