Talk:Hypnic jerk

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  • Daisy and others: ideally talk pages are supposed to be for the discussion of the *page* as opposed to the topic. You might have luck asking on the Dreamviews forums, under "Sleep and Dreams/Sleep and Health". If you have success you could add a link to the forum on the article, and remove your post here please.
  • The reference at the bottom appears to back up everything said here. HOWEVER, the only reference it gives is this Wikipedia article, which suggests circular referencing. This article really needs an independent source, one that is obviously not derived from itself. I accept that's a challenge given how authoritative Wikipedia is taken as a reference on the internet :-).

213.1.30.167 21:59, 12 May 2007 (UTC)

I've tried googling for primary sources, went as far as page 5, but I couldn't find anything that didn't just cite Wikipedia - or look suspiciously similar to this article. I did see some other names used which might be useful to anyone else searching: "sleep start", "hypnagogic twitch", "hypnagogic startle". 213.1.30.167 21:59, 12 May 2007 (UTC)

They are ere [1]. Jclerman 00:00, 13 May 2007 (UTC)

I have been experiencing these jerks for about 2 years now. But recently they have become almost an every night event. To the limit where I am not sleeping, and the jolts occur during the day now. I believe because I am so tired. When I do actually get some sleep it is real vivid dreaming which the jolts wake me from. I walk around in a totally tired mode 24-7. Taking caffeine out of my diet did not help. I just dont know what to do about them anymore. I am a single woman who has no insurance to consult a dr. about it. If anyone has any idea's that could help I would be truly grateful. thanks for listening Daisy

agreed, something should be done. even when it isn't this bad, it's still really annoying, and a big hit to morale when you were just about to finally fall asleep..


  • I've noticed I only ever experience this if I've got a lot going round my mind as I'm falling asleep. Sometimes I'll just go to sleep with a fairly blank mind and won't suffer the jolt. However, some other times there's just loads of stuff going round my head. Occasionally I've realised that I'm going to jolt and have woken myself up before hand to try and stop it. Other times I don't manage to. It's a really unpleasant experience, isn't it? However, if it does happen it never happens again that night, and I usually sleep well after the jolt.

I heard it is due to the brain changing from one sleep state to another, and needing to discharge electricity in order to do so. Martyn Smith 23:09, 20 June 2006 (UTC)

  • I heard it's a way your brain is using to wake you up because you've cut off bloodflow to some bodypart by your resting position. I believe that, because I only get it when I'm in a very uncomportable position, like on the sofa for example. 83.134.144.162 02:23, 25 September 2006 (UTC)
Interesting, but remember when contributing that it doesn't matter a whit what you "heard" or what you believe. The policiy is to Verify and Cite, with No Original Research. --Kbh3rdtalk 02:51, 25 September 2006 (UTC)
Which is exactly the reason I didn't add it to the main page, I merely wondered if someone knew some more about this. It seems to be a subject with very few scientific attention. 83.134.144.162 00:24, 26 September 2006 (UTC)
  • This sounds very similar if not exactly the same as a myoclonic twitch. Should these pages be collapsed, or is one really a subset of the other? I at least made link from here to there. Amoore 03:44, Oct 25, 2004 (UTC)
There seems to be some level of duplication - I'll try and look into the commonalities later. violet/riga (t) 09:58, 25 Oct 2004 (UTC)
  • If this is considered a sleep disorder, it should be added to the "sleep disorders" cateogory. Regardless, I have added it to the "sleep" category. Amoore 04:01, Oct 25, 2004 (UTC)
From what I read in other sleep-related wiki articles, it is not a disorder. The article mentions that they are 'completely normal', and the external link at the bottom suggests that 70% of all people have had them. If anything, not having them is a disorder.
I wonder if this has anything even slightly to do with the phenomenon of animal sleep leg movement... you know, when we presume the kitty is dreaming about chasing something, so his little paws move. if not, there should at least be a name and article for that phenomenon. ^_^
  • Not too sure of the phrase: "The person with the disorder will usually sleep through the events, whilst a partner sleeping in the same bed is kept awake.". I have removed the second clause of this sentence, since it logically has no bearing on the main subject matter. -- ThomasAdam

[edit] Question about phrasing.

Do "subjects who have successfully deprived themselves of sleep for longer than 24 hours" actually experience more hypnic jerks than those who are just "sleep-deprived for longer than 24 hours"? I'm wondering if this particular wording is relevant. —The preceding unsigned comment was added by 69.108.81.97 (talk) 10:46, 20 January 2007 (UTC).

I agree. The word "successfully" is unnecessary in that sentence. I'll change it. M. Frederick 13:58, 11 April 2007 (UTC)

[edit] Hmm

Well this is pretty normal, it's not a sleep disorder. I had read once long ago that at some point at the moment you are about to fall asleep, your brain for some reason decides to either fall into sleep, or to sort of abort the whole thing. When it decides to abort, the nerves leading down to your legs all fire simultaneously, causing a twitch powerful enough to wake you up; originating from your legs. This article mentions nothing about that, and I am now wondering if the original article turned out to be incorrect, or if the Wiki article is just inadequate. --24.199.103.240 20:49, 8 April 2007 (UTC)

Source it, add it as another hypothesis. 213.1.30.167 19:48, 12 May 2007 (UTC)
I would love to but unfortunately I don't remember where I read it! If anybody recalls ever seeing an article or other information like this, I'll work it in. Sorry... --24.199.103.240 15:48, 31 May 2007 (UTC)
I've heard it too.. got no source. I remember it as it's your brain shutting off your limbs to prepare for REM sleep, so you dont go running and throwing arms while you dream. BTW, I only get the "jerk" when REALLY tired and going to sleep. On airplanes, or after a really busy day. sorry. no source, another anecdote for the talk page :) --Kvuo 06:46, 23 September 2007 (UTC)