Hypnic Jerks and other fun bedtime tales...

[pablo0977]

Had a health scare a few days ago and now every night I get these damn hypnic jerks. I know they are normal and get worse with anxiety but I cannot get them out of my head, which probably leads to more jerks. My mother (the meds peddled) believes I should ask for anti-anxiety meds or a sedative from my GP. I (the anti-meds guy) don't like to admit I need them and don't like side-effects. What say you my fellow patrons of panic? Should I stress over hypnic jerks? Should I consider meds? Inquiring minds want to know.

[nivekc251]

I get these . Sometimes it keeps me up for hours. I use xanax .25 for it . I try not to use them when I can , and only use them when I need to get to sleep for work or a special event. I use different relaxation meditations. They seem to help out alot, but the xanax has never failed.

[MyNameIsTerry]

Should you stress over them? Of course not. But due to anxiety, you likely will until you get to a place in recovery where you get a symptom like this and your mind says "who cares" and you move straight on.

Like you have already said, you know what they are and why they are coming more. I've had them over the years and had the exact same pattern of them being stronger & more frequent when my anxiety was at a worse stage. And I've spoken to others who have also experienced that. But at those worse stages, they just make you jump like mad and the panic sets in.

As you start to recover, this really will start going. Your reaction will greatly reduce.

As far as meds go, I don't think it's a matter of medicating a single symptom like this that is common in anxiety, it's more a question of whether your overall anxiety would benefit from some support.

[katniss]

Hypnic jerks can be caused by sleep deprivation as well. So if you can fit in a nap during the day try to do so. If you are well rested, you may notice a better sleep at night as well. Otherwise it will turn into a vicious cycle. Hypnic jerks are nothing to be worried about and everyone experiences them from time to time. The focus is to eat well, exercise (but not right before bedtime) and have a calming nighttime routine.

[MyNameIsTerry]

Hypnic jerks can be caused by sleep deprivation as well. So if you can fit in a nap during the day try to do so. If you are well rested, you may notice a better sleep at night as well. Otherwise it will turn into a vicious cycle. Hypnic jerks are nothing to be worried about and everyone experiences them from time to time. The focus is to eat well, exercise (but not right before bedtime) and have a calming nighttime routine.

And they are a well known sleep phenomena that anyone can experience in the Hypnagogic and Hypnopompic stages of sleep. Completely normal.

They are weird though. I sometimes get them now and whilst they don't bother me, they do make you jump if they are strong when you are nodding off.

[pablo0977]

Thanks all. I haven't been this anxious in 15 years. A flurry of symptoms has me worried about the possibility of a neurological disorder, but they all fit very well under anxiety as well. Hard to pinpoint when it all started.