Twitching in sleep

definition

Jerks during sleep can lead to problems falling asleep and staying asleep, but are often not noticed by the patient themselves.
They are characterized by simple, mostly recurring movement patterns during sleep, which result in repeated awakening and reduce the sleep's recovery function.

Parasomnias are phenomena that occur during sleep.
They do not affect the quality of sleep or the restfulness of sleep. This type of sleep disorder is activity that a person performs at night from sleep (e.g., twitching).

Read more about twitching when falling asleep here: Twitching when falling asleep

You might also be interested in: Twitching of the face

causes

The wide range of sleep disorders can have various causes. Physical and mental imbalance are two possible reasons, but often a causal problem cannot be determined. Since many sleep disorders occur to a lesser extent in people who are otherwise symptom-free, it can be assumed that such a disorder is a naturally occurring phenomenon as long as it does not become a burden. Muscle twitching when falling asleep is in most cases harmless. The brain has to process a huge amount of stimuli every day. It does this through an interplay of inhibiting and activating structures.

In the sleep phase it can happen that the inhibiting structures have already shut down, like a computer, while other parts of the brain are still active and send out movement signals. Magnesium influences the transmission of signals between nerves and muscles. Deficiency can cause muscle twitching, especially in superficial muscle groups on the arms and legs.

Other causal factors can be a convulsive disorder in the brain, a so-called epilepsy, but also diseases of the musculoskeletal system or the nervous structures of the body. Psychological triggers such as depression or anxiety disorders should also be clarified.

Often the disorder cannot be traced back to a single cause, but rather is due to an interplay of several factors. Lifestyle, especially insufficient exercise and alcohol and drug consumption, as well as environmental stress (e.g. stress) or side effects of medication, can also influence the development of a sleep disorder. Caffeine consumption or irregular sleep behavior should not be neglected as possible causes. Sleep-related rhythmic movement disorders mainly occur in childhood and are often related to environmental stressors (such as arguments with parents, problems at school) or medically relevant disorders in child development (such as autism or delayed mental development). In the former case, the disorder can heal spontaneously.

Read about other causes of twitching during sleep: Nocturnal unrest

alcohol

Alcohol consumption has many effects on the body.

Alcohol can be damaging to nerve tracts, especially in the brain. This can lead to numbness and tingling sensations and gait disorders, but it can also trigger muscle cramps and weakness. The brain controls the movement of the muscles by sending or blocking nervous signals using messenger substances. Alcohol has a positive effect on inhibiting messenger substances in the brain, as well as negative on activating ones. As a result, alcohol initially prevents cramps, as it blocks the activating signals, but at the same time increases the excitability for activating messenger substances. This is because the body reacts more sensitively to signals when it is less aware of them.

This can be clearly demonstrated by doing your own experiment: you go into a dark room and try to get used to the light conditions there in order to recognize something. If the light is switched on all of a sudden, the brain automatically becomes overstimulated and you first have to close your eyes. When the alcohol level drops, the increased excitability activates nerve cells in the brain that trigger cramps in the muscles. This phenomenon is called rebound epilepsy and can occur hours to days after the actual consumption.

In addition, alcohol is a diuretic because it blocks a chemical in the brain that is normally supposed to limit the excretion of water through the kidneys. As a result of the increased flow, the body not only loses water, but also important blood salts or electrolytes such as potassium, sodium and magnesium. These substances are found in different concentrations in the blood and in the body cells and influence and maintain important body functions. Magnesium, in particular, can lead to muscle cramps in the event of a deficiency, as it affects the transmission between nerves and muscles. It blocks muscle-activating substances, so that if there is a deficiency, the muscle cells are permanently tensed. A lack of sodium can also lead to muscle twitching and, in severe cases, even to seizures. Sodium is a substance that is important for the transmission of stimuli in the body, especially in the heart, where it influences the transmission of the electrical clock to the muscle cells. If the sodium balance is disturbed due to a deficiency, excitations in the muscle can be more easily triggered and the muscles cramp.

