Monday, June 8, 2009

Cures for Hypnic Jerks

One of the most common searches that brings people here to sleep-disorders-help is for those trying to cure their hypnic jerk.

That jolt you feel just before dropping off. That startle when you’re safe in bed that feels like a falling sensation. That electric shock that wakes you from the earliest stage of sleep. Hypnic or hypnagogic jerks are a fact of life for many Americans.

They can be episodes of frighteningly vivid life-like dreams or a simple physical reaction that causes a mild surprise. Around 70% of people experience this phenomenon.

Nobody knows for sure but there are several theories as to the causes of the jolt while sleeping. It happens most often when we are stressed, in an uncomfortable position, over tired or anxious.

The viscous circle is that a hypnic jerk which wakes you up can make you anxious about falling asleep, which leads to another jerk. Anxiety leads to insomnia and the restless night and bad morning which result can all to quickly follow this cycle.

Some tips to help you minimize the effects.
  • Follow good sleep hygiene, develop a routine and follow it every night.
  • Watch what you eat before bedtime
  • A magnesium, calcium or iron deficiency may be to blame. First try to improve your diet, lots of fresh fruit and vegetables. Or try a supplement, with those minerals and vitamin C.
  • Heavy exercise too close to bedtime can have an effect. Try to limit heavy weights or cardio sessions in the evening. Conversely a gentle walk an hour before bed may help.
  • Smoking or drinking will reduce the quality of your sleep. One drink before bed may help you to fall asleep and avoid the hypnic jerk, however it will reduce the quality of your later sleep. If the jerk is severely dehabilitating then this may be a way to get things under control.
  • Meditation can help relive those negative feedback loops that will make you dread going to bed.
  • Maintain a positive outlook, and get some tips of relaxation or yoga. The techniques taught in even the most basic class may be enough to allow you to get your mind in a state where sleep comes naturally.
  • A relaxation CD played at night may be the answer. It will give your brain something to do instead of worrying and may quickly become an essential part of your sleep routine.
  • If the sleeping disorder is having a negative effect on your life then see a doctor, who may prescribe some medication to help you get that much needed sleep.
Most importantly remember that if you rarely or regularily experience a hypnic jerk you’re completely normal, take a few deep breaths and relax. The more you worry about it, the worse it will get.

292 comments:

  1. I had this problem too - it was dementing as I couldnt get any sleep. I tried supplementing with magnesium and the problem subsided

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  2. My 17yr old son wakes up absolutely terrified and it takes him ages to calm him down he jumps out of bed appears to be trying to run away from the situation .....whilst he tells me that he is not dreaming at the time of the sensation it certainly appears that he is dreaming immediately after. It is also more than a split second jerk and he tells me that he feels like he is falling for what seems like ages. It is frightening to watch and even more frightening for him to experience it. How can he try and control it?

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    1. Ask your doctor about magnesium or calcium. I took supplements in the morning and before bed after two weeks of insomnia due to hypnic jerks and was reaching hysteria. This is the only thing I've find to help.

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  3. i just got this hypnic jerk a day ago and it hasent stop yet. im soooo scared of how it make me feel. I cant get any sleep....

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  4. what about jerks that are associated with an anxiety attack? arms, legs, shoulders, no certain body part; relentless till the anxiety passes....

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    1. iv had hypnic jerks in my lag in 6th grade,

      i could feel my leg falling asleep ( it will feel like starting up energy) then the jerk comes in...

      now 4 years later, im having full blown hypnic jerks...

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  5. Oh, I know the pain! I have occasionally experienced this in the past, but ever since I moved in with my boyfriend it's gotten worse and worse to where it's uncomfortable for us to lay together at night! The twitching also occurs during the day randomly, but I'm losing sleep because I dread the twitches! Last night I had the worst one ever...it was the loud sound if a POP inside my head accompanied by intense shaking and the strongest twitch I've ever felt in my LIFE! I'm terrified to go to sleep and Embarrassed to try to cuddle anymore. I think it's stress but I don't know how to fix it OR go about discussing it with my boyfriend! I'm so tired and shaky all the time now'

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    1. I recently read a book and the author spoke about this jolts and jerks. He explained it as your astral body was re-entering your physical body after astral traveling. I don't know if I believe in astral travel but it certainly made sense if you believe in new age stuff. Last night I felt like someone was on top of me and they were very heavy. Mind you I live alone and no one was there when I immediately woke up to find myself completely alone. Another time, I felt a very hard thump right in the center of my head like as if someone had clobbered me on the top of the head. I immediately woke up and no one was there. Sometimes I am very tired in the morning even after 7 hours of sleep and he explained this in the book as well. He said that when your astral body leaves for long periods of time and return just before you are to wake up, you can't help but to feel exhausted. I started reading more stuff about astral travel aka out of body experiences and this is starting to make sense. He also said that dreams of flying could actually tell you when you are out of body but you have to be lucid in the dream in order to become more aware. Oh he also referred to the shaking and twitching as vibrations. Usually when this happens your astral body is trying to break free of your physical body but you are holding it back. If you relax while the twitching is happening your astral body will free itself more easily. Likewise if your astral body easy back into your physical body you won't feel the jolt and may not even notice that your astral body had left in the first place. Interesting to say the least.

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    2. Have you been tested for narcolepsy? I have narcolepsy. Look up "sleep paralysis" and see if it sounds familiar. Also, look up "hypnogogic hallucinations"

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    3. I suffer hypnogogic hallucinations from side effects of Gabapentin. I also have the most amazing meditations very vivid and like I.m living in fantasy world. Fortunately not scary. difficult to differentiate between fantasy and real life so not good for some people. My husband couldn't take them as he was sleep walking and walking around with our meat cleaver trying to cut tops of glass bottles and walking practically naked up the street with our dog and cat. Not good. Talk to your doctor is the best option.

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  6. I suffer from hypnic jerking throughout the night, it doesn't wake me up, but it wakes up my partner. She usually has to wake me up and boot me off to the guest room! I'm going to try some of the vitamin supplements and see if they work. More info later!

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  7. I suffer from hypnic jerking too.It keeps me awake and I have to take Temazepam it helps me to fall asleep but I do not want to stay on it for the rest of my life.Looking for help.. I have lost 3 jobs because of it.

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  8. Bm
    I have had this hypnic jerks for 6 weeks .I saw my doctor and gave me temazapam for the next three months.This make me sleep now unlike when they started.He said they will eventualy go.

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  9. I thought I was going mad until I saw on this site I'm not alone. I have so many hypnic jerks throughout the night that I fear sleep. I nearly get to sleep and then I'm shocked awake again by my jumping muscles. What the?! I don't know what to do. It's driving me nuts.

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    1. I have suffered with hipnic jerks for over 9 years now and l am on perminent anti- convulsive medication. The side efffects suck and they have distroyed my marriage and career. Doctors are useless and there have been time when l have wanted to give up on life but l just rest as much as l can and try to keep relaxed where possible.

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  10. omygosh. these are awful! the second i dose off, that twitch/jerk happens and if jolts me back awake! my heart pounds and i get really hot. after i calm down and finally drift off again, the whole freakin cycle happens again! this suuuucks!!! has anyone found any relief besides sleeping pills?? i used to be on them, but would like to avoid them if possible.

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    1. The same exact thing is happening to me. It started a few days ago, everytime i dose of i have a dream that makes me fell like im falling then i get this jolt and it makes me spring up. it repeats about 5-8 times a nite and is getting worse.

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    2. I have been suffering night jerks for more than a year now. It is totally ruining my life. While I was able to find some of the relief at nights by taking phenibut pills (GABA component) I'm still not able to fully control the jerks

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    3. mines worse, i actually have the normal hypnic jerks,
      but in class i would either be very very close to falling out of the chair before the jerks set in...

      4 years ago until now the hypnic jerks have not let up

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    4. oh wow this description virtually matches my symptoms, I feel wide awake, my pulse and heart races, i get hot flushes and when i try to sleep it gets even worse and my whole body and heart jumps me awake. The first time i had it, it lasted for 3 nights in a row but because i hadn't slept for 48 hours during this period my neck muscles went into a spasm (i hear both muscle spasms and hypnotic jerks can be caused by stress) i couldn't straighten it all day, the doctor said i'd have to try and sleep that night for the spasms to go away but thankfully the jerks did go away so my neck was fine the next morning but I do suffer from anxiety and the whole experiance has really made me weary and nervous when i get bad sleep nights or a sore neck :( also one time i found when i was taking some pills for my digestive system it caused me to have hypnotic jerks for a week and later in the week i realised the hot flushes and fast heart pace wasn't going away during the day either! I finally made the connection when i reaslied i was suffering from stomach aches at night when all the other symptoms come on and i'd find my self going to the bathroom and being in there for quite some time but then after i had been all the symptoms calmed down, though they didn't go completly, so i decided to stop taking the tablets the next day and i had almost no problems at all so i threw the pills away :) i have had the odd night since but its not all through out and its never been as bad since but i still get nervous when it comes to going to sleep :/

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  11. The last 2 nights once o was woke up at 2 am and this morning it was 5 am and soon as I would start to doze BAM! major muscle jerk. Over and over till I just give up trying to sleep in. I have no problem getting to sleep. Wondering if alcohol is the reason for that. Could excessive drinking be causing this and I also just started a new medication celexa?

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    1. Hypnic Jerks can be a sign of being over tired and in a state of sleep deprivation.
      Alcohol definitely could be a cause as well. Try laying off the nightly drinks and see if that helps.

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    2. you shoudl not abruptly withdraw from alcohol

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  12. I've been having it for years ... it come & goes. Thank God for the Internet & this type of forum where everyone can learn from. Went to various doctors & neurologists years ago - they thought I was crazy & never heard of this ... did not even have a name for it & said it had to be Myoclonic seizures (Epilepsy). Epilepsy drugs did not really help. I think the tips above should help everyone. BTW (& bad news for all you wine lovers) I'm sure that alcohol aggravates the situation. Too much TV & time in front of a PC also not too good for it.

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  13. I also been having this happen about 3 to 4 times a night, just when i fall asleep i jerk out of bed and run into the hallway, then i go back to be and do it all over again , then around 3 or 4 am i fall asleep and sleep for about 5 hrs , dont understand, well i have done a lot of research also, i think its MSG found in everything we eat, it is a excitotoxin , over stimulates the nerves and crosses over the blood brain barrier, i have been taking every vitamin and changed my diet and drink a lot of water so i will see if my efforts pay off, i will pray for you all

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  14. Wow! I have thought until now that I was the only one in the world with this problem! (How arrogant huh?) But every doctor/neuroligist I saw had no clue about my problem -- this hypnic jerk syndrome. I have had this problem off and on for ten and half years now and am currently enduring another episode so far a week long now. I resort to over the counter sleep aids and on dire occasions valium. Wish I had more suggestions to offer but just knowing I am not the only one does help. Good Luck. I wouldn't wish this on my worst enemy.

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  15. Yeah I have it too. I have a slight variation needless to say. I hear myself make a noise like a short snore that jerks me awake the second I have dropped asleep and this just repeats until I either get past it or can bear it no longer and take a sleeping pill and sometimes even that doesn't work. I thought it was adenoids til my Dr said they shrink in adulthood and it was hypnic jerk. I didn't believe him at first cos I thought it was only body jerks but now I am convinced. Last time was 3 months ago and have it again now...no reason that I can work out. I have cut out caffeine as of this week. I know that the active ingredient in decondestants makes it very bad so I steer clear of them, but it is totally depressing. Glad I found this site...I'm glad for everyone's input - at least we know we are not alone.

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  16. Im getting these strange experiences just before i fall into sleep. I feel fine leading upto sleep; as in my eyes are closed my body is relaxed and i start thinking of random situations that fill my mind to a point where i start to get bored with thinking, I get lazy and can feel my self becoming light and then I steadily drift into sleep.... im sleeping, but still cognisant of what i can hear in he room, I can hear something moving like a plastic bag in the corner of my room and then i hear a sound like a growling sound right above my face #@$%!!!! Something happens, My eyes flick open I didnt even lapse into a dream but i feel my heart racing, I become confused and try to think of 101 reasonable explanations. While im thinking i can feel my matress swaying like a water bed, as if i had just jumped on it and caused it to ripple to and throw. I stay awake for a few minutes and attempt to slow my heart rate down by breathing slowly. I find myself back to square one cautiously falling back to sleep.@#*%!!! This time i awake with the feeling of Air being rushed into my nose, like i've been submerged under water and have come up for air, but its not as if im losing my breath, its more like compressed air being forced into my lungs. I dont know what is causing this i have a feeling that either 1, I've got an unexpected visitor in my house 2, Im overly stressed to the point where im going crazy with effects of sleep apnea and 3, It's the new Gym diet that I've started. But it cant be number 3 because it has been happening before i started the Diet.

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    1. Sounds like you have a serious case of sleep apnea.

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    2. my eyes roll into the back of my head, basicly a sign of a hypnic jerk coming on...after 4 years...you know when they come and go

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  17. I have been experiencing these hypnic jerks for 6 years but didn't have the proper term to describe these jolts and abrupt awakenings all night long. I had a sleep study which showed that I have these jolts about every 30 seconds all through the night (some more strong than others).

    Like many of you, I have been jolted out of sleep over and over all night long, just when I fall asleep. My dr.s, including sleep neuros. seemed to not have a clue what I was trying to describe. I did find a product called Natural Calm ionic magnesium at GNC and also at my food coop and it worked great for a while . I put 1 tsp in hot water and drink before bed. I thought it was a cure but for some reason now, it isn't working as well since last week. I have also tried Advil PM, which works by just making me really relaxed so I sleep through the jolts. Unisom and Sominex are similar but w/o the Advil.

    I am really glad to read about others who have experienced this as it is really scary in the middle of the dark night to have these jolts waking you all night long.

    I wish you all the best... I often wonder if this is a result of my neck injury or previous concussions? My husband has a low back injury and he seems to have restless leg syndrome. I wonder if my head/neck jolts and awakenings are from an injury higher up on the spinal cord. Do any of you have neck injuries (e.g. whiplash)?

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    1. I started getting these jerks after having a ruptured disc in my neck removed and the 2 vertabra fused. My doctor said the dsic left an imprint on my spinal cord that looked like a footprint in wet sand. I sometimes get a jerk sitting at work while awake too. I figure it is due to the spinal cord damage.

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  18. I've been having occasional bouts of these for about a year now. Sometimes it is more of a "wave" then a jerk - I feel like I'm being lifted then set back down, which takes two or three seconds. Other times it is a fast jerk though. It happens every thirty seconds to several minutes, and I believe it is happening all through the night even when I sleep through it. I've been having them for the last three nights, and thanks to this site I'll try the magnesium supplementation.

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  19. Hello all,

    I am so glad I googled this - as bad as it sounds Im delighted to read about your experiences.

    This has been happening to me for over 10 years now. The last time I had a neurologist check me out was in 2006 - he didnt mention Hypnogogic jerks to me - He sent me forward for Lumber Punture, CT scan and MRI - all of which came back clear.

    The last few months I have had the jerks pretty severly and the headaches and numbness that follows has become alot worse.

    Today 16/08/2011 I went back to visit the Neurologist and thankfully I didnt get to see him - but one of his understudies who, when I explained the jerks and headaches explained HYPONOGOGIC JERKS to me. FINALLY after nearly 11 years I have a name for what I beleived was going to finish me off eventually. He has arranged a scan and more tests but feels they will be clear. And according to HIM - it is most likely caused by STRESS at work, maybe too much alcohol intake (even tho I dink moderatly and always at weekends) and the primary reason is SLEEP DEPREVATIOn caused by (you guessed it ) these JERKS. Its a vicious circle. So from today on Im going to try my best not to worry any longer and try accept them, avoid too much alcohol, exercise more and get back to living my life instead of silently living in fear.

    I promise you all i will report back if there is any improvement - I hope so- although I have a feeling its something we are all going to have to learn to live with - although I think that knowing they are "harmless" can help us control our stress about them.

    Good luck to you all - so happy to have read your comments.

    Cheers

    Phil
    Dublin
    Ireland

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    1. This comment has been removed by the author.

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    2. I have been having hypnic jerks for over 10yrs as well and doctors have been no help. All they will do is get you addicted to a drug tha will ruin your life which is basically their answer for everything. My jerks are particularly violent and very scary. At 1st I would just wake up panting. Then it progressed to where my legs would kick uncontrollably like I was swimming. now I bark out loud noises like my diaphram is in spasm. It litarelly feels like I'm going to die. It happens to me almost nightly. I am strongly against any type of prescription pills and have not tried any for this problem. One thing I can attest to is that stress really does make it 100 times worse. It is worse for me if I eat late at night to. I have done extensive research on the subject and the thing that has helped me cope the best is when I learned these jerks are not life threatening and will not affect your health negatively if you can control them and get to sleep at a decent hour. I used to be roused by jerks 10-40 times per night. After learning my life was not in danger I now simply calm myself down after the 1st episode of the night by telling myself "this is not a serious health problem, it's mostly in my head and there is nothing to be scared of." Just having that peace of mind has reduced my stress enough @ bedtime to reduce my episodes from 40 a night to 1-3 per night. That is the best advice I can give. We can all get through this if we continue sharing. Thanks to all of you.

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  20. I have these to highly annoying just had 1 a sec ago. I remeber i was like standing on a chair and it tipped over and i fell and thats wen i jerked awake! I hate this :(

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  21. I have this problem as well. My neurologist likes to call them sleep starts or hypnic jerks. I've had this problem on almost a nightly basis for six months now. My neuro says they are part of a wake/sleep transition disorder and very understudied due to the small number of people that suffer from them. I jerk during the transition from wakefulness to sleep and often from sleep to wakefulness as well. It's almost impossible to transition into sleep during them. The physical jerk is violent but the other sensations that go along with it (increased heartrate and respiration, noise in my head etc) are very arousing as well. My neuro tried me on a few different medications including seizure meds and nothing has truly helped but benzodiazepines. I take clonazepam. I dread being on it long term, as does my neuro, but it's the only thing that helps. I've tried many, many supplements and so far taurine is the only thing that helps some. I also get BMF (benign muscle fastilations) during the day which are annoying. Neuro says both conditions are harmless other than the stress and lack of sleep they cause. I belive stress worsens the problem. I'm also a competative swimmer and I think intense exercise does too. Best wishes to you all! Someone should start a forum for this condition.
    Kate
    SW United States

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    1. Hi Kate! I have had the same exact problems as you. BMF during the day and sleep starts all through the night that can keep me awake until the next day. I have had this problem for the last two years and have noticed the same triggers as you have. Anxiety, too much exercise , and although rarely, can happen for no apparent reason. Once a jerk occurs the anxiety of the first few seems to make it worse and worse. A few things I have done to help is getting out of bed to have a late night snack and water; seems to relax me. I also try to trick my mind by "wanting" to getting a sleep jerk; this also helps. If all else fails, I'll keep my eyes open and challenge myself to not fall asleep. I was on benzo's for awhile and eventually weened myself off trying different ideas. It sounds as though you are starting to figure out your body though and hope your transition disorder gets better.

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    2. Kate, I am not surte about the excercize either as I myself and others that have had this problem for years as well as you do not get much excercize. Some of us especially myself do not get any intensive excerize at all and we still have the jolting awake issue. One night, it was so bad I found myself rocking back and forth on the couch like an autistic child having a fit. I was contrating my stomach muscles to try to get rid of the jolts which come in waves. Once I realized what I was doing I wondered if they suffer from that sensation and perhaps that is why they rock to escape it during the day. Brook

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    3. Try B-12 supplements 250 morn. &250mg at bedtime for a few days . It stops my heart palpitations which are caused by overtiredness. Calcium and Magnesium help too.

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  22. Also, I should note that if you have this problem see a neurologist that specializes in sleep medicine and have a sleep study done to rule out sleep apnea and restless leg syndrome (which can cause leg movements during sleep). Hypnic jerks only occur during the wake/sleep transition. Movement during sleep itself is often something different. Lastly, the problem is most often primary with no known cause, rarely is it secondary to another major condition (ALS, lipid storage disease, kidney failure etc). However don't make yourself sicker worrying you have those conditions because your jerks will get worse from the stress.
    Kate
    SW United States
    Kate

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  23. So THAT is what this is.. I've had this demolishing my sleep for years now, I've thought it was some heart disease or something and I've been to doctors doing those EKG-thingys with wires on my chest and they all say it looks normal.

    I have asked plenty of people and no one ever understood what I meant, either they say it's just a dream or imagination, been bothering me alot.

    People usually tell me to stop sleeping all day and it will be better, but what they fail to understand is that I'm so exhausted due to this that I need all the sleep I can get to feel normal.

    Lost my job due to this because several days in a row it totally prevented sleep, was too scared to fall asleep and when I did I would jolt up and just increase the level of fear of sleeping.

    So thanks for making this blog, now when I know the proper term for this I will be able to find some professional help and maybe in a while be able to get a good nights sleep!

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  24. ..i got these last year, i was so frightened, it was as if somethimg was preventing me from sleeping, it started with me waking up at 2 a.m every night and then one fine morning when i had my period i got these frightening jerks. i could just manage about 4 hours of sleep a day...turned out i was anaemic...after a few months i was back to normal but it recurred after many months...when the last jerks subside i got head aches in my sleep...when they subsided i get sort of like hot flashes and trembling...i'm assumming its all menopause related as i am of that age...i took the homeopathic pills called aconite.. that helped...

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  25. I've had hypnic jerks for years. I can remember them from my childhood... just less often. I am on CPAP for sleep apnea and have been for ~3 years. Still had the jerks periodically. Recently been going through a particularly stressful period and they have increased. They are always more frequent when my daytime stress level is higher... and it does not help that it interferes with my much needed sleep. My sons kept telling me I needed 10 hours of sleep a night. I told them that I had been recording my hours of sleep for a long time and that 8 hours a night was enough, so long as I made up missed hours by going to bed that much earlier and still woke up at a consistent time. Last night, I had sleep jerks / hypnic jerks all night according to my husband. Not incidentally, yesterday I had a very negative interaction with one of my docs/(a quack). The latent stress showed up all night as I had hypnic jerks all night. Recently, my sons begged me to start going to be earlier so that my number of hours of sleep would be 10 hours. I have done this for just under 2 weeks with EXCELLENT results. I believe that the '30 minutes here, 2 hours there' that I have missed along the way have added up to create a sleep deficit that needs some 'payback time'. I would highly recommend that you go to bed at the same time every night and wake up about the same time every morning. I KNOW life is hard that way... but, there is no pill that can substitute for sleep, and there is no substitute for lost sleep... except an extra hour or two of sleep consistantly over time until you've paid your 'sleep debt' off hour for hour. It doesn't just go away... but it can get better if you make yourself go to bed and allot at least 8 uninterupted hours to let your body sleep... and do 10 hours a night for a few weeks (CONSISTENTLY) if you have a LOT of sleep debt to catch up on. There are no pills... no shortcuts... nothing that will repay the sleep debt, except sleep. If you have notable snoring, get a sleep test and see if you have sleep apnea. It can be treated and will help your quality of sleep... there there is NO pill that will help your quantity of sleep if you do not put your butt in bed early enough to get 8 hours of sleep every night. JoanNCville

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  26. I'm also having these horrible jerks just as I'm falling asleep. It feels like as I'm woken up I have a massive adrenaline rush so feel anxious and then can't get back to sleep... And even when I finally drift off, another jerk happens. I'm also wondering if these jerks could be linked to a concussion as I didn't ever suffer from them until I was badly concussed at the end of June. So great to be able to read posts about this on the forum. I'm hoping meditation and relaxation will help. Good luck everyone :)

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    1. I started getting these jerks after having a ruptured disc in my neck removed and the 2 vertabra fused. My doctor said the dsic left an imprint on my spinal cord that looked like a footprint in wet sand. I sometimes get a jerk sitting at work while awake too. I figure it is due to the spinal cord damage. I use this pillow. I think it helps. http://www.mypillow.com/

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  27. i´ve been havin these jerks for months now.
    they keep me awake for hours, because, as soon as i start drifting off, the jerk jolts me wide awake...and it happens like every couple of minutes...
    once i finally fall asleep,if i wake up too early, say 5 am, it starts all over again.
    my neuro made me go through all sorts of tests and they all came back normal.
    i also suffer from something which resembles painful sensory polyneuropathy, but have not yet been diagnosed.
    i don´t know whether these two conditions are connected or not, but i`m not happy.
    my neuro has recently put me on low dose doxepin for pain management, but it seems to make my hypnic jerks situation even worse.
    she also recommanded clonazepam, which i have not yet tried, because i`m afraid of getting addicted.
    (sorry for any spelling or grammar mistakes- i`m from eastern europe, so english is not my mother tongue.)
    good luck to you all!

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  28. From the comments on here and what everyone has been describing, these are exactly the same symptoms that I have been having. I can feel myself getting tired and relaxed in bed and as my mind takes me off into the first stage of sleep, I am immediately jerked awake with a whole body spasm.

    At first it was very much similar to the feeling of falling and my body was trying to catch itself, but as time goes on its become just a whole body muscle spasm right between the stage of awake and about to fall asleep. It never occurs when I'm fully awake in bed. These body jerks can occur as frequently as every 3 minutes or up to 20 minutes. Therefore I'm not getting anymore than a total an hour or two of sleep a night and its never consecutive.

    This has been going on for about a 2 weeks, and I'm exhausted. The only part that is unique for me from these other comments, is that I have recently quit drinking alcohol before bed. I used to be a heavy drinker but only right before bed (used to use it as pseudo sleeping aid). I would have a few drinks right before bed and I would fall asleep immediately. Ever since I've stopped drinking I've been experiencing these symptoms exactly. I wonder if I've never noticed them before because of the alcohol or if they could be caused by the on set of quitting. I don't want to or care to start drinking again in the evening to help me sleep but I will definitely have to try these supplements everyone has been so gracious to comment about. If anyone has a similar story please add it to the blog and I will be checking back on this site regularly.

    Thanks for everyone telling their stories. I feel comfort in knowing I'm not the only one.

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  29. I have been having these same problems recently. For the past month on and off. I went four days with absolutely no sleep whatsoever. The first time was when I got sick and had pneumonia. As soon as i would start to doze, I would jerk and wake right back up. And then it would happen over and over and over again. It wasnt until I got put on anxiety meds that it stopped. So I think mine are caused by massive anxiety.

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  30. I have had these for years. The spasms are violent. Sometimes I feel like I've been kick in the chest. Sometimes I actually hear myself make a gasping noise. It got so bad that I started taking sonata/zaleplon 5-10 mg at bedtime. It's a short lasting (4 hours) sleeping pill. 10 mg always works; sometimes I can manage with 5 mg. There are no side effects the next day from the drug, but I have no idea if there are long term side effects. I dont have a problem falling asleep if I am awakened, but since this drug only lasts 4 hours, it could be taken again within a certain time frame if needed. I sucks to have to take drugs to fall asleep though. I am going to look into the iron/calcium/magnesium that someone mentioned.

    ReplyDelete
  31. I have had hypnic jerks mostly after i was infected with thyphoid fever.It was 3 years back.I usually get them when i sleep in afternoons.I tried many things.I have found 2 solutions.
    These jerks happen more to people who have had weak nervous systems.
    They happen due to electrolyte imbalance.
    2 solutions are
    1)Drink tropicana Orange juice one glass 30 minutes before you sleep.
    2)Take a palm full of table salt & then move your palm slowly all over your body especially nerve centers like head spinal chord and shoulder hands legs.Then throw the salt away.This is better if someone else does it for you.Not sure why it helps.It may be conducting some negative ions away from your body by electrical conduction.

    Send a mail to me on shiva321@yahoo.com if this helps you.

    ReplyDelete
  32. Hi All, great site!! I've had these jerks for years now and like many of you, thought I was the only one in the world to have them! It's great to be able to put a name to it. I'm from New Zealand and to date, no known cure! Sleeping pills help for a while then like everything else, your body gets immune to them. Vicious circle as you say. If I come across a miracle cure, you will be the first to know.
    Faith
    Wanganui
    New Zealand

    ReplyDelete
  33. Sorry I just realised I forgot to add something to my blog - see above. Clonazepam is the drug that I have been prescribed and been on for a long time. Also just a quick comment regarding alcohol. I have found that if I have one or two drinks then my jerks are much worse but if I have, say, a bottle of wine then I sleep like a baby. The only problem with alcohol is that you get immune to that too after a while and end up having to drink more and more - not good. I have stopped using alcohol to help me sleep and just drink socially. I belong to a Medical Centre who has locum Doctors who come from overseas - mainly America - and are here for only a year so I ask each new Doctor if they have brought a cure over with them!! Nothing yet I'm sorry. The biggest thing to remember is that you are not alone and that it appears to be a harmless, albeit HORRIBLE, condition. I have had this condition for so long and could write a book on it! If anyone wants my email details, let me know. :)

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Any help yet? I have it bad now.

      Delete
  34. Re post dated November 3, 2011 5:36pm

    I would love a chat re what you are going through as it sounds like we have the same deal going on. I'm currently exploring different methods to get some decent sleep and to stop scaring the bejesus out of my wife (and I).

    Please email me at joebennett90@gmail.com

    Thank you

    ReplyDelete
  35. Brilliant blog, I was getting worried I was one of very few out there who gets these jerks! I'm glad I'm not alone and it is actually quite common. I've always suffered with it for as long as I can remember but usually it'll happen for a few nights and then not happen again for months. I can live with it but feel bad for my boyfriend as it scares the sh*t out of him every time cos sometimes i'll wake up with such a violent jolt with my whole body. I don't always wake up fully when it happens though, someitmes i can just roll over and fall straight back to sleep again. but sometimes it'll happen 2 or 3 times a night. I'll try the magnesium suggestion but might mention it to my doctor and see if there's a link at all to low ferritin levels which i also suffer with.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Please see my July 12, 2012 post. Have you tried iron supplements?

      Delete
  36. It's quite funny how these jerks are not the same for everyone ie some have them as they are about to go to sleep, some wake up from sleep, some have them every night and some only now and again! I'd be more than happy to have them every now and again as opposed to every night!! Drop me an email if you wish to exchange thoughts and ideas.

    Faith
    New Zealand

    faithandduane@xtra.co.nz

    Cheers

    ReplyDelete
  37. Hi , thanks for all the above info re hypnotic jerks. I finally decided to google this problem due to another night sleeping on the couch. There had to be someone, somewhere who knew what I was talking about. My husband has been suffering with them for at least five years. Unlike other bloggers on this site, they don't bother him. I lie there counting and he has one ever 25 to 30 seconds. I am definitely going to try him on the magnesium supplement and a glass of orange juice before bed. Wish me luck. I hope and pray for you all that you will find the answer to a peaceful nights sleep,

    Val. Sydney, Australia

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Val, my husband has had this since I've known him and we have been married for almost 6 years. It happens throughout the night almost every night and he is so deep in sleep, he doesn't know it's happening. He will snore loudly and then the body jerks will shake the bed dramatically from random parts of his body. I am a light sleeper and most nights one of us ends up on the couch making sleep difficult. My husband is not on any meds and he thinks he's had it since he was a child. I am thinking about trying the magnesium supplement on him since I already keep Natural Calm in the house for my migraines.

      If you find any other solutions, I would love to hear them.

      Dreamerzina@gmail.com

      Delete
    2. I also have a husband that has these night jerks! Here it is 1:30 in the morning and I am researching this to see what I can find out! My husband does not know he is doing this. He also snores, and that seems to go in a cycle. Starts out snoring, then starts jerking,repeat....oh my, I am so tired!!!!Please keep those remedies coming!

