If you suddenly shake violently while sleeping, is it your body asking for help?

Have you ever had this experience: when you are about to fall asleep, your body suddenly shakes without any warning, pulling you back from the edge of your dreamland and giving you a startled shock? What is going on? Is there something wrong with your body?

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Why do I shiver violently while sleeping?

In fact, this phenomenon has a scientific name, called "sleep startle", also known as "hypnic twitch" or "hypnic myoclonus". A study by the American Sleep Association found that more than 70% of people have experienced sleep twitch at least once in their lives, and 10% of them even experience it once a day.

When a person first falls asleep, the muscles of the body begin to relax and the brain gradually enters a resting state. However, the brain is not completely "off" at this time. One part of the brain has fallen asleep, while the other part is still "half asleep and half awake". As sleep becomes deeper and deeper, the brain's control over the limbs gradually relaxes. At this time, if there is some external stimulation, such as someone talking or a car honking, the brain is disturbed and may cause a sudden twitch in the local muscles.

Sleep is divided into five stages, and sleep jerks usually occur during the onset of sleep and light sleep. At this time, our whole body or some muscles will suddenly twitch uncontrollably, often accompanied by a feeling of free fall, or some vague dreams, and many people will be awakened by such feelings.

From a physiological mechanism perspective, there are two sets of "small machines" in the brain, one is responsible for keeping us awake and sensitive, and the other is responsible for making us sleepy and falling asleep. Under normal circumstances, these two sets of "small machines" cooperate with each other to maintain a dynamic balance. But sometimes, this balance is broken, and sleep jerks are prone to occur.

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In fact, it is a common physiological phenomenon like hiccups and eyelid twitching, so don't be too nervous. Moreover, sleep twitching will not only not affect your sleep, but may even make you sleep more deeply, and it has nothing to do with sudden death .

Frequent sleep twitching may be the body’s warning!

However, if sleep twitches occur frequently, it may be that the body is sending us an "alarm"!

1. Too much mental pressure

Nowadays, the pace of life is fast, and many people are in a state of tension for a long time, and their brain nerves are always excited. As a result, the two "little machines" that control wakefulness and sleep are easily unbalanced, leading to sleep twitches.

2. Calcium deficiency

Calcium is a "good friend" of muscles and nerve cells. If there is not enough calcium in the body, the muscles and nerves will be like machines without "lubricating oil", and will be prone to spasms and twitches, and will cause violent shaking or cramps while sleeping.

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3. Brain injury

If you experience sleep twitching many times and are accompanied by symptoms such as headaches and dizziness, you should be careful. This may be due to injury to the cerebral cortex or hypothalamus. It is best to go to the hospital as soon as possible for a brain CT or MRI scan.

What should I do if I don’t want my sweet dreams to be disturbed by this twitching?

1. You must have a regular work and rest schedule and don't stay up late. It is best for adults to get 7-8 hours of sleep every day. If you are too busy during the day and can't get enough sleep, taking a 30-minute nap at noon can also help you relax.
2. Learn to relieve yourself of stress. Don’t think about those annoying things before going to bed. Let your brain relax.
3. You can do some gentle yoga exercises or simple stretching before going to bed to relax tense muscles, which can reduce the chance of sleep twitching.
4. You should also pay attention to your diet and eat some dairy products, soybeans, nuts and other foods that can supplement calcium.