The negative effects of alcohol consumption on sleep should also not be underestimated. This eliminates the REM phases that are important for the body's recovery in favor of superficial sleep. This can make the symptoms worse.

Drugs

1. Presynapse, 2. Synaptic cleft with messenger substances, 3. Postsynapse

Intoxicating drugs that central nervous structures how can affect the brain, too sleep disorders trigger. Substances that e.g. in Ecstasy are contained and have a similar chemical structure as the Amphetamines have (i.e. also have a similar effect), the Affect the content of messenger substances in the brain and thereby trigger muscle twitching, among other things.

Neurons are via switching points, so-called Synapses, connected with each other. With messenger substances, excitations from one nerve cell can be passed on to the next. After they are released, they are taken up again by the nerve cell, because the body likes to save and does not want to reproduce the messenger substances over and over again. Amphetamines and similar substances act at the point of nervous stimulus transmission inhibiting the resumption of the substances used. As a result, if the nerve cell wants to pass on a signal, it has to constantly create new messenger substances that accumulate at the point of transmission and increase the effect.

The crucial messenger substance here is Serotonin: He's going to the Re-entry into the nerve cell is preventedwhich makes his Effectiveness extended. More and more serotonin molecules accumulate in the synaptic gap (see picture), the excitement lasts longer and you feel happier. A typical effect is that euphoria, as serotonin has a positive effect on mood.

If the concentration of effective serotonin exceeds a certain level, it can become dangerous. A so-called Serotonin syndromewhat is increased by a Urge to move, Muscle twitching and -tremble, Confusion or Restlessness, Racing heart, high blood pressure, increased reflexes and increased sweating shows. Also not to be underestimated is that Interaction with certain drugsthat at depressions (because serotonin affects mood), and the so-called MAO inhibitors, may occur. MAOIs prevent the breakdown of serotonin and similar substances and can therefore have effects similar to those described above.

Also cocaine acts on that in a similar way Pleasure center of the brain and can therefore also sleep disorders and Muscle spasms trigger. Intoxicating drugs in particular can muscle tremors in the course of withdrawal trigger.

Forms of twitching in sleep

A distinction is made between the following forms of twitching during sleep, which are discussed in more detail below:

  • Restless Leg Syndrome
  • Periodic movements in sleep
  • Night cramps in the calves
  • Sleep-related teeth grinding
  • Sleep-related rhythmic movement disorders

Restless Leg Syndrome

At the Restless legs syndrome the patients complain of tormenting Parasitic sensations in the lower legswhich can lead to problems falling asleep and staying asleep.
The symptoms of restless legs syndrome tend to appear in the evening, at rest, when lying down and sometimes also in rest phases during the day.

Periodic movements in sleep

The periodic movement disorders of the limbs during sleep are irregular, involuntary movements of the arms and legs (twitching).
Often these go hand in hand non-restful sleep, through symptoms of a
Difficulty falling asleep and staying asleep, reduced sleep restfulness, pronounced Daytime sleepiness, Monotony intolerance, secondary depressive symptoms, and impaired memory and attention.

Night cramps in the calves

Both night cramps in the calves it is about spontaneous calf cramps, usually out of sleep without a sign.

These night leg cramps are great painful and can several minutes last for. The regression usually occurs spontaneously or through massage, Movement (targeted strain) or heating system. They are often affected Calves or foot muscles, less often other muscle groups.

Sleep-related teeth grinding (bruxism)

At night Grinding teeth (Bruxism) the chewing muscles are activated, causing teeth grinding and increased wear and tear of the teeth has resulted. This can cause pain in the area teeth and the masticatory muscles come.

Sleep-related rhythmic movement disorders

Are sleep-related rhythmic movement disorders repeated, monotonous, rhythmic movements. These occur more frequently when falling asleep and during sleep. Frequent movements are throwing the head from front to back, head rolling from right to left, rocking the body in the elbow-knee position and body rolling in the prone position.