      Delete
  38. The fact that they don't bother your husband is absolutely amazing!!! My heart goes out to you having to sleep on the couch! I have heard that certain fruit juices do help although you have to watch how much you have due to the sugar content in them. Good luck and will report any miraculous cures/remedies if I hear about them. :)
    Faith, Wanganui, New Zealand

    ReplyDelete
  39. Hi, I posted a while back about my condition calling it "hypnic jerks" or "sleep starts". I am now on the brink of getting a more official diagnosis from my neurologist, whom is a sleep specialist. He says sleep medicine is in its infancy and that's why so little research is done to help us with our condition(s) and why 95% of Dr's have no clue as to what to diagnose us with or how to treat us. Hopefully as new research is being done we will have more answers and treatment options. Here is the one known medical study....
    http://www.journalsleep.org/Articles/240711.pdf
    Best wishes to you all.
    Kate
    SW United States

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thanks Kate. The PDF is definitely useful. I wonder if you're still on Clonazepam and are you having to up the dose after a while? I'm too on C and find that it helps - return me to normal really - but after 6 weeks it's already showing signs of wearing off and the jerks returning. I was on 1.5mg nightly. I don't even know if you check in here at all. but if you do, please do let me know...

      Delete
  40. I have these awful episodes and find them very distressing, I think I am dying, and its very difficult to calm down afterwards.I am taking St Johns wort at the moment to try and calm myself down, its worth a shot!!!!!

    ReplyDelete
  41. I ve had these for the past year and a half. It almost always happens when someone tries to wake me up when i am asleep. I am startled. wake up with frightened with a jolt and gasping for breath. My roommate wont wake me up anymore coz it scares the shit out of him. My friends would joke about it, so would i. But now its become more regular and frequent. Whenever anyone wakes me up i wake up scared. Its different when i wake up on my own. I dunno what this is. PLEASE HELP. MY PARTNER IS FREAKED OUT BY THIS

    ReplyDelete
  42. I have been suffering relentlessly with this for 6 weeks now, mine is not just jerking in the limbs but also the face and throat, including the tongue and vocal cords. It started out with involuntary swallowing each and every time I started to drift off to sleep, then it switched to these odd vocal sounds like "umm" or "hmm" on the first exhalation transitioning to sleep, and now the jerking in the arms, fingers and toes. My primary care doctor was COMPLETELY baffled and said she had never even heard of such a thing! I got a referal to a neurologist figuring I'd at least get some answers and treatment, he called them "hypnic jerks" or "hypnagogic myoclonus" but that there is absolutely nothing that can be done to treat them and that I will just have to learn to live with them!!!!! I finally passed out after 4 weeks of getting basically NO SLEEP whatsover and went to the E.R. and they gave me a 20 day supply of Xanax .5 and diagnosed me with Generalized Anxiety Disorder after CT scan and all the tests coming back normal. The Xanax has definitely helped me to get some sleep the last 2 weeks and to function again at work, but now I'm almost out and don't know where to go from here and I am so despairing now that this is permanant!!!!!! I am going to try the Natural Calm Magnesium tonight hoping that may help, seems like all this could be a biochemical imbalance from what I've read, yet ALL my tests (iron, magnesium, thyroid, etc) and bloodwork came back normal. I'm at a complete loss, haven't been under any stress whatsoever, and don't suffer from or ever been treated for depression so that rules out that and SSRI withdrawal, which is the only other thing I found that comes even close to describing this condition. Maybe this does have something though to do with Serotonin since the symptoms are so similar??? Just grasping at straws here as I'm so desperate for help and its very clear I'm not going to get it from the medical community.

    ReplyDelete
  43. Has anyone had any luck taking Lyrica? Seems to have the same effects and potency as the benzodiazepines but without all the longterm and harmful side effects. Also are there any other blogs to support those of us with this condition, would be nice to have some interaction on a daily/weekly basis, I feel so alone yet it seems there are quite a lot of us out there...

    ReplyDelete
  44. I am happy to correspond via email. My email address is above.

    Faith
    Wanganui
    New Zealand

    ReplyDelete
  45. After years of suffering from life wrecking hypnic jerks I have two natural solutions for myself.

    Loads of Natural Calm magnesium. Sometimes I need to take about 3 times the DRA, like 900 mg. I will suffer from loose stool the following day, but typically it helps to break the viscous cycle and I can start reducing the dose from there. At least I get a full night's sleep.

    The other thing I have tried which has worked wonders is 1/2 teaspoon of baking soda. It totally eliminates the jerks. The only problem is that too much causes just simple insomnia, without any jerks.

    Magnesium and baking soda are both alkalizing. And it is proven now that a too acidic environment causes anxiety, and vice versa.

    If you go to earthclinic, look for Ted's recipe on baking soda and apple cider vinegar.

    ReplyDelete
  46. Hi, thanks for the info on Apple Cider Vinegar and Baking Soda. I went onto the earthclinic site but couldn't find how much to actually take of the ACV and Baking Soda. Can you tell me how much of each you take. Many thanks. Faith, Wanganui. New Zealand

    ReplyDelete
  47. I had hypnic jerks for about 7 years, I did chelation and went on a proper diet that worked to stop it after about 3 months.
    I do advice not using any products that have aluminum in them (deodorants, soaps, using aluminum cookware, drinking from aluminum, etc.

    Avoid eating meats completely!!! All meats have insecticides & toxins in them.
    ~ Eat only raw organic, none irridated veggies, greens, fruits. melons, berries and nuts.
    This will correctly balance your PH level.

    Stay away from fluorescent lighting, all fluorescent & CFL lights emit mercury vapors.

    Exercise in the mornings, not the evenings, don't eat before sleeping.
    Drink alkaline enhanced purified water, avoid tap water.

    Sometimes tonic water will lessen the strength of the jerks temporarily.

    Above all DO NOT TAKE ANY PHARMACEUTICALS, they will make the jerks worse.

    Gary
    garshipp@yahoo.com

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. O goodness me! I have tried everything for my daughter. At one stage I had her at a doctor that also told us basically the same to cut out meat eat veggies and that she must avoid aluminium. She was treated for sinus and a permanent drip. After going on this diet, she was fine, but started to eat wrong again. After about 3 years, the was fainting and jerking. Up till now we still do not know what is wrong with her. Thank you for your comment. What is chelation? Did you go to a doctor? Are you eating according to your blood type? Please reply. Alta

      Delete
  48. TED'S APPLE CIDER VINEGAR AND BAKING SODA FORMULA

    "Two tablespoon of ACV plus 1/4 teaspoon of baking soda. This has a PH of about 7. Take this two to three times a day on an empty stomach."

    I have not tried this myself but I read that it has helped with hypnic jerks. I will try it today and will report back.

    ReplyDelete
  49. Hi, I have suffered with jerks for over 10 years now. After visiting several sleep clinics and neurologists they still are unable to determine exactly if i have myoclonic jerk hypnic jerks or a form of epilepsy. the reason they are unable to identify these are due to huge difference in episodes i have from very mild jerks to fit like seizures

    In the last 12 months i have decided to stop taking prescribed medication due to the way my body and mind reacts to these yes they do suppress them but my life suffers in different ways ie my mood swings, concentration.

    I do not recommend anyone follows stopping medication without at first consulting their GP.

    I personally have found my sleep has improved in the last 12 months with the help of a good diet, excercise and routine.

    Things that have helped me.
    Drink lots of water- try hot water if you can.
    cut out wheat, pasta, cereals etc
    use goats milks instead of cows milk
    magnesium supplents
    eat organic if you can afford especially fruit and veg
    try to eat fish instead of meat
    excercise every day even if its just walking.
    most important
    night routine follow this go to bed early
    read if your not tired
    remove all electrical items from your bedroom TV stereo etc.
    Do not watch tv in bed its a easy distraction.

    The above is not a cure and i do still suffer and had a really bad week of sleep 2 weeks ago but i do find my sleep is a lot healthier now. my jerks have greater distance between episodes now, i don't believe their is a cure for this but we can certainly make it more comfortable to live with and my thoughts go out to all of you who do suffer, your not alone, your not going mad or crazy. Do speak to someone about it and i hope you all find a happy medium to continue with your life and accept that these episodes can be controlled.

    Take care Jonny ;)

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thanks for sharing your experience and your input Jonny. I believe the biggest point to get across to those whose "jerks" have just started is that you are not alone and if you find you have been going for weeks without sleep you need to seek medical help because sleep deprivation just exacerbates the situation whereby making your coping mechanisms fly out the door. Cheers
      Faith
      New Zealand

      Delete
    2. I also starting taking a magnesium and melatonin suppliment before bed and they have subsided.

      Delete
  50. I'm dealing w/what FEELS like hypnic jerking, but it's not just when attempting to sleep. It will start with one leg jerk, then perhaps move to an arm, or my eye, then my back, which will jerk multiple times before moving to another part of the body. (rinse and repeat) I've had 14+ back surgeries due to a benign congenital spinal tumor that wasn't discovered until I was almost 18, but this is completely different than any of the "regular" back pain/spasms that I deal with. I only mention the tumor because it's always assumed by my multitude of Drs that it's simply neurogenic/pathic, depending on which Doc I talk to, and on what day. It's going to drive me to drink one of these days. I have to take a Xanax before I try to sleep at all, as the jerks have completely interrupted what little sleep I used to get before... when I'd get at least 90 minutes before having to wake and reposition/take some medication, then wait ANOTHER 15 min to fall asleep, etc. Then weird part about this being that I feel the jerking very prominently, but very rarely does anyone else notice it. Anyone out there getting these more prominent and repeated hypnic jerks? Jennifer @blueeyedangel304@hotmail.com

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I have suffered with hipnic jerks for over 8 years every single night as l try to sleep and throughout each and every night, l have been put on various medications but they have nasty side effects so l only take the bare minimum. l get about an hours sleep before they start an then l just lie there coz what
      else can you do. They start in my stomach but then my shoulder or arm they
      jerk forward or backwards my legs or
      ankles jerk in fact l get these jerks all
      over my body there is just no end to it.
      l try not to get upset but they have
      destroyed my marriage and teaching career
      friends dont come round or ring me anymore for fear of disturbing me if l am resting. l was a complementary therapist for years but now find that relaxation is my worse enemy l cant even relax completely coz my muscles start jerking. Email harvanda@hotmail.com if you have
      any helpful advice my name is AJ
      because l am so exhausted in the day time. Anyone out there

      Delete
  51. I have been getting these extremely bad for the past couple days. It has been causing me to not get any sleep at all. I am 31 years old and was diagnosed with Fibromyalgia a few weeks ago, so I know the reason why this is happening, but I need a cure. I am so exhausted all I want to do is sleep but I feel like I cant get comfortable. I get the hypnic jerks when I'm awake as well but they arent as extreme when I'm awake. It is extremely annoying. Thank you everyone who has posted your experience. I really thought there was something additionally wrong with me. I will definitely be speaking with my Rheumatologist about this when I go back in a few weeks.

    ReplyDelete
  52. Hi there to the latest blogger who suffers from fibromyalgia. My only suggestion would be, as you are not seeing your Rheumatologist for a few weeks,you really need to get some sleep in the interim. Sleep deprivation is the most CRUEL thing to have to deal with and as I have said many times, your coping mechanisms go out the window if you are sleep deprived therefore you need to see your GP about getting something prescribed to help you sleep. I have found that there is a stigma attached to being on or associated with any form of sleeping tablets but believe me, they saved me from going totally insane! You may only need them for a little while but it is imperative that you get some sleep in order to cope with what is happening to you. Keep us informed as to the outcome of your visit to the Rheumatologist. Take care.
    Faith
    New Zealand

    ReplyDelete
  53. I went into the ER because everytime I was going to go into deep sleep, it didn't feel like I was falling, but it did feel like I was dying, shutting down, which later would quickly wake me up. This gave me anxiety, and now im terrified to sleep because I think im gonna die everytime, so now im really screwed myself up. Doctor gave me something called atavan. It worked the first night but not the second. or third. Im gonna try to get a sleep study done so i can get this crap figured out.

    ReplyDelete
  54. Hi Joe - yes can relate - it's a real horrible condition. Would love to hear how you get on at the sleep study and what they recommend.
    Cheers
    Faith
    New Zealand

    ReplyDelete
  55. Is there with you once you are about to enter deep sleep very happy and then suddenly I felt that you drop and shake your body shock?

    What it called [hypnic jerk] and this happens often during sleep very light when body temperature back down and starts the heart بالتباطئ and leaves the brain controlling muscle, the brain invented dream where you feel small drops from the top of a slope for example ...

    So, the next time you wake up in a panic, remember that you ar dying interruption systems of your body tired and fatigue and thank God he returned you to life again

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Your not actually dying. Your brain just misinterprets the information and sends a signal to make you move.

      Delete
  56. 27 years of this! I also have neck and upper arm (arm pit) pain. My body jerks sometime every 5 seconds. When really bad my entire body can shoot up almost two feet into the air.

    Been to all doctors, neuros, scans etc... Lost jobs along the way too.

    Contrary to what many in here say and I do NOT advocate this. Three glasses of wine before bed helps me. I rest and don't jerk at all.

    But alcohol is not a medicine or a cure but after so many years of no resting, constant jerking and pain.

    Does alcohol work even a little for any of you guys? Stress can make any condition worse but I doubt it is the root cause.

    I'm even afraid to start a relationship. Last person I just shared a bed with freaked out.

    How many people here smoke cigarettes? Did quitting help any?

    I don't smoke grass but if it helped I think I would. Any comments?

    Again I don't advocate alcohol but it does help me rest.

    Also are your jerks accompanied with pain? Sometimes like electric shocks?

    ReplyDelete
  57. I used to find alcohol helped - wine - a couple of glasses made my jerks worse but if I drank a whole bottle, then I slep like a baby - not one jerk. The only thing that has helped is Clonazepam and I have just started taking Gabapentin and these seem to have helped also. My pelvis has jumped off the bed but mine is usually my legs and arms. Also, I have just been told about a homeopathic remedy called Schuessler Tissue Salt, Muscle Relaxant
    Mag Phos (Spray)which may help. Stress does exacerbate the situation for sure. You really need to see your Doctor for prescription medicine because the thing with alcohol, you tend to get "immune" to that as well so you end up drinking more and more.

    Hope this helps.

    Faith
    Wanganui
    New Zealand

    PS see above for my other blogs.

    ReplyDelete
  58. Rkp - London-UK

    I was a alcholic and i stopped drinking via a planned detox with the aid of proffesionals , i am now 5 months sober , I used to have these hypnic jerks after heavy drinking sessions and then going without booze for a couple of days ( 2-3 days to be exact )As i never slept properly - so defianatly alchol has a part to play - i also had the snapping or popping feeling in my head - Anyway now being 5 monyhs clean and changing my lifestyle around which includes a lot of exercise and eating fruit ( i never exercised b4 and never ate properly ) I have noticed in the last 2 weeks i been getting these hypnic jerks - i do not know why as i am much healthier but i do have a lot of changes going on in my life - i dont take any meds ! I did associate it with alchol before - but i think its chemical imbalance coupled with stree - as when the body is getting ready for sleep - the brain is still running 120mph , So i think as many have suggested , combination of meditation , magnesium/calcium supplement and relaxation rechniques before bedtime will resolve this ! I will do a test run on it and report back ! thasnks for reading !

    ReplyDelete
  59. I just saw a third neurologist today and quite dismayed. I received no real answers as to why my body behaves the way it does. A couple of years ago I experienced leg jerking while relaxing. This has exacerbated into whole body jerking, jiggling, twitching. My torso even jumps about an inch off the bed at times. I've tried wine, which works, but don't like to drink 3-4 glasses a night. Hate the thought of prescription drugs because of side effects.

    I have some Natural Calm and will increase the dosage to see if it works.

    Thank you for your stories and suggestions. More from all of you than from the docs.

    ReplyDelete
  60. I have been taking SchuessleR Tissue SaltS. It comes in a spray - 4 sprays in your mouth. Its a muscle relxant MAG PHOS - homeopathic medicine for muscle cramps, spasms, twitches and spasmodic pains.

    So far, it has been VERY effective - I am slowly decreasing my clonazepam dosage and I used the spray before bed and if I start jerking, I just have another couple of sprays. It's definately worth a go - it's natural and no side effects!!! I would be interested to hear back from anyone who decides to try it and how they find it.

    Cheers

    Faith
    New Zealand

    ReplyDelete
  61. Ive had this for years, like some others have said i feel like im starting a snore and cant get my breath and I jerk awake. Ive got used to having a couple of drink's in the evening which does solve it but is hardly recommended. I dread going on long haul flights as i have to stick my arms under the seatbelt if im starting to feel drowsy, otherwise i could hit someone next to me. Had trouble getting back to sleep after getting woken early today so tried to work out whats going on. Its feels to me like im breathing through my mouth as i drift off, then a snore starts and makes me breathe through my nose and everything just gets mixed up causing my brain to go into alarm mode. So im going to see if there are any good items to stop me snoring and see how that goes. Otherwise its the vodka lol good luck everyone

    ReplyDelete
  62. solution
    hello my friends
    first excuse me for my weak english
    i have this situation too
    and after searching for long time i had this
    it can be one of those things drug using will make you relax more than normally and that will take you to hypnosis trance it doesn,t mean someone controling you or not depend on the individual you encounter
    or same thing with alcohol
    being naughty alone in your room and wishing to have this hypnosis orgasim because you read it somewhere and you get curious .
    or paranormal activity
    or imagining and relaxing same time later you will feel things will be real like sex or biting or chocking or other things .
    this information i collected from my personal experience because curiousty made me dive more in this thing take what you want and leave the rest .
    usually its contact between you and other creatures mostly human exchanging wishes wether its compatible or not .

    solousions they work for me

    1st; before you start pray and ask god[allah] who created me and you and all for help .

    2nd avoid sitting all day or relaxing and try to not think about it .if your imaginary partner will stick and try to force you to do what he want say no i dont want to do this you not allowed to toucch this trust me this sounds silly but after 3 or 4 times trying effect will be noticed . keep your self confidence high because this is mental battle not physical . when you say dont touch loud or inside your brain doesn,t matter whaat matter is to address it . try to communicate with this simple code one slap to the leg means yes two slaps no soon you both will communicate .

    3rd; if your partner is asshole lol and nothing worked from above time to give him/her lesson . this things no one revealed it somebad individuals they sell it .
    get pellow or piece of material thick so it won,t hurt your teeth and when you get disturbed by this unknown individual imagining its his/her sexual organs and bite it easy and slowly note harder you bite less effect easy and slowly you bite with eyes closed and picturing what you bite ,harder you effect .dont do it always only when you get bothered because thats hurt .

    4th if not working contact someone doing hypnosis things with one finger snap you will be ok trust me those guys knows how to take you out of trance and disconnect you from this mental connection .
    if you need any thing contact me here zaidanahmed2006@yahoo.com i dont want anything from you guys just say god bless . and good luck with that .
    captain.ahmed zaidan

    ReplyDelete
  63. OMG - Well I think I've seen/heard it all now!!!! How can a perfectly innocent blog that is there purely to help people with a debilitating condition attract whatever the hell that is above??? I know it takes all sorts to make a world but ........... give me a break. I think the "Captain" might just need to find another site that will appreciate his so called "advice". Please go away and leave this site clean and pure as you found it!!!!

    ReplyDelete
  64. Hi, there hasn't been anything on the blog since the "Captain" posted his ......... whatever you call it! Just wanted to let you know that unfortunately the Mag Phos had no long lasting positive cure neither did the Gabapentin!! Am still looking and will be visiting my local Health Shop soon as they are good at suggesting different herbs to try. Still on the Clonazepam - but hey, that's life - I don't worry about the stigma associated with sleeping tablets because at the end of the day, I need my sleep - as I HAVE hit the wall due to lack of sleep and am not going down that track again. Anyway, would love to hear how the rest of you are getting on. Please blog or email me.

    Cheers
    Faith - New Zealand
    faithandduane@xtra.co.nz

    ReplyDelete
  65. My husband has had some kind of nightly jerks for years. I don 't know if they are hypnic jerks or something else. Not that I've read every entry above but it sounds like most of these are jolts that wake the person up suddenly. In his case, he falls asleep and about every 45 seconds some part of his body (leg, arm or head) will just go spastic. His head sometimes will leave his pillow, his leg will quickly move. The cycle continues all night without him being aware of it. I've had to resort to sleeping in another room as it is so distracting and keeps me from sleeping.

    ReplyDelete
  66. Sometimes I get these jerks, and it scares me at first. But then I'm too tired to worry about it so I go back to sleep. And I think, when you wake up, you imagine things that aren't really real. Like a kind of paranoid feeling?

    ReplyDelete
  67. I suffer hypnic jerky too. I saw doctor but they gave sleep pills. However i want healthy things. Last night i took Magnesium Citrate powder (1 tspoon in cup of water) and sleep tea and then walked 15 min. Then slept well. It might work for you. Try it.

    ReplyDelete
  68. I was perfectly fine a day before ...
    suddenly a night of insomnia occurred probably coz i had to undergo an endoscopy the next day.

    it all went fine (touch wood) ... btw i m 26 ... now for the past 2 days i have jerks as soon as i am in transition to sleep ...
    Also one thing worth mentioning is that i see dreams as soon as i m going to sleep ... it might be odd but before i go to sleep i am dreamy ...
    jerks happened a month ago too but then they went away in few days.

    the problem i feel is that i get anxious with each passing jerk (though i know very well what is it) and it gets worst...

    will try on mg supplement as ppl have said ...

    @all thanks for the posts though, it makes the head and heart a bit light.

    --
    India

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  69. What a fantastic collection of personal accounts. Thank you to everyone who shared their experiences.

    I first had the hypnic jerks about 12 years ago. They started with spontaneous nocturnal panic attacks. After cleaning up my diet and various other behavioral changes, I've slept pretty well for years. Then this past week, BAM, these suckers have been back, completely
    disrupting sleep. After not a single minute of real sleep last night, I discovered this page at 5 a.m. this morning.

    I've made a chart of every suggestion mentioned, and want to share what helped me in the past and what I hope to do again: consistent meditation. The author of this post suggested that, along with yoga, but I don't think I've read anyone else mentioning their experiences with it. I used to meditate regularly but have been away from it for several years.

    I plan on trying twice a day 20 minute meditation sessions, along with the magnesium supplementation mentioned above by several, and I'll check back in next month and share whether or not this made a difference. Good luck everyone!

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  70. I think mine have always been connected to stress.
    I have always been an anxious person and when the anxiety rises i get them.

    --
    India

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  71. Great to see lots of response to this Blog!! I had to go to the Doctor last week and as per usual - he was a different Dr as it goes with the Medical Practice I belong to. Anyway he HAD heard of Hypnic Jerks and had been taking an interest in them. Unfortunately, they have not come up with the "why" it happens and the "how" to fix them and there is not the money there to do an indepth study on it!!! Sad but true but I was happy that I had actually come across a Dr that had actually HEARD of this condition - the others have just looked blankly at me!!! Nothing to report cure wise - still on the Clonazepam - oh yay - but am still looking and willl keep you informed.
    Faith
    Wanganui
    New Zeland

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  72. You know what they are and know they are harmless therefore there should be no cycle and you shouldn't scare yourself. If you're having an episode one night just accept it and watch tv til you physically can't stay awake any longer. I found that mine happen when I work out late and when I am dehydrated. The reason these hypnic jerks happen is different for everyone. No one knows. You have to figure out what's causing them and find your own remedy. There isn't enough research nor is there a conclusive remedy, the closest is sleeping pills. I'm a healthy 22 year old and I have suffered from anxiety/depression as well which could be linked however the bottom line is THE JERKS ARE HARMLESS. Best of luck and get some sleep!

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  73. I had these jerks on and off for over three years, after having a concussion and then a car accident in short period of time. Some things that have helped me are yoga, using a chi machine, and increasing my mineral intake.

    Also I have worked with a Tibetan doctor and an acupuncturist, and both have explained to me that this is primarily a liver issue, that the blood, for whatever reasons--stress, depression, or over sensitivity--is not 'retreating' to the liver at night in the way it should. My Tibetan doctor gave me a complex herbal formula called 'SOS' for this particular issue, and it does help. She also recommends that I take melatonin.

    Unfortunately, the SOS pills are only available through a Tibetan practitioner. The formulas are secret and are made only in Tibet and India.

    I have not found a good Chinese medicine practitioner, and I wonder if they might have similar formula that would work for this particular issue. If anybody knows, please post about it, as the Tibetan medicines are relatively expensive.

    Good luck to everyone.

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  74. My 'Hypnic Movements' (I don't like using the word 'jerk') never wake me from sleep, they stop me from getting to sleep.

    I have had them for over 15 years every night or any time I try to rest. Mine are also very painful like bursts of electricity every 10 seconds. It is like my body is possessed. Do you guys also experience or feel lots of pain too?

    Has anyone tried medication for epilepsy? At this point I will try anything.

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  75. The Hypnic Movements I experience can be painful at times. I have tried Gabapentin which is for Epilepsy or Neuropathic Pain and although it made an impression early on, it became useless after a couple of months. As per my previous blogs, the only medication that I have been on that has helped with getting a decent nights sleep is Clonazepam. Please feel free to email me as I would be more than happy to go through my experiences.
    Kind Regards
    Faith
    New Zealand
    faithandduane@xtra.co.nz

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  76. Started having hypnic jerks about 6 weeks ago while beginning to go to sleep and while dozing off in the daytime. I have other sleep disorders as well including sleep apnea. I do not believe stress is causing this as I do not feel particularly stressed out. One of my doctors noted that myoclinic jerks might be associated with low ferritin levels. A recent blood test showed that my ferritin levels have progressively dropped sigificantly from 2 prior blood tests but were still in the low normal range. I plan to begin taking iron supplements to see if it helps get rid of it. Has anyone tried this?

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    Replies
    1. Did the Iron work? MY ferritin level is 66

      mark@trifectatelecom.com please tell me I am desperate.

      Delete
  77. Thank you for all your stories and advice. Reading through describes exactly what I have. The sheer sense of panic I have after a jolt is terrifying and then it happens again and again until I pass out. Relentless. I know what brings mine on but I don't know his to deal with them when I get them. Definitely cutting down on the booze and keeping hydrated keeps them at bay for me. Im glad I am not alone and that I'm not going to die from them either as that magnifies the panic even more. Thank you for explains what I've had for a number of years now.

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  78. Thanks All for sharing this. As many of you, I had no idea what this was. Finally (after the last episode a few minutes ago) I found this site. In my case, at least as I recall, it only happened when I was stressed out !
    And it's a "near death" scary thing...

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  79. Wow I cudnt beleaf I found dis site...I don't jolt bt my partner does...it doesn't wake em bt it wakes me..I find it hard to slep..I'm constantly havn broken sleps coz of dis..I'm so greatful to hav been able to read..he ain't the only 1 and u all hav great ideas that I wil nw mention first thing n da morn.. to.try espeacially the diet.. its reali fustrating coz he don't realises he does it,until I've given em a boot! Lol

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  80. well i have this but not like you guys. mine isnt sleep related, it happens to me every hour of the day. Yes when my stress levels is high, the problem gets worse. It doesnt wake me from sleep but it bothers me during the day. Does anyone else have this problem during the day? or only when asleep?

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  81. Ive had this recently, also. Has anyone had any luck with magnesium? The jerks I get are VERY mild, but still enough to wake me as I'm sleeping.

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  82. thank you for this site. i have had these on and off again for years. i am going to start a diary of what i eat, daytime stress ect and see if anything will show up as to why i only get them sometimes and not other times. i will post if i find anything.

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  83. Thanks for all your comments, it makes me feel better knowing others struggle with this.
    I have been struggling with hypnagogic myoclonus (sleep starts) for 1 1/2 years now. It started at the time when I had a very stressful event at work, and has not stopped since. I had two (2) sleep studies where they determined I had sleep apnea, prescribed CPAP which I tried and did not stop the jerks. My doctor prescribed Ambien, and eventually I went to a neurologist who prescribed Clonozepam (generic Klonopin). It works better than Ambien for me, because I sleep longer in the morning. Still, I never sleep past 6:30 or so even after taking two Clonozepam at night. I hate going to bed and that anxiety, I fear, contributes to the sleep starts. Then again when I doze off on a lazy Saturday I have them as well, which makes me wonder if anxiety has anything to do with it at all. Any suggestions on a way to ween myself off Clonozepam so I don't have to take that the rest of my life?

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    1. I'm in exactly the same situation as you, my dear. I'm beside myself with worry. My jolts started in April during a spell in hospital. The anxiety and the as yet undiscovered sleep apnea produce a reaction rather like hick-up. I was put on CPAP and zopiclone and now 6 months on, the problem is still there. recently I get up in the middle of the night to take another zopiclone pill. It feels like a reflex action which I can't stop! 5-6 hours per night is not enough sleep for me and I find that I get into more anxiety and depression when tired. I find myself eating really carefully so as not to get sleepy after food. The anxiety of a lifetime on sleeping pills is really scaring me and I cry when I'm alone. This is SO CRUEL!! Taking away the ability to sleep just like that! It has destroyed my personality. I simply don't know what to do now as my doctors can't offer any help.

      Delete
    2. Exactly what I have! Identical.

      mark@trifectatelecom.com if you have any suggestions no one else can help me,.

      Delete
  84. I have been having the horrendous hypnic jerks since February this year. It got so bad that I was almost suicidal, because literally EVERY time I dozed off, day or night, I would jolted awake and therefore literally could not sleep at all. After months of this torture I just could not function, all I could do was lie there, being tortured by the jerks. In the end I asked to be admitted to hospital cos I couldn't see any other option. I stayed there 2.5 months and they said it was all due to anxiety and even did a full psychological test because they thought I had a personality disorder (which of course proved that I do NOT have one). Anyway, in the end I was put on Lorazepam and Clonazepam every night which knocked me out, but even then the jerks would break through. When I came home from hospital I stopped the Lorazepam myself and found that the Clonazepam 1mg worked fine. I was doing better and better, until... last week I went on some big rollercoasters at a theme park and bam - the adrenaline rush seems to have set if all off again despite still being on the Clonazepam. It's a nightmare. I really think it's adrenaline in whichever form (stress, anxiety, and in this case, over excitement) which makes it much worse. However, I don't believe it is the CAUSE. I think some drugs can trigger it, and a neurologist I saw agreed with me. Mine started when I was given Mirtazepine (an antidepressant but at low doses highly sedative) for ''simple'' (jerk free) insomnia.
    So now I'm trying not to panic and think it's all gonna spiral downwards again. I've upped the Clonazepam to 1.5 and the doc said I can even go up to 2mg, but I don't want to. It's an awful thing because nobody understands what the hell you're talking about yet it can be so crippling. I also don't want to be on Clonazepam forever but while it was working at 1mg I didn't mind too much. The neuro has aso suggested sodium valproate which could be an option. I'm also started a Zen course and take all the supplements everyone suggests but I do think relaxation, also on the subconscious level, is really important. But how can we relax when every night we are faced with this jerking horror! I wish us all strength with this. btw I'm having an MRI and EEG soon, I almost wish they find some definite cause just to prove I am not mad.

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    1. Dear Becky,
      I wrote the post before you as Anonymous b/c I didn't know how to register my name. Hang in there. I know it's hard to never be able to fall asleep, day or night. It is interesting that your neuro said it can also be brought on by drugs. My neuro said stress can be the cause and then blithely said it often never goes away. I asked why the medical community was so uninterested in hypnic jerks and she said it's b/c there is no threat to your health. I disagree.
      At any rate, try to relax around bed time. I see bed time as the devil and am trying to move beyond that. In the meantime I am researching vitamin supplements that might help. Or a second opinion from a neurologist.

      Delete
    2. hello Becky, I hope you're better already. I too am on Mirtazapine, but my jerks pre-dates that so I know it's not the cause of them. that said my neuro wants me to ween off Mirt. He too believes that anxiety has something to do with it. I know it does because it doesn't the electro shocks don't hit my head as hard as it used to. I'm kinda inching forward. I've been on 6 months of Zopliclone. I wonder what Clonazepam is like? It's longer acting isn't it? My CBT therapist hasn't a clue what I'm on about and I'm now beginning to see this as a handicap - like loosing a few fingers or something. If only there's a long term, sustainable solution then we can all relax and go 'it's inconvenient, but not without hope'.

      Delete
    3. Hi Becky, you are mentioning exactly what I have had fro 2 months now.It started after I began testosterone supplements..I blame that but not sure. I did not want to believe it was anxiety but I guess it is possible. Like you I go to sleep fine but wake up in an instant with a twitch..

      Delete
    4. I am having exactly what you are..It is amazing. It started when I took the drug arimidex. mark@trifectatelecom.com email me if you found a cure!

      Delete
  85. Hi Becky and above anonymous. I know exactly where you are coming from as I've had these jerks for quite a few years now - tried osteos, yoga, chiropractor, you name it - I'm on 3 1mg clonazepam - which I find work for me and i have had to get over the "stigma" of being reliant on sleeping tablets. It's either sleeping tabs or wine - and lots of it!! I finally came across a doctor who said he HAD heard about my condition - omg - the first dr ever that had actually heard about hypnic jerks as I am used to explaining it to every different dr i see. He said they don't know why it happens and there is no cure - and of course there is no money in the health system to study it!! Having this blog is the best thing ever because I, like many, thought I was the only one in world suffering from this - I went without sleep for so very long and eventually "hit the wall" and was prescribed different sleeping tablets but I have found clonazepam is the best as I don't feel sluggish in the morning. I have the odd night where I have the odd jerk but they are few and far between thank goodness. I believe it is up to us mere mortals and not the doctors to come up with a cure and I feel it lies with some kind of supplement - it's just finding the right one. It's so very easy to say try not to panic and stress out about going to bed - I even have them if I have an afternoon nap - but I feel that the more you try and put it out of your mind and take one day at a time - the better you begin to feel. It doesn't make the jerks go away but you need to accept that this is a very real condition and so many bloggers have had specialists/neuro surgeons/sleep clinics etc etc and have been given the all clear - showing there are no underlying nasty conditions going on - but in saying that, we all need to keep communicating and helping each other. As I have posted above - I am more than happy to converse one on one - and my email address is faithandduane@xtra.co.nz
    Faith
    Wanganui
    New Zealand

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    1. Thank you for your words of encouragement Wanganui. You're so right that people don't study this phenomenon. My Therapist won't even look at this page to find out more about my condition. I think, damn right, that it's up to us to make ourselves better. I find that the jolts is really unsettling: like someone rattling my nerves every single time. I, too, have done all the MRI and tests. All clear.

      The truth is, our breathing changes every time (slows down) at sleep transition and that's normal. Some part of our brain interpret this as alarm and triggers the fight or flight respond. And because it's so unsettling, I find myself hyperventilating before I know I've had a few jerks. It's not anything CBT can control - when you're not even aware you're reacting!

      At the moment I can only live in hope that it'll 'calm down' in time. We are all indoctrinated to fear sleeping pills and this is the one time that it doesn't help to think that way! But I wish I have the power of mind to consistently disregard this worry and continue as before.

      Has anyone here successfully conquered this condition?

      Delete
  86. Hiya All

    What a great blog,I got Diagnosed with this condition 3 days ago. I have suffered with these Hypnic Jerks for the past 3 years, so severly that I thought I was going to go to sleep and not wake up and I have become fearful of actually going to bed to a point that I wrote my will and a letter and left it out every night for my family to find, this may seem of a over reaction but I geniunly thought this would finish me off one night. I think this condition needs to be taken a little more seriously in the medical field. some of my experiences are quite different from yours, when all this started I went to my GP who said I was just stresed out, then one night I have to take myself the hospital as the jerking so so bad that the left side of my face went numb, I was told by a nurse that it was stress and that I could feel free to wait 8 hours and waste my time and a doctors time only to be told stress, I left the hospital at my wits end and feeling like a idiot,a month after I went the hospital it got much worst and again I went to GP and they said stress and deperssion and tried to precibe me drugs that I refused to take as I knew I was nt stressed or depressed, once again I felt the fool and that no-one was listenng to me and I felt that everyone thought I was a attention seeker but they could not understand. some months later it got much worst and while I was in work I got a blinding pain in my head and my sight completely went for a few minutes, I got so distressed by this that my parents took me to another doctor, this doctor was my lifeline, she look one look into my eyes and called a ambulance, I was in hospital and under a MRI within 1/2 hour then I had the lumper puncher as they had saw a mass behind my eyes and they feared I had a brain tumor, it turned out that for the year I was complaining and docs telling me stress was actually a condition called intercraniel hypertension and papiledena behing my eyes, this is a very serious brain conidtion and left un-treated for much longer I probably would of had a major stroke or brain hemeriage, I was quickly treated with LP again and I immediatly felt much better and the jerks stopped immeditly but a LP only relieves the symptons for a few days as pressure then starts to build up again in the brain so I was put on a drug called Diamox, by the time I finally got seen by Neuro I had had my LP and got treated by Diamox and I felt some life back in me but to my horror neuro felt that I didnt infact have IH and took me off all medication and within a week it all started again, that was 3 years ago and I have suffered once again ever since, I have been sent to the specialist eye unit in Liverpool Royal Hospital and they confirmed that I had papiledena in my eyes and you can not have papiledena without having IH so in my case eye specialist say I have it and neuro says I dont (who is correct)? I am still at a total loss on this case, I went to see my neuro 4 weeks ago who has discharged me and advised my GP that I have Hypnic Jerking which I do agree with and I have been placed on Chlorazapan which I do not waant to take as it is addictive however when I reasersed this Hypnic Jerk condition it is also can be caused by IH, I feel I have part of the problem solved but I think that a more serious condition is being overlooked as everything I suffer from is all related to IH, I no longer know what to do and this is destroying my life and I no longer know what to do as nobody will help me

    Shelly
    Liverpool - United Kingdom

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    Replies
    1. shelly I do not see how the eye specialist can be wrong, I mean I assume he can see the problem, what is the neuro's opinion based on? Sounds to me little more than guess work. Can you see a second neuro rather than rely on the opinion of just one? Or a second eye specialist, I would get more opinions so you are left in no doubt. But good luck anyway, I have been getting problems for years. I have similar problems but my doctors are a waste of time, it's like they do not want to spend a penny on me.

      Bren.

      Delete
  87. hi Shelly,
    god what hell you've been through - I know it well. But the fact that you got a diagnosis, and a drug that worked - why teh hell did the next neuro disagree? and even if she did, if you were taking a drug for the IH that worked so well for the jerking and isn't addictive like Clonazepam, she should've continued you on with the same drug anyway if you ask me.
    can't you go back to the original doctor who diagnosed the IH and the eye thing and stay under his/her treatment?
    what other symptoms do you get that are linked to IH?
    Í live in Holland but paid so see a consultant neurologist in Bristol last time I was over (I'm from there). He took the jerking seriously and recognised it and suggested various routes of investigation. He said if all that fails he would refer me to the National Hospital for Neurology and Neuropsychiatry in London - he even mentioned the names of 2 specialists there who really are at the top of the field of movement disorders and their causes. Maybe it coule be something for you to consider or at least have at the back of your mind as hope?
    But you seem to be able to sleep through the jerking a bit - am I right? (cos you mentioned that you feared you would go to sleep and not wake up).
    I would also try to avoid the Clonazepam if the other drugs worked and are not addictive. Clonazepam is the only thing keeping me sane but I am very aware that every night that goes by that I take it I get more and more dependent on it. However, I am also very grateful to have it otherwise god knows where I'd be now

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  88. Shelly - what terrible experience you're going through. I too have been experiencing headaches and dizziness - they come and go and I don't know if I've got IH... Becky, being on Clonazepam is OK. we can't function without sleep and it's what these drugs are for... I too have a real BIG phobia about sleep meds – but this is like a car crash - life is different and we need all modern science can offer to help us forward. I'm 42 and this actually happened on my birthday this year. I never thought this'll be the way forward. sigh. Dealing with change is one big part but I find forum like this very helpful too...

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  89. just hate that feeling in the morning when your body wants more sleep and can't get it. All you get is your nerves feeling rattled from the jerks and your heart racing from panic. it's a nasty feeling to wake up to - even when it doesn't actually do you any harm.

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  90. Hi from Faith in Wanganui. It's great to see more and more people sharing their experiences on this blog whereby making this blog a lifeline to a lot of us!! I was really interested reading Shelley's experience. As I have said before - either by blog or personal email - Doctors are NOT God - as much as they like to think their word is Gospel - times have changed and we are well within our rights to seek as many "second opinions" as we like - we don't have to settle for the first diagnosis, as this might not necessarily be the right one. I have also found that if you feel like you are so beaten down by this condition, tired, emotional and exhausted, then it really is a good idea to take a "support person" along with you to your appointments. This person will pick up on things you might well miss and they can also stand up for you if they feel you are being brow-beaten. As my situation stands at the moment, I am still on my Clonazepam but am about to start intense cranial osteopathy. My osteopath believes the condition IS neurological and he is going to focus on my head. I will keep you all posted as to my progress. I am confident and positive that this will help. Take care of yourselves and feel free to contact me via email - as some of you already have and it's been great!!! We are all here for each other - we are not going mad, our condition is real and it is horrible - and personally, I don't believe stress has anything to do with it whatsoever. I had a lovely relaxing holiday in Rarotonga and the jerks followed me there...............stress related - I don't think so.

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    1. A nurse i saw said try and relax before I go to be, but i don't think that works because I often feel so relaxed before I go to sleep I could not be calmer, but anyway I had been trying a different thing.
      I tried the opposite, making my self stressed and expecting it to happen, so I am saying to myself you will get a nasty experience when you go to sleep. So in a way you are prepared for it and so there is less of a shock. It's like in some youtube videos where they say to watch closely and then they do something sudden, ie something jumps out are you screaming which give you a big shock. However if you are expecting this to happen, the shock is not there or less because you expect it. SO it maybe worth giving that a try. But is quite hard to do because you just want to relax and go to sleep lol. I have not done it for a while actually because it requires effort and so just put up with the problem until eventually I can sleep. Good luck.
      Bren.

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  91. Hey guys. I am having this Hypnic Jerks for about 6 months now. This is how it started. I hurt my neck and back a little, while doing shoulder press at the gym. Took some day's off as I wasn't able able to rotate my head because of the pain. During that time I searched the internet and read a lot of article about the possible outcome of neck injuries along with a lot of articles covering various diseases. I got scared so much after reading those, that I felt like having every symptom of all the disease that I have been reading about till then, in my body. I was depressed for about a month or so because, and this was my first encounter with depression. What an ugly stuff it is. By this time I wasn't completely relieved from the neck pain so I went to the doctor and he gave me some medicine which I took only once because my stomach didn't do too well with the painkiller he gave me. My father suggested yoga for the neck pain and I did about five of them specially meant for neck pain. Quite astonishingly the yogas managed to remove the pain within 2 weeks. While reading the book on yoga I came upon a paragraph that said too much m@$turb@tion(MB) can cause nerve weakness. And then I realized my shaky fingers,which btw wasn't like this before, I am known for my steady hands and fingers. I thought either it was Parkinson's disease or result of excessive MB. Did a lot of searching once again in the internet. And read a lot of articles describing the detrimental effects on health of MB while watching @dult stuff, which btw I started doing excessively for a year or two. I was once again scared. Any thoughts of all those images(of you know what) made my heart race.

    And this is when it first started. The more I tried to avoid the thoughts the more it came and made my heart pound. That night when I was just about to relax and sleep. I felt like I was falling asleep too quick and suddenly a jolt in my body followed by a racing heart woke me up. I was shaking and extremely scared. Could sleep well that night. Next day thought I would take a nap in the afternoon but couldn't because of the jerks.

    Again this time my father introduced me to Pranayama. Started doing Pranayama, from April this year and the panic attacks are gone. I am off the @dult stuffs too. No excessive MB as well. Previously 2-3 times daily. Now 3-4 times a month. The Hypnic Jerks do come though. probably once or twice a week when I do a lot of workouts. But through proper meditation I feel I can get rid of it.

    Just be positive everyone.

    Another habit of mine that we might have in common and which might be a cause of this problem is,

    I use to seat all day in front of the Computer either working or playing games.

    Best of luck to everyone.

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  92. And guys my fingers are rock steady now. LOL.

    Once again, wishing a peace of mind to everyone. Cheers.

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  93. Hi All,

    I am new here, but this is the only place that I have seen that describes pretty well what I am going through! It started a few years ago with waking up to an occasional little shiver and has progressed to almost seizure-like reflexive jerks, with my heart-racing every time I wake up now. If I am lying on my stomach, I shake violently with this falling feeling, like my feet are above my head (I think I am lifting my legs). If on my back or side, I have a compulsion to sit up and move my arms and legs.

    I have been to many specialists and have had multiple sleep studies. I live near Harvard University and have been going to their medical centers, some of the best in the US. I have been told that it is NOT seizures, epilepsy or narcolepsy. It is not RBD. They diagnosis it as an "NREM parasomnia." Somehow, I am being woken up from the deepest (stage 3) sleep when I shouldn't be awake and my body can't keep up and/or is having anxiety over it. I slept walk on occasion as a kid and they think it is related.

    I am writing because, like you all have experienced. They really don't know what to do about it. I have tried clonazepam, a cpap machine, different sleeping positions, melatonin, ambien, and cutting back on almost almost all caffeine and alcohol. None have worked, but alcohol does make it worse at times. I am pretty much healthy in every other way, only 36, not overweight (but do have a mild case of sleep apnea). The other thing I might have in common is issues with tightness/bulging discs in my neck. I just started going to an accupuncturist for that, hoping it might help everything.

    They are going to start me on hypnotherapy targeted at sleep disorders next week. I am praying it might help. Has anyone tried this? There are studies that say it works. Faith from NZ, I am particularly interested in whether you are having any luck with the neurological approach also.

    Alright, thanks so much for this blog and good luck to all too!

    Cari
    Boston, US

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  94. Hi Cari - thanks so much for your blog - very interesting indeed! I am due to see my osteopath within the next week or so and we are going to spend the next couple of appointments working on cranial osteopathy. I too have a bulge in my lower back - another thing you and I have in common - a link maybe??? Because of the bulge in my spine - my osteo won't manipulate (eg click/crunch/adjust) this part of my back even though I sometimes fees it really needs a good crack! I will see how my treatments go and I have decided that if there is no significant improvement, I will try accupuncture - again - which I did have years ago for sciatica as I was travelling overseas so I needed to get this issue sorted and it really helped. I, like you, CANNOT lie on my stomach as that definately exacerbates the condition - strange for sure! I will keep you informed of my progress. Take care.

    Faith
    Wanganui
    New Zealand

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  95. Help!

    I have suffered from these jerks for the past 12 or 13 years.

    They have been controlled with clonazepam at times, but currently nothing is helping.

    I have worked very hard at my career, but I think I'm going to have to stop working because of this.

    It's just impossible to get any sleep. It's ruined relationships and ruined my life. I'm just so tired and my brain is so ruined from a lack of sleep. I don't know what to do anymore. There is no enjoyment in life at all. I just try to survive, and that is no way to live.

    Magnesium and iron have helped in the past, but no longer.

    I'm in good shape and try to exercise as much as possible. It's always worse after I sweat and after I lift weights. It's feels like adrenaline and electricity are surging through my body and it's impossible to sleep.

    It's better in the summer and worse in the winter. I wonder if it's associated with vitamin d? I'm currently trying supplements, but they haven't worked yet.

    For some reason, on really bad nights....I have to go to the bathroom a lot. Every 30 minutes or so. Does this happen to anyone else?

    I have tried every nutritional and dietary supplement and alteration I can think of over the years. I'm constantly adjusting and trying new things every single day. It just never ends.

    I'm worried I'm going to die from this soon. You just can't live without sleep for so long. I'm so tired and irritable from a lack of sleep. It's changed my personality and I've pushed away friends and relationships. I just want to sleep, be healthy and be happy.

    Somebody please help.

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    Replies
    1. Oh my gosh I have the same thing now...When I have it bad I have to go to the bathroom all the time for hours after. My email is mark@trifectatelecom.com please email me.

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    2. PLEASE ANSWER IF YOU ARE OUT THERE YOU ARE THE FIRST TO POST ABOUT THE BATHROOM THING..THIS IS WHAT I DO.

