going to sleep 'twitches'

[shivvy]

Has anyone experienced or got any idea why some people seem to twitch as they are just going over to sleep? Not always big twitches, but small-ish shoulder, hand, leg twitching etc.

If you are familiar with this - any idea on how to prevent it (without chucking bedpartner out of the sack?!

[spk]

Hi shivvy I get that too sometimes- It has a specific name I cant remember what it is but I dont think you can stop it unfortunately. Its annoying !

[Rubyrose]

Are you on about those ones where you start to dream and dream you have fallen over and you lash out in your sleep and wake up?

[SC00BY]

They are called 'Myoclonic Jerks' try googling that and it will tell you all you need to know.

[Pippa68]

My husband sometimes has a full body jerk as he is falling off to sleep! most of the time though it is just small twitches..he calls it his 'shutdown'.

[QueenOfSheba]

I get something like that but I don't think it's just when you're drifting off to sleep. I reckon that because you're lying in bed in a dark room with no distractions that you notice it more, as even just now as I've typed this my finger twitched!

You could banish your significant other to the shed/car/settee/cat's basket (delete as appropriate)!!

[shivvy]

Nope Scooby they aren'y myoclonic jerks but thanks for the reference.

And nope rubyrose, they aren't those bigger jumps that we sometimes take when we think/dream we are falling off the pavement etc.

The type I am talking about only happen when beginning to doze off and are very slight, but can happen all over eg shoulder, fingers etc - like small muscle twitches.

Anyone got any idea how to stop them?

[Homer55]

I suffer from the same thing shivvy, its not massive jerks or anything just my arm will twitch or my leg, no idea how to stop it, iv cut down on drinking alcohol. and also cut down on smoking before i go to bed and this has helped. but apart from that i dont know, sorry

[flipflop104]

I have big twitches when I'm dropping off to sleep - my poor gf nearly has a heart attack if I'm laid on her and I twitch cos I really do jump - almost like when someone's being resucitated with those heart things that makes the body jump. LOