Your body can be a real jerk sometimes.
Literally , I mean. Especially while you’re trying to fall asleep and your it decides to have a sudden case of twitchy Tourette’s-esque tics. Maybe this has happened to you too. Ever end a long day – and then attempt to slip into blissful subconsciousness for the next several hours – only to abruptly awake to your own somatic spasms setting off like flesh infested firecrackers? This happens to me all the time. Like, I’m just on the cusp of being lulled off, when dream-me grabs hold of some an imaginary electric fence, blasting f’real-me straight back into reality. I come crashing reluctantly into consciousness. And, suddenly, my formerly sedated state from all of sixty seconds ago is over. Now, I’m under full body assault – compliments of my currently disturbed nervous system. The rapid cardiac percussion. The labored respiration. The racing brain.
(Familiar quotes from the douchebag living in my dome.)
Ah, yes.
I know it well. But this phenomenon, known as the “hypnic jerk” (AKA “hypnagogic jerk” AKA “sleep start” AKA “there are far too many terms in circulation for such an undeserving inconvenience that ruins my favorite time of day”) is common among many. Even those anally abstemious about their health. (Hi.) In fact, it’s said that it happens to anywhere from 60 to 70% of us humans. Why? Well, because of when we humans used to be more primate-like, surmise some scientists. It’s only one theory. But the evolutionary supposition is that when we were mere monkey hominids, the reflex served us well to help us react quickly if we were falling out of a tree or something. But, TBH, I’m not sure how much I believe that. Seems like a bit of a reach, doesn’t it? Especially since my dog (yours probably, too) does the same damned thing. And the only thing she knows how to climb are my nerves. Which actually is the premise of the alternate theory: misfiring nerves. The idea behind this hypothesis is that your meat machine rides the struggle bus when traversing from the alert world to slumber central. It’s a bumpy transition. And, as a result, our befuddled nerves misfire in a final act of retaliation.
Alright, so these quasi-conscious convulsions are normal.
That doesn’t mean I like them, though.
So, what can I do to cure a case of the sleep starts?
Well, just to name a few, you can:
1. Nix late day caffeine.
(Tough to tune out when you’re still stimulated)
2. Fret less.
(Stressing about the body shudders will only make ’em worse)
3. Keep a sleep routine.
(Apparently your mind/body connectch craves consistency).
4. Meditate prior to pillow time.
5. Try some sun (moon?) salutations – adopt a short yoga flow to do before bed.
(Both’a those contributing to tranquil, full body calm.)
6. Imbibe infrequently and not before bed.
(While it might K you O at first, you’ll wake up more frequently mid sleep, setting you into a dozing deficit (AKA sleep deprivation), and setting you up for more mattress flailing tomorrow evening.)
7. Exercise earlier.
(Go to bed too excited and your brain really won’t wanna relinquish its awake state some say. I’d also add no blue light – like laptops and T.V.’s – after sunset, for the same stimulating reason.)
8. Eat earlier.
(To much blood in your tummy can spike your adrenaline levels – a perfect jerk instigator.)
9. Try a chillout CD
(Like white noise, forest recordings, or that slow and depressing soundtrack from your favorite indie flick)
But – helpful though those are – if you’ve read anything else of mine, you know I’m bigger on testimonials than lists (People tend to be honest when they’re carping about their maladies.) So, naturally, I scrolled southward on the sleep disorder site where I nicked these tips to see what the sleep deprived peeps of earth were saying in the comments about their nocturnal tremors. Most of it was complaints. However – of the few that actually came back to post the cure that worked best for them – the winner seemed to be… number 10 on this list: Magnesium supplements. Strange, right? But apparently, a magnesium deficiency can indeed induce this unprecedented sensation of pre-dream electrocution. In fact, as one anonymous commenter claimed: “I had this problem too – it was dementing as I couldn’t get any sleep. I tried supplementing with magnesium and the problem subsided”.
(Or, if you’re like me – and loathe choking down supplements – acquire it the au natch way with some’ve the above.)
So, if sleep starts are stopping your sleep…
1.) Try shuffling around the nine above things to see which one’s the culprit causing corporeal quakes.
2.) Seek a doze doc to see if your Magnesium’s on the fritz.
3.) Come back and comment which ones worked for you.
4.) Close said comment, obviously, by reminding me of how awesome I am, how I put “art” in article, and how you’ll volunteer to sub in for the nearest honor death the day I decide to relinquish the quill and quit my escritorial endeavors. Ya know, in the off chance that I’ve forgotten.
Best’ve luck, my fellow tic ridden pillow drifters.