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    3. fyi THIS MAKES SENSE IT STARTED WHEN I BEGAN TAKING TESTOSTERONE SUPPLEMENTS. i WONDER IF YOU T LEVELS ARE HIGH?

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  96. Hi Bloggers, please see my reply email to the above blog:



    4. Here in New Zealand we have what is called a Super Clinic - this is where unique cases are put forward to a group of Doctors and they, together, throw all their ideas together and try to come up with a solution to the problem.



    5. Do NOT let yourself get any more depressed and do not let this condition BEAT YOU!!! You must be positive, if one drug ie Clonazepam only works for a while, then talk to your Doctor about trying something else. Yes, it may only work for a while, but as long as it helps you sleep, then you will be stronger and be able to function better and deal with what is happening with a clearer mind.



    6. May sound simple, but it can be. You need to be very stubborn, do not settle for being fobbed off as a "medical mystery" and told that there is NOTHING that can be done. These Doctors spend years studying and there are a few out there that would welcome the "challenge".



    7. Try things like osteopathy/accupuncture/hypnosis - all are drug free and you may just find one of those help in some way - yes might be short term but this way you are being proactive and positive and you are NOT going to let this beat you!!!! You have the power - don't give into it and it is within your power to question the medical profession and if you are not happy with what one may or may not say, then find another!!!!



    As you have found the blog, you know you are not alone. People out there are suffering the same thing in differing degrees. I am always happy to be your "ear" and listen and help where I can. I made the decision that I may need to take sleeping tablets to enable me to have a jerk free night and I'm ok with it as I was once in the same state as you are in at the moment and I will never let myself get to that stage again. I have found I need to take my pills at least an hour before bed. I find lying on the floor and breathing deeply helps - an excellent book you could read is called Breathe to Succeed.



    I hope this email goes some way to helping even a little.



    Please stay in touch. Look after your physical and mental wellbeing and look at this condition as a mission you are going to undertake to find answers, to help not only yourself, but other sufferers out there.



    Take care
    Faith
    New Zealand

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  97. Ooops here is points 1-3
    Faith

    Thanks so much for your email. My heart goes out to you because as a sufferer, I know exactly where you are coming from. It is one of the most cruel conditions to have. My story to date, as per my blog as I tend to keep my progress posted for others to keep tabs on me! I have been out of town with work therefore had to reschedule my osteopath appointment. My osteo is a great guy and is certain the condition is nuerological. He does cranial osteopathy and it is totally non-invasive.



    As you are in such a bad place in your life, there are a few things I can suggest and would hope you would take into consideration.



    1. You need to find yourself a GP/Doctor that will truly LISTEN to you and to pursue your case AND if he/she fobs you off - find another Doctor who WILL listen to you.



    2. Once you have found a GP you are happy with - printout as much information that you can regarding this condition as there are many in the medical profession who haven't even HEARD of Hypnic Jerks.



    3. Ask to be referred to a specialist - be it a neurologist or a sleep disorder professional.

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  98. Hi from Faith

    A bit of interesting reading - for those who have not GOOGLED Hypnic Jerks to within an inch of their lives like I have!!!

    The neurological reason for hypnic jerks is not fully understood, although the two dominant theories suggest that as a subject's heartbeat and breathing slow down, hypnic jerks occur as a natural part of muscular transition; or that as a subject falls asleep, their muscles begin to relax and cease working, causing the brain to believe that the body must be falling through air. It is thought that this causes people to thrash their limbs in an attempt to catch something or turn oneself upright.





    There is no definite answer but two theories that are generally agreed upon.

    According to the first theory, as we drift into sleep, our body undergoes a transition. The heart rate and breathing rate slows down. The muscle tone also changes. This muscular transition while sleeping is suggested to be the reason behind hypnic jerks.

    The second theory says that, while falling asleep, our muscles relax. This relaxation is sometimes intepreted by brain as a sign of falling. So, in an attempt to keep you upright, you would thrash your legs and have a jerk.

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  99. Hi All

    Please check out this website - it's a great forum for those who are really serious about finding a solution to this crappy life altering condition!!!

    http://themanwhocannotsleep.wordpress.com

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  100. i have not taken a nap for 5 years the jerks i have are always accomplied by a loud scream its maddening anyone else out there screaming????

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  101. My husband has this problem. I have experienced it occasionally but he is like this almost every night. I have often wondered if it is some kind of seizure disorder. He is on oxygen now at night and it seems to have gotten worse. I can't continue to sleep in the same bed anymore. It is torture to be awakened like that multiple times just as sleep is coming on. He says he doesn't notice himself doing it. Thinking of slipping him some anti seizure meds to see if it stops.

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  102. I started getting these jerks after having a ruptured disc in my neck removed and the 2 vertabra fused. My doctor said the dsic left an imprint on my spinal cord that looked like a footprint in wet sand. I sometimes get a jerk sitting at work while awake too. I figure it is due to the spinal cord damage. I use this pillow. I think it helps. http://www.mypillow.com/

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  103. If you look on earthclinic and do a search for hypnic jerks someone reported that magnesium oil applied all over the body cured them of this awful condition. I think they started with taking large doses of natural calm internally along with the magnesium oil all over their body for several weeks, and then they were able to do just the mag oil, in less and less amounts and it was still effective. The idea was that the body's magnesium is so depleted and this helps them return to normal. Apparently we don't absorb magnesium when taken orally very well, it is much better absorbed through the skin. Look up magnesium oil and you will find out how to easily make your own, or you can purchase it which is more expensive. I had hypnic jerks for several years, it got better over time and now I get them only occasionally. I am going to try this the next time I get them. I would love to hear if this method helps anyone else. Something that helped me a lot when I had the hypnic jerks was taurine powder -I would take up to 10 grams of it, which may not be great, but it allowed me to get to sleep and I did not see any negative side effects.

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  104. There is really nothing I can say beyond what everyone else is experiencing here. Same thing. Same jerks. Same frustration.

    What I have found is this: French's Yellow Mustard -- just your standard good ol' topping for your hot dog. Sounds stupid, but lemme' tell you --- it has been a blessing for me. It has vinegar and turmeric in it that is much like the baking soda idea - to neutralize the acids, however it doesn't always work.

    Main factor: stress, anxiety, depression. See a doctor for it -- a psychotherapist particularly. My doctor advised me to have two hours before bedtime to wind down. Turn the lights down at 8pm if you normally go to bed around 10pm. Don't drink any caffeine or alcohol two hours before bedtime. Alcohol disturbs sleep, although may put you to sleep. Not good. (I hate that part!)

    Meditate if you can. Hard to do if you have a partner or spouse who isn't into meditating and wants to watch TV all night. If that's the case ---- sleep in the other room. Seriously.

    Another remedy I have tried is drinking chamomile tea about an hour before bedtime. It helps to relieve anxiety and it's a good aid for stomach aches, gas and indigestion.

    Did you know hypnic jerks can also be caused by GERD? (Acid reflux disease or just regular ol' heartburn.) Your stomach can be the main factor of why you cannot sleep. People don't even realize this. I have gastritis - had an endoscopy done and found out my stomach problems were definitely making me lose sleep. What causes stomach problems? STRESS.

    I hope all of you are sleeping okay. Try the mustard, try the vinegar --whatever works for you --- do it and stick to it. Oh, another thing - when you are experiencing these jerks on an ongoing basis, do NOT eat tomato based sauces or anything too garlicky during that ENTIRE day. Try to cut out acidy foods.

    Hope this helps a bit. Ugh I feel your pain and I still go through it. Sleep deprivation is no joke. Being scared to GO to sleep is just a nightmare...literally.

    Sleep tight all.
    Thank you for sharing all of your stories. It has helped me a lot.

    ~

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  105. Deb how much mustard and when to take it eat it by the spoonful or what/how?
    Also has anyone thought or read about the new "energy saver" light bulbs causeing this? look it up they supposedly produce more blue type or yellow light that does not let the body produce melotonine to cause us to get sleepy. also they release mercury i read too, Mine stated about 2 years ago, also I had lots of filling in my teeth done right before this all started, anyone here have lots of filling or problems with their filling before their episodes started? or use lots of the energy saver bulbs I nothiced we started useing them right after moving back here in all our lamps and overhead light so today I removed them all and will see how this plays out. Also I read other places a liver detox may help as just a few days ago i had bloodwork at the ER and they said my billirubin ( live) was elevated somewhat, mine is a combination of insomnia with and withou the jerks some night I have insomnia with the jerks, those nights it seems much worse, other night it just seems i am wide awake all night and I can't keep my eyes closed. like i am just so wide awake for some reason,I have tried so many soloutions but none work for long,

    1) 1 hour before bedtime eat a bananna with either peanut butter or almond butter
    ( suppossed to be a carbohydrate + protein to keep the blood sugar level all night and not make blood sugar spikes plus keep you full, somenight this works for me others it dont
    2) try 1 to 2 hours before bed MAG/CALC combination
    3)tart cherry juice or just tart cheeries 1 hour before bed they contain natural melotonine
    4) grapes also contain melotonine they say, try these 1 hour before bed too
    5) organic night night tea

    letme know if anyone researches more about the light bulbs or th etooth filling or anything else we may have in common we might not even think is relative to this situation

    Jeff

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  106. i must edit my above statement i started these jerks and insomnia 1 year ago not 2, also i do exercises each morning not alot but some more throughout the day, i have tried lots of stuff but so far not an solution that works for good, it seems some things work a few days then they stop then i try other things but I take a magnesuim 250mg each night 1 hour before i amd gonna try the Mag/Cacl combinatio again but more magnesuim maybe (2) mag 250 and 1 650mg calcuim it had vit a and d added in it. so is tap water not as good even f its filtered i drinkonly water about 3 - 4 glasses daily nothing else but a organic night night tea 1 hour to 1/2 hour before bed to relax me sometime this helps others it dont. some night i can get 2-4 good night sleep in then 2-4 bad night then maybe only 1-2 good night then more bad nights of no sleep, i started a journal of what i do/eat daily to see if there is something that is causing my bad night or something that is helpin the good nights. i don;t eat any processed foods only frozen chicken/fisf/pork as far as meats, and fresh veggies and fruits also of apples /pears/ prunes
    i read on another site don;t use any type of aluminum, as in fiol or deoderant with aluminum, i did make chicken packets last nigh with fresh veggies in the oven srapped in aluminum foil, most of my pans i use foil on the bottom to keep the pans cleaner but i am gonna stop that a while to see how it matters or not. please i just want the insomnia and the jerks to go away i don;t have the jerks unless i go a few night without much or no sleep if i get a few good night in then th enext few night i don't get the jerks it seems only if I am really sleep deprived and tired.I sleep on only 1 pillow and older feather pillow i had most of my life, wondering of propping up more might help breathing better to get a better nights sleep, i ntice some nigth i can;t regulate my breathing forst few hours if i am having a bad night. i take tylenol PM at night some night but want to try and stop taking anything i just want to sleep on my own like i used to before all this started. I notice once i am awake after 1 a.m. or so i know i only have a few more hours to get in if i can get to sleep ( since i usually wake up around 4 or 5 automatically) i start to get real frustrated and enxious i get, this makes it worse as I start to worry more. some nigth i worry about it a few hours before i go to bed if i wil sleep or not.. please someone find the answer to all our sleep problems
    Jeff

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  107. read this post everyone, I actually have these and tried them before 2 of them and it really made me sleep real well, might have to try again tonight

    http://www.nomorepanic.co.uk/showpost.php?s=5b0ee0d66d41a01f194d3cc5d6267291&p=506926&postcount=8

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  108. Does anyone get this "jerk" in their head? Often I am wanting to drift off then get a rush of blood to the head that shocks me and wakes me up again, its horrible and doesnt seem to want to go away! I also get dizzy feelings and all sorts of wierd feelings in my head. Im 31 and its only just started happening! What could this be!!!

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    1. your are not alone that much i know...im 30 and i got the same symptoms as you as of right now...im scared to death i have some kind of degenerative disease...things will get better i hope

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    2. I have had hypnic jerks strictly in my head, face and neck for a year and a half now. I get the "head rush" thing about 50 percent of the time, like a flush of adrenaline or electricity. I go to Johns Hopkins for my treatment, I am the only patient they have with this condition, I had encephalitis when I was 7 and it apparently damaged my brainstem at the neuronal level. My "jerks" specifically target the cranial nerves only, this used to be very common in post-polio syndrome starting early to mid-30s, especially in women. Encephalitis is similar to polio but all the docs are baffled why this would be appearing in my case, although I have found others with childhood brain/spinal cord infection that develop this later in life on other blogs. Bad news is that damage appears irreversible, but Clonopin has literally saved and given my old life back to me. Still get some breakthrough, went through HORRIBLE depression, but like anything in life you learn to except the "new" normal. Hate that my body is broken, but it is a miracle I ever survived in the first place and I treasure every day now and have such a sense of gratitude for being alive. We don't realize how much we take our bodies and health for granted, but good news is I have had no reason to believe this is at all degenerative, hence it's a disorder and not a disease, a symptom or effect of some earlier damage not the herald or indicator of something worse to come in the future.

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    3. Oh another connection I've made is in our 30's the hormone progesterone starts to drop off and that particular hormone greatly impacts the production of serotonin and GABA, vital neuro-inhibitors that impact the sleep cycle and stress management. I have desperately wanted to try a progesterone supplement but I haven't been able to convince any doctors of my theory in order to get the prescription. The whole goal here is to counteract are over excited nervous systems, diet changes and vitamins haven't helped in my case but are always worth trying. Each case I have seen is totally unique but the consistency of women I see in our 30's makes me strongly suspect hormones helped to mask or hold symptoms at bay until now and replacing them might restore health at least for a while. There is a lot of research out there on the progesterone and neurotransmitter connection.

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    4. Find a good Traditional Chinese Medicine practitioner and get acupuncture and herbs for this condition. Generally what they call "liver-wind" issues.

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  109. well all week i took the (2) 250mg chelated magnesuim supplements ( Doctors best brand) 1 hour before bed, with a half banana and almond butter ( food gives it something to bind to and get in the sytem better) and then 30 minutes before bed, i drank half glass of warm milk, the jerks are also unnoticable now only a few small ones then off to sleep i go. and i sleep all night. i done this all week and believe me it works great...and dont worry, the more you will worry i think the more you worry and that makes it worse i think, hope this herlps someone out there....

    Jeff

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  110. brain damage done from pickling the brain in alcohol exacerbate your capacity to get hypnic jerks. people who have regularly suffered near fatal doses of alcohol all exhibit aggravating hypnic jerks. this is permanent brain damage. they can become so severe that the sufferer can efectivly eject themselves from their beds. some people may process alcohol more poorly and suffer this brain damage at much lower than near lethal doses.

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  111. I was getting a lot of hypnic jerks everynight which caused extreme insomnia. I found out that I would stop breathing as I was fading into sleep, so my body would jerk. This was caused by sleep apnea. So, I used about 6 pillows to elevate myself, so I'm not laying anywhere near flat. Since I've been sleeping elevated few to no hypnic jerks.

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  112. Hey Lara you seem to have made some headway - glad you have found smoe answers and life is on the improve for you.
    Cheers
    Faith
    NZ

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  113. Im almost going on a year. I now take lexapro since I entered a bad depression cause of the jerks. The good news is that the depression is gone. I feel more stable and pretty much happy, there is no choice, you have to move on. The lowered anxiety from the lexapro has allowed me to sleep better at night.
    While I still get jerks here and there, Im able to fall asleep. Ive even been able to nap a bit. When I get new health insurance, Im gonna see a doctor and have clonozepam prescribed to me. I'm glad we have this forum to vent and help eachother through this. :)

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  114. I started with my jerks when I was diagnosed with viral meningitis over 7 years ago. At night if I have wine I don't have them but if I try to take a nap during the day I can't sleep because they are so bothersome. I went to numerous Doctors had every test in the book, finally found a Neurologist that put me on Topamax, and it really helped but now I'm not taking the medicine for other reasons and they are back. The Dr says that alcohol helps with tremors and thats why I don;t have them when I drink. The neurologist said that the viral meningitis is what caused my problem. If any positive feed back I would appreciate it.

