What Causes Sleep Twitching?

Sleep tic can be expressed as a sudden twitch while sleeping, sometimes with a sudden sign of convulsions in the whole body or legs one or more times. It can be awakened or unconsciously. It is a spontaneous seizure without external force interference.

Basic Information

English name

Sleep Tic

Visiting department

Neurology

Common causes

High mental stress, lack of calcium, lack of exercise, epilepsy, muscle tension before bedtime, etc.

Common symptoms

Sudden involuntary twitching of body muscles when falling asleep, accompanied by a feeling of free fall, even vague dreams, leading to wakefulness

Contagious

Not contagious

way for spreading

no

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Causes of sleep twitches

1. When a person's mental stress is large, the nerves in the brain are in a tight state, which may cause convulsions.

2. The body loses a lot of calcium, and calcium deficiency causes convulsions.

3. Lack of exercise and poor constitution are also the causes of convulsions.

4. There are also some people who have potential epilepsy, which is relatively obvious in an unconscious state.

5. Muscle tension caused by exercise or some reason before bedtime, muscles start to relax after falling asleep, can also cause convulsions.

6. Possible disease

(1) Periodic limb movement disorders: May be accompanied by toe flexion contractures, involuntary movements, and motor dysfunction.

(2) Hypocalcemia and hypomagnesemia: May be accompanied by symptoms such as delirium, muscle fiber tremor, and bilateral hand and foot movement.

Clinical manifestations of sleep twitch

Suddenly involuntary twitching of muscles in the body just before going to sleep. In the process, it is often accompanied by a feeling of free fall or even a vague dream, and it is likely to cause awakening. General twitching to sleep does not affect sleep, but if it is too frequent, it may lead to periodic limb twitch disorders, leading to insomnia.

Sleep twitch check

1. Cerebrospinal fluid calmodulin examination is helpful for the diagnosis of cerebral infarction.

2. Cerebrospinal fluid glutamine examination is of great significance for those with impaired liver function, dyspnea, chest pain, vomiting, and convulsions.

3. Cerebrospinal fluid lysozyme examination can reflect the functional status of phagocytic cells and is a more sensitive indicator.

4. CSF calcium examination is very important for neck stiffness, severe headache, loss of appetite, unconsciousness, vomiting, convulsions, burnout, sleepiness, sensitivity to light, small blood spots, skin rash and other symptoms.

Sleep twitch diagnosis

Diagnosis is based on medical history, clinical manifestations, and examination.

Differential diagnosis of sleep twitches

Should be distinguished from convulsions of oral muscles, neonatal twitches, limb twitches, painful face twitches, binocular twitches, myoclonic syndrome, etc.

Sleep Jerking Treatment

1. Eat more calcium-containing vegetables and fruits, milk, soy products, and if you are free, you can take more sun to help the absorption of calcium.

2. Angelica, Astragalus, Keel, Mother of Pearl, Uncaria, Codonopsis and other drugs should be used to nourish qi and nourish blood, and calm the liver.

3. If the disease factor is ruled out, you can use the method of stepping on the ground to relieve the sudden convulsions while sleeping.

Sleep twitch prevention

Pay more attention to your usual diet, supplement more minerals (calcium needs the most), you can also do stretching exercises before going to bed, pay more attention to keep your hands and feet warm, and pay more attention to winter.