Hypnic Myoclonus: What They Are And Why They Appear
We are peacefully asleep and, suddenly, we feel like we are falling out of bed or from the place where we are resting However, when we open our eyes, due to the shock, we realize that we have not even moved from the spot.
This is exactly what happens when a person experiences hypnic myoclonus Sudden and uncontrollable movements that, despite not posing a health risk, can be highly annoying and disturbing.
Myoclonus consists of a muscular movement of a sudden and abrupt nature, short in duration and not subject to the will of the person. Furthermore, in the specific case of hypnic myoclonus, these jerks appear just when we go from a state of wakefulness to the first phase of sleep.
As a general rule, only one of these hypnic myoclonus appears asymmetrically, the person has the feeling that they are falling This perception of falling causes the person to wake up automatically and with a startled feeling.
Since the jerks can be really strong and momentarily cause some distress in the person who suffers from them, hypnic myoclonus is not considered a serious pathology.
These events, which occur in approximately 70% of the general population, They do not usually pose a health risk and are considered a benign sleep disturbance. What’s more, in some cases where they appear occasionally, they are seen as something perfectly normal. An event typical of the process of going from wakefulness to sleep.
In these specific cases, myoclonus appears due to changes in breathing, decreased heart rate, muscle relaxation, and temperature changes typical of sleep cycles.
This curious phenomenon becomes increasingly interesting when we know that hypnic myoclonus appears because, by lowering our heart rate considerably, our brain interprets it as a sign of death, which is why it sends a powerful nervous impulse to try to revive the brain. body.
What causes them?
At the moment, it has not yet been possible to determine what factors cause these hypnic myoclonus. That is, what internal or external agents trigger that strong brain and muscle impulse
However, it has been discovered that there are some conditions that can considerably increase the possibility of these myoclonus or jerks appearing:
When do they appear?
Hypnic myoclonus is an eventuality typical of sleep processes that appear when entering the first phase of sleep, when we abandon the state of wakefulness and begin the first sleep cycle.
Furthermore, if we are especially tired, this change between one state and another is carried out more quickly. So, even though our muscles are very relaxed, our brain still remains active, and When the sensation of falling appears, our brain generates an impulse to keep us alert
Although this sensation in which we seem to fall is experienced as if it were a dream, since we experience it when we are almost asleep, this event or peculiarity is not considered as such. The reason is that dreams, as we know them, only occur during the last phase of sleep; that is, the REM phase.
As we have mentioned previously, experiencing these hypnic myoclonus does not pose a risk to our health. However, when these appear more recurrently, it can generate a great feeling of disturbance and restlessness.
Below we will see a series of recommendations to avoid these shocks. However, if these appear very frequently and even more than once during the night, It is advisable to go to a doctor specializing in neurology