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    Replies
    1. A while back in this post you will see I got these from viral encephalitis, my doctor confirmed this, hypnic jerks come from damage to the brainstem or spinal cord. It is on a microscopic neuronal level so nothing will show up on MRI's, a lot of cells are damaged by infection and as we well know these types of cells simply do not regenerate. My damage is very specific to the brainstem and cranial nerves. Damage to the spinal cord will cause jerks to that particular place of the body, I picture gaps in the chains of nerves that transmit signals, specifically the ones that tell our muscles to relax into sleep. The message just gets lost, hence the muscles jump and jerk. Meds can go straight to the receptors on the orphaned cells and perform the function from the missing parent cell. Hence we will need medication the rest of our lives but I am learning there are a lot of options out there for treatment. I used to focus a lot on all the brain cells the virus destroyed but that got me so depressed I learned I had to stop focusing on "why me" and just accept this happened and work to move on. I'm a year and a half out and still get down now again but each day just tell my self to accept it and go on with life. Talk therapy and support groups have worked wonders for me, this is a life changing event so be sure to address the psychological impact as well as the physical. I have found the psychological impact to actually be more of a challenge than the physical, so keep seeking support you are not alone! :-)

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  115. I recently read a book and the author spoke about this jolts and jerks. He explained it as your astral body was re-entering your physical body after astral traveling. I don't know if I believe in astral travel but it certainly made sense if you believe in new age stuff. Last night I felt like someone was on top of me and they were very heavy. Mind you I live alone and no one was there when I immediately woke up to find myself completely alone. Another time, I felt a very hard thump right in the center of my head like as if someone had clobbered me on the top of the head very hard. I immediately woke up and no one was there. Sometimes I am very tired in the morning even after 7 hours of sleep and he explained this in the book as well. He said that when your astral body leaves for long periods of time and return just before you are to wake up, you can't help but to feel exhausted. I figured that the hard thump I felt was my astral body actually coming back into my physical body through my head this time. When I felt the heavy pressure as if someone was lying on top of me, I figured my astral body was coming in flat but for some reason rushed in and didn't ease in that's why I felt the heaviness. I started reading more stuff about astral travel aka out of body experiences and this is starting to make sense. He also said that dreams of flying could actually tell you when you are out of body but you have to be lucid in the dream in order to become more aware. Oh he also referred to the shaking and twitching as vibrations. Usually when this happens your astral body is trying to break free of your physical body but you are holding it back. If you relax while the twitching is happening your astral body will free itself more easily. Likewise if your astral body eases back into your physical body you won't feel the jolt and may not even notice that your astral body had left in the first place. Interesting to say the least but ever since I read that book it has changed my entire perspective on this "condition". Who knows what's the real cause. I've been tested and have no ailments, conditions or problems. So that makes me think that there may be some validity to this astral travel thing. The jolts and thumps happen very rarely now or maybe I just notice them less and when I do notice it, I am able to ask my sleeping self, could I be astral traveling especially if I've been flying in a dream and then I am able to go right back to sleep without problems sometimes being very lucid in my dream...meaning I know that I am dreaming.

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  116. After suffering with hypnic jerks for years, I have learned a few things, but haven't found one guaranteed thing to cure them.

    First off, this is due to the hippocampus in the brain being overstimulated in the midst of falling asleep, preventing your body from falling into the first stages of sleep.

    Why is it being overstimulated? A lot of reasons. Mineral imbalances, nutritional deficiencies, substance dependence, pretty much anything that makes the body get out of balance.

    Fixing my lack of magnesium cured me of these jerks for a while. I couldn't take enough orally without creating digestive issues, so I started applying magnesium oil to my skin - I detailed the process for making it on Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/Ancient-Minerals-Magnesium-Flakes-Single/product-reviews/B005F1ATJQ/ref=cm_cr_dp_synop?ie=UTF8&showViewpoints=0&sortBy=bySubmissionDateDescending#R2SVW4Y9TMIRRB After using magnesium oil applied to my back and thighs every morning after a shower for two months, I just started falling asleep naturally, and easily. It was amazing.

    I don't think it was just the magnesium oil though. I was doing regular sauna's to detox through the skin, liver pack's to help the liver cleanse itself, taking supplements to help refuel, repair and re-balance my body.

    If you drink to help yourself get past the hypnic jerks, it might work well for a little while, but you can make it worse by creating a dependence for calming your hippocampus enough to fall asleep through supplementation rather than naturally.

    Stress is also a major component to it. I can fall asleep when I'm out of town and work is out of sight and out of mind. Overcoming the stress and learning to relax goes a long, long way.

    I'm going through this hypnic jerk stuff again, and working through what helped and what didn't. Some supplements that have helped in the past, but not reliably are L-Theanine, GABA, Melatonin. Source Naturals NightRest has been one of the best supplements for me, though it doesn't always work: http://www.amazon.com/Source-Naturals-NightRest-Melatonin-Tablets/dp/B000GFHPCK/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1362553338&sr=8-1&keywords=NightRest

    I've been there and back and back again with this, and I know this time around there is hope, and it is possible to sleep normally again. It takes work, it takes fixing your life, and making yourself whole, but it's worth it.

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  117. Apologies if this shows up 3 times. I'm having trouble getting this
    posted. Hope the 3rd time is the charm. Here goes:
    My husband was diagnosed with cancer in 2009; had surgery and 6 weeks of radiation into 2010. About a year later he started with hypnic jerks. In late 2010 I was diagnosed with breast cancer; had 2 surgeries 12/2010; followed by 6 weeks of radiation in Feb/March of 2011. Cancer came back in late 2011 in same breast and other
    breast there was a problem also. Had double mastectomy in Feb. 2012. Six months later I started with hypnic jerks. My husband's is worse than mine. We consulted with our radiation
    oncologist at Hopkins and she denies relation to radiation. Does anyone else have the experience of radiation treatment and then
    problem with hypnic jerks or know of anyone that has had this
    problem? My husband's can be so bad that he has to sleep
    in another bed. Thank you for your help.

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  118. "Hypnic or hypnagogic jerks are a fact of life for many Americans." Wow. Weirdly, I'm Canadian and it's a fact of life for me too! I wonder if British, Indian, Iranian, Brazilian, Nigerian and Taiwanese people also experience this sensation as they drift off to sleep in their respective national beds. They may even stumble across this blog when researching "hypnic jerk" on the inter-tubes!

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  119. I read somewhere that these jerks can be a discharge of excess acetylcholine across the neuromuscular junction, and harmless.

    Not sure if that applies to all here though.

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  120. Mine started after panic attacks, back pain and leg weakness. I find it so hard to sleep. HOpe someone finds a cure

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  121. I am 33, and been having these jerks for about 4-5 years. About 4 years they were so bad I thought I was dying (though found out later I am completely healthy). The last 2-3 years were calm.

    This spring I went through a hard time in my life, which made me feel moderately depressed and anxious. As soon as the anxiety appeared, the hypnic jerks stared to appear as well. I suspect it has something to do with anxiety and worries and the body not being able to relax and sleep normaly.

    I know everyone is looking for a cure, and I know the medical community is not doing any research due to it being such a rare condition, but here's my TEMPORARY CURE, which works 90% of the times.

    Each time you are experiencing these jerks as you are falling asleep, after the 2-4 jerks, try to WAKE UP. Whatever you do, WAKE UP COMPLETELY AND GET OUT OF BED. I know it's hard, my head is so heavy and sleepy and I am so tempted to fall asleep that's it's hard to make this decision at that point. It takes exercise to have the strength to do this, but now after years of experience I am aware even in that state that it's useless to fall asleep again as I will continue to fuel the vicious circle and experience jerks again and again until I eventually I will be so afraid to fall asleep that I will abandon sleep anyway after an hour or trying.

    Therefore, WAKE UP COMPLETELY, walk around the house, or get outside, walk for 5 minutes, smoke a cigarette if you are a smoker, watch some tv for 20 minutes, watch the news, read a newspaper, get a midnight snack, do some moderate gimnastics, anything that will wake you up completely and move your attention away from the feeling of tiredness. I don't remember where I read this practice a few years ago on the internet, it's not something that I made up, but it works work for me.

    It takes me 30-40 minutes to feel completely awake and relaxed from the "terror" of the jerks. As soon as that happens something "magic" happens to me for the first time. I am starting to yawn. Yawning is the first sign that you are finally prepared to get a good night "jerkless" sleep. It usually works in 90% of the times and I find myself waking up in the morning remembering that I had no hypnic jerks the second time around that I went to sleep.

    I am not claiming, of course, that this is an universal cure for everyone, depends on each individual. It is up to each one of you to find what works for best for you.

    I am currently starting to take magnesium with B6 vitamin and see if I have any success. I will try to remember to post the results here if there's any improvement, as I am aware that most of the times, the posters, forget to return and post their results once they feel better.

    My general advise, try to get rid of anxiety and stress, get a positive mindset. Feed your subconscious with positive thoughts and with the confidence that there's nothing wrong with you and that you are not afraid of these hypnic jerks. GET SLEEP at all costs! These hypnic jerks will only keep you away from good quality sleep, and will maintain a vicious circle in which you are afraid of going to bed to get some sleep. Get medication for sleep if that helps, but only for a short while as it will never help in the long run. And last but not least, mind your yawning. If you yawn deeply, it's a good indicator that you are prepared for sleep. If not, prepare for jerks :) Get some moderate exercise before sleep until you start to yawn. It's helpful most of the times.

    And don't forget to share your findings until someone (hopefully) finds a cure!

    All the best, from Romania!

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  122. Hi
    I am 32 and have had these jerks for about 3 years now. Mine started after about 3 months of taking Trittico (Trazodonum)which was prescribed to me for general problems with falling asleep. It helped at first but then ta-dam! I got the problem of my life in return. The jerks at first were really strong, sometimes they rocked ALL my body especially when I was lying on my side (not on back), terrible were also stomach muscles which contracted to the point they almost made me sit up, as well as facial muscles and jaw muscles, I was afraid I would lose my teeth because of all this sudden jaw clenching. I couldn`t sleep all night every night. I was panicked, visited 4 neurologists, 3 of them said it was epilepsy. Thank God the fourth one said it was the problem with serotonine level and over excitement of the nervouus system probably caused by trazodonum. He told me to wait until the drug disappears from my organism and serotonine comes back to normal which should take a few months. In the meantime I had 3 EEGs done and CAT - everything here is fine.

    And here I am, after 3 years, the jerks are still there, they are a bit milder, they don`t rock all my body and concentrate more on legs and arms, stomach or jaw jerks happen really seldom now, but still I can`t sleep. I have them every night, sometimes just 5-10 of them and I fall asleep about 2 am, sometimes they go on all night. Lately I visited the top neurologist in my city who confirmed it must be serotonine problem and neuron overexcitement but had no idea what to do with it since she only had one more patient like me during all her career.

    I have tried chelated magnesium - didn`t help. I tried muscle relaxation technique- not helpful since even when all my muscles were totally relaxed, I got this jerk in my head - like electricity running through it, so I jerked without actually moving any limb. Sometimes just ONE muscle twitches in my leg and it jerks me. Sometimes not even that, I just jerk without moving anything. I only noticed that when my muscles are really relaxed the jerks are milder, the number of them doesn`t change but they don`t send so much adrenaline through my body. Like someone mentioned before WAKING UP after a few jerks seems to help sometimes, I try to read a boring newspaper, and wait for yawning.

    To sum up, docs are useless- I must do something myself, I can`t imagine living like this for the rest of my life. This is not life, this is not even existence, this is hell. The realtionships, professional life, even my personality - it is all afected. I`m scared as hell of Clonazepam, so I`m thinking of trying alcohol (not much of a solution, but still), I want to see if it helps, though reducing the quality of sleep isn`t a tempting idea.
    I`d like to have a few tests done- blood tests (elements like iron, magnesium etc), check my thyroid, maybe pH of organismus (is it possible?) but the most useful would be checking the neurohormones (if, as docs say, serotonine is the cause). I was also thinking about adrenaline level - I am generally a nervous person, I feel my adrenaline jump whenever something goes wrong, many times a day. I also feel it increase when jerks happen- I think they just scare me and this is how I react. Maybe the constant too high level of adrenaline is the cause?
    Has anyone had any of these tests done?
    I am so happy I found this site, I was thinking I was alone with this **** In my country (Poland) I couldn`t find anybody on the net who would have such experiences.

    Good luck to you all and keep us informed please, if I know anything I`ll write asap.

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  123. I'm from Russia. I have been suffering night jerks for more than a year now. It started after I got head injured in an accident. It is now totally ruining my life. I'm really shocked how little doctors can do about this. Most of them even do not accept the fact that this is a serious health issue. I was trying different medication stuff such as magnesium, melaxen (didn't help at all), slipping pills (helped a bit but really do not want to get addict). Now I'm using combination of two pills Phenibut (GABA equivalent) and Tizanidine (myorelaxant) which helps me to contol jerks for few hours at night but do not fix this issue entirely.

    I will post here if I find some more information on this issue

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  124. I cannot believe all of the posts or most are exactly what I have been having for 3 months now..I used to sleep great like a baby, nap, everything. Came to a complete halt. I did get on testosterone therapy but have never read where that could be the cause. If anyone has help email me. The moment I drift off a part of my body will shake, it has no limits every part has shaken. mark@trifectatelecom.com

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  125. Anyone else have frequent urination right after these events?

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  126. I am glad that I am not alone in this. I was getting really upset about it but I realized that I have no control over it . I wanted to control it but I try and relax though it. The more you worry the more it happens. I laugh when it happens and that helps it for some reason. I giggle at it. I really try to just go with it. It makes it easier...Laugh at it. Don't let it get you upset. I know that it's not funny but it really is, because it's so friggen nuts..it's crazy..and I just had to laugh at it. It's like "ok here we go...this is so incredibly silly." and really look at it as being silly. Because it is..here you are wanting to do nothing but sleep and your body is jumping and twitching, like you have the hickups in your muscles. Breathing through it also helps. Meditation does wonders. Meditation cds work, head phones help to shut out noise, and believe it or not, writing down everything you are upset about before you hit the pillow with random writing helps wonders..just write really fast all the things that are making you upset or stressed. It doesn't matter what you write, swear get angry or however you feel, just get it out and then throw it away after your done, or erase it off your computer. Random writing really helps. I pray everyone gets the rest they deserve!

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  127. ***Important, Please Read***

    I've had Hypnic Jerks since 2005 when they appeared out of nowhere. Many sleep studies, half dozen doctors, noone had a clue. Hypnic Jerks are a normal experience like hiccups or sneezing but when you have them continually, it is not normal. Hence not many doctors know about them or how to treat them. I came to this website to share my information in hopes that it will help others.

    Yes, Klonopin is the appropriate drug to use for hypnic jerks and the only one I found to work aside from Valium and a few other benzo meds. I was on Klonopin it for years and I do respect the drug as it works well. I started at 1mg and then titrated myself down lower and lower until I found the smallest dose that would work and allow me to sleep at night. I ended up with 1/16 mg. I took a 0.5 mg pill and cut it into 8 pieces with a pill cutter. Worked fine for passing the jerks and sleep except that Klonopin does cause depression due to the down regulating of serotonin. I set out on a quest to find an alternative to Klonopin as I did not like feeling depressed. I tried every antidepressant (close to 30), many mood stabilizers, and hundreds of Natural supplements all to no avail.
    Finally I gave it one last try and purchased DL Phenylalanine. I took 3 capsules of 500mg (total of 1,500 mg) and would you believe it, that worked. I have to take the supplement 2-3 hours before bedtime. It does not make you drowsy and you probably won't notice any effect except that you will not have the hypnic jerks when falling asleep.

    I've have skipped a night or two and was still able to sleep, however, after the 3rd or 4th night, the jerks return like clock work. Everyone's body is different so this might not work for every case of hypnic jerks but I works for me. Tried and tested thoroughly, it is a remedy that at least keeps you off the Klonopin and helps you to sleep at night.

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  128. adddition to my previous post..

    I would make sure you give the DL Phenylalanine a good several days to build up in your system if you find it does not work the first night. Your body needs to get this going in the brain to quiet the excitable neurotransmitters that are causing the jerks.

    However, everyone's body is different and if doesn't work, DO NOT be afraid of getting a prescription for Klonopin. It's a hell of a lot better than drinking alcohol every night and you really do need to get sleep to function properly and think clearly. The Klonopin is extremely safe despite all of the bad press people give it. You only need a very small dose to effectively pass the jerks and go off to sleep. Again, I was using 1/16 of a milligram and that worked fine.

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    1. I tried the DL phenylalanine and it seemed to make the jerks worse! I was wondering why it helped you because it says that it INCREASES flight or fight hormones (epinephrine, cortisol, etc.) You say that it quiets the excitable neurotransmitters, but everything I read says the opposite. Can you explain further because I will try it again. thanks

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  129. Here is a blog about hypnic jerks with some helpful comments from a lot of people.


    http://themanwhocannotsleep.wordpress.com/

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  130. I had very severe jerks for many years. Doctors were no help at all. I finally discovered myself that I was gluten intolerant. The more pasta,bread,cake,etc, the worse the problem got. Once off the gluten, the jerks disappeared. Now I only get them under heavy stress. Then I eat,believe it or not, cheddar popcorn! A couple of cups of popcorn calms my brain. I think its the combo of carbs and protein. I used to take diazepam but ended up with gastritis from it. The popcorn works a whole lot better and no side effects. Going gluten free is tough at first, but I have adjusted really well.I know now when I accidently get gluten if I eat out. I won't sleep all night!

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  131. I am back following my post on June the 19th, with much improvement. In short, had a mild depression this spring followed by anxiety which led to a panick attack episode about 3 months ago. Had hypnic jerks for the last 5 months, all caused by anxiety as I figured it out. Got over the panick attack on my own, but not over the jerks and then posted here on June the 19th.
    A few weeks later, hoping to reduce the stress I smoked weed on an occasion. I had the most frightening panick attach which made everything worse afterwards. I couldn't rest no more, was afraid of even trying to sleep and when actually trying to get some sleep, I had consecutive hypnic jerks which made my life hell. I went to the seaside for 3 days hoping to relax and forget about the stress. I had the most unpleasant vacation ever. I couldn't rest at all, jumping off the bed each time I fell asleep and slept only for 1-2 hours at a time. I was a zombie.

    I got back to my hometown and stopped directly at the shrink. She realized that my anxiety was high and I have been deprived of sleep for so long. She gave me sleeping pills (Mirzaten) one before sleep and Anxiar (lorazepam) 0.5 mgs 3 times a day.

    Immediately I felt improvement. The sleeping pill forced me to sleep 15 hours the first night even though I experienced some jerks and the Anxiar reduced the fear of getting sleep and the fear after having jerks. The improvement went on the next 2 weeks. The jerks became more rare until they've gove completely. I have quit the slipping pills and now I am taking anxiar only to prevent any panick attack episodes. I am sleeping alot now 10-14 hours of jerkless sleep and I am a different person.

    I will repost here after I quit taking Anxiar completely, which is a benzo (addictive).

    In my case it was the anxiety that caused everything. If this is the cause of your hypnic jerks, try to get rid of anxiety by visiting a shrink and taking meds for a while until you get better. It's better to treat the cause than the effect. Find the cause for yours, get it treated and you'll get rid of the hypnic jerks.

    I will report later after I quit taking Anxiar, which I am taking less and less each day (mostly occasionally).

    All the best from Romania!

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    1. Run my business out of my house. Hugh mistake. I cannot take a nap or bite of my dinner with out someone banging on the door
      I really stressed out the other day! Bitching about this, that. My furnace went up, friend died etc etc. Told wife I was sleeping in the spare room I was so livid. Woke in the middle of the night to this demonized crap.
      But I do agree, Fix the cause then fixing what's broken is no rocket science. Thanks for your posting brother.

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  132. I, like most of you, suffered from weeks of no sleep. It was the most desperate and depressing feeling i have had in a long time. No one understood. I thought my brain forgot how to fall asleep and was afraid i would never sleep again, until i came upon this website.
    We all are just too damn anxious and overthink our lack of sleep, which feeds into more insomnia, depression and physical symptoms... I practiced some of the self talk steps in the article below and also started taking Natural Calm before bed... Its helped TREMENDOUSLY!! I have slept on my own, without sleep aids, for 2 nights in a row now. Please read..

    http://www.panicaway.com/newsletter/9

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  133. If u get twicthy leg issues, try cooling your leg down, sock off earlier int he evening, hang your leg out the side of the bed till it's cold. Works for me.
    As for Hypnic jerks - holy schmokes - just started getting these. I had 2 hours sleep the other night. Jerking zapped my sleep all night. Next night I slept like a log and my wife said I jerked and kicked all night! Sounds like magnesium pills might do the trick. Thank god for the internet....

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  134. I have had the jerks off and on for 4 years. Something that I am testing out is Japanese Knotweed tincture. It is supposed to calm the nervous system down and crosses the blood brain barrier. I have been taking it for the past 2 weeks and haven't had any jerks. It's a possibility I'm just having a better sleep period right now, but I really feel like it is doing something. It is useful in lyme, which causes neurological symptoms in many cases. I am not sure that I have lyme, but it is a definite possibility being that I live in a highly tick infested area and have been bit by several ticks. I suspect the jerks could be related, but either way the knotweed seems to be calming my brain.

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  135. Hi all, I have been going out with my boyfriend for 4 years now and we have both noticed only started around 5months ago, he has started with the odd hypnic jerk but now it happens between 4-15 times each and every night. We found out a few weeks ago that two of his siblings also have it too (Genetic?) Regardless of my boyfriends diet good or not it doesnt make the slightest difference within his jerks. He says he is not stressed most nights and is happily going off to sleep when the odd jerk wakes him but his more violent jerks doesnt (strangely) they wake me up which make me go in the other bedroom to sleep, then i have no sleep. I have also known him to be snappier with me through out the day maybe as he is tired? Over the last 5months we have been to the docs twice who have put it down to stress with work etc, most nights i sleep in a different room as it gets that bad, his attitude and personality has changed so much for the worse. But surely with him waking up restless and tired he will be? i know im not a happy bunny in the mornings especially with him. Most of the time when hes grumpy our relationship is suffering which he apologizes for, for it to happen again few days later. It is certainly a neurological problem. I have looked at the tips to help him and they dont seem to be of help really as everything is fine until the moment he is asleep. Come on anyone who has suffered relationship issues with this please help as i am at my witts end here! Thanks x

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  136. I have had these jerks since the birth of my first child 32 years ago. The only thing that helps is drinking wine. I hate that. I'm so lost I don't know what to do! My parents were both alcoholics I don't want to be that. If I don't have any wine for a even a day I can't sleep. I jump and jerk myself awake all night. I'm so damn tired! Any advise anyone please! PS. I have no medical insurance so a doc is out of the question for now

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  137. hi friends!i have been following this blog for the past month since i have been suffering hypnic jerks for more than 7 yrs....i did an EEG scan and nothing was wrong.has any one heard about TIENS Group of companies???its a chinese biotech company that produces herbal medicines...i went to one of the chinese doc and he examined me with their aculife machine and noticed i lacked zinc in my body and the veins behind my forehead shrunk due to too much toxins in my body i.e my veins were not supplying enough blood to my brain...he gave me herbal capsules to open up my nerves...i must say its been two weeks i have started using them and my jerks came from heavy to slight ones...i avoided tea n coffee...i have neva slept well in my entire lyf since i hv started using them....he gave me garlic supplements,ginger and among others to cleans my liver n toxins.am still using them and i will post on my recovery...am just 23 and i have hope i will get this jerk thing out of my lyf....am from kenya..cheers

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  138. I Am Mrs lara, i live in Texas (USA). [READ MY STORY. ON HOW I GOT MY AIDS CURED]. Truthfully, i was tested HIV + positive last 3years. I keep on managing the drugs i usually purchase from the health care agency to keep me healthy and strenghtful, i tried all i can too make this disease leave me alone, but unfortunately, it keep on eating up my life, this is what i caused myself, for allowing my fiance make sex to me unsecurely without protection, although i never knew he is HIV positive. So last few 4days i came in contact with a lively article on the internet on how this Powerful Herb Healer get her well and healed. So as a patient i knew this will took my life 1 day, and i need to live with other friends and relatives too. So i copied out the Dr OKPOKO the traditional healer's email id: DR.OKPOKOSPELLHOME@GMAIL.COM and i mailed him immediately, in a little while he mail me back that i was welcome to his temple home wereby all what i seek for are granted. I was please at that time. And i continue with him, he took some few details from me and told me that he shall get back to me as soon as he is through with my work. I was very happy as heard that from him. So Yesterday, as i was just coming from my friends house, Dr OKPOKO called me to go for checkup in the hospital and see his marvelous work that it is now HIV negative, i was very glad to hear that from him, so i quickly rush down to the nearest hospital to found out, only to hear from my hospital doctor called Browning Lewis that i am now HIV NEGATIVE. I jump up at him with the test note, he ask me how does it happen and i recide to him all i went through with Dr . I am now glad, so i am a gentle type of person that need to share this testimonies to everyone who seek for healings, because once you get calm and quiet, so the disease get to finish your life off. So iwill advice you contact him today for your healing at the above details: Email ID:DR.OKPOKOSPELLHOME@GMAIL.COM

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  139. Wow, I'm so glad I found this webpage. I have had issues with sleeping for years now, ever since I was in middle school. I've been on clonidine, medication normally used for blood pressure, as a sleeping aid for at least 10 years, and that had its ups and downs. Things had mellowed out a lot when I started going to college, but as of two months ago, my sleeping problems came back worse than ever.

    I nearly drove myself crazy fretting over why this was happening again, if there was something wrong with me, or if it was all in my head and I was just making the problems worse by worrying about it and seeking help. I even had a panic attack in the middle of one bad night, and was prescribed ativan for emergency nights the next day. The problem is, I just suffered through another sleepless night not two days later, and I was hardly what could be called anxious the whole time

    I don't want to say this is what I have for sure without checking with my doctor first, but the symptoms fit perfectly. Strange jolting that keeps me wide awake just when I'm drifting off to sleep? Check: it's like I'm constantly trying to inflate a balloon, and something keeps popping it. Suddenly waking up at night and feeling panicky for no reason? That's happened almost every night for the last couple months. Sleeping pills providing only minimal help? Check. I may as well be taking sugar pills on some nights.

    Like I said, I'm glad to have found this webpage and seen that I'm not alone on this. I'm going to talk this out with the doctor and see what we can do, but for the first time since this has started, I truly feel like I can come to terms with my sleeping problems.

    My only regret is that I didn't look this up sooner. I probably could have avoided a couple nights here and there.

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  140. I have had this problem since I was in my teens. I'm now 39 and was only diagnosed a few years ago. After years of going to the emergency room, heart doctors, etc., I finally gave in and started taking Xanax 1 mg. I have been on it now for 3 years and only take it before bed and have not had a jerk since.

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  141. Hi it's Faith from New Zealand. I haven't written for quite some time - I've spent quite a lot of time researching and hunting down a cure - a natural cure. Unfortunately there is nothing out there that can cure this - I am still taking Clonazepam but although there is a stigma attached to these kind of pills, they have enabled me to have decent sleeps and to have a happy life. I work in the Health Industry therefore I have my finger on the pulse if anything new comes onto the market. If I can give anyone one bit of advice - don't put up with sleep deprivation!!! This compounds the problem and you will not be able to cope with everyday life. See your Doctor and insist you want answers and you want help albeit prescription medicine!!! Lifes too short - you are here for a good time - not a long time.

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  142. One thing about these jerks that is for sure, if you are sleep deprived you will get these more. I have found magnesium supplements to be a God send. It takes about the 3rd night to feel the effects, and if you stop it will take 3 days again to get the effect. I take 250mg of Chelated magnesium twice a day – one in the morning, one in the evening. Chelated magnesium, I feel, is of better quality and gets delivered to your system quicker. I also don’t watch any TV in my bedroom anymore; I just read and then my body starts to doze off – and I slept better.

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  143. I'm a heavy smoker for 14 years. I suspect in my case it's related to smoking and until I quit cigarettes all together I will not find any answers any time soon. I tried every little bit of advise on the internet that I could find and nothing worked better than not smoking 2-3 hours prior to falling asleep. I am curious how many of you out there getting these jolts are smokers...

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  144. Hi. I posted on July 5, 2013. As for the question posted above- I am not a smoker, have never been, so I guess smoking is not the reason. Lately I have tried biofeedback/neurofeedback therapy which is supposed to help with anxiety by controling your brainwaves however it didn`t help with my jerks AT ALL. I`m so tired...

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  145. I have SUFFERED from this since 2009 along with muscle twitching. Had almost no symptoms since Jan 2012 and now it's back. The many neurologists I've seen usually call it myoclonus. I'm currently on Keppra XR and doc suggests I raise my dose since it's back. Not sure I want to do that since my tests are normal. I've been on Klonopin before, too. Most helpful thing I've found is daily meditation and keeping extremely busy
    (sounds like an oxymoron, I know). Feel free to e-mail me anytime: glitterwater3@gmail.com. Blessings, Terri

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  146. Kate, Thank you for posting the article on "Propriospinal Myoclonus at the Sleep-Wake Transition." Everyone on this forum should google it along with "Propriospinal Myoclonus at Sleep Onset." I have muscle twitching during the day as well so not sure if I'd fit the diagnosis or not...Terri (glitterwater3@gmail.com)

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  147. I've been experiencing the same things described by most of you. It came on instantly and has been with me for 4 nights now. I'm 45 and male. In January I had a bout with kidney stones and what turned out to be an ulcer that is now gone. But between the onset of symptoms and my diagnosis, I had several prolonged panic attacks. My GP recommended I take Zoloft 50 mg once daily. I filled the prescription but did not take the pills. In the meantime, I started having more pain in my back and side and associated that with something else being wrong. I've never been a hypochondriac before, but I developed into one. An ultrasound and other tests showed all was normal. After another visit with my GP I started Zoloft. After 3 days on it, I developed this hypnogenic jerk. Caused severe insomnia and so I asked for a sleep aid. My doctor gave me amitriptyline. That helps but the side effects are awful and I have since learned that amitriptyline and Zoloft should usually not be taken together (I even asked the doctor if it was OK and he said yes). Now I am freaking out about that, which fuels the anxiety and will make the sleep starts worse. I will be talking to my GP again tomorrow, although I am not expecting much help. It's nice to read these posts to see that I am not in this alone but tough to learn that for some it is prolonged agony. I'm buying Magnesium and Calcium supplements in the morning for sure. I hope it helps.

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  148. Run my business out of my house. Never again, aways getting disturb by morons banging on my door without warning. Got livid bitching bout this that etc. Told my wife I was sleeping in the guest room to spare her from my misery, Got to drinking fell asleep. Got up to pee came back to the room got out the heated blanket, house was sooo cold cause my barely used furnace conked out.
    As I got back to bed, turned on the electric blanket, felt something move the blanket by my feet. I thought ol' my kitty cat is going to join me. Look down there is nothing there? Oh well, too tire and pissed to be scared. Awoke an hour later. twitch in my arms leg etc.
    Encountered a nightmare situation. Like being at mall only catching parts of every one conversation? So wake up go to work. Next nightmare, I am conversating with people at this mall? Anyway get in the shower nauseated so I sat down in the tub, dosed off talking to some old man in my dream. Then it hit me, this crap is the workings(and I am not into religion) the work of the devil or his corporate advocates.
    Think about it?
    So I read all the postings here, I see I am screwed. Pulled over cryed. seemed till my heart burned. So I went got a pint or Jack Daniels six pack of beer. Drank for a while went bed, I could feel the devil basturd sending electricity trough my fingers, only felt vibration nothing I can't sleep thru. I slapped the fingers as hard as I could........told IT you don't want me were your mall is, so get lost you pig basturd.
    Hope you can find how to end this.
    Depriving someone from sleep is got to be to worst torture. Sounds to me like no accident. Oh and srew the medical society. Like to tie up the one in charge to keep him up for a few decades.
    Best Wishes for all.

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  149. Me again,........... Start lobbing phone calls at the medical sociaties. Ask how they or their kids would like this torture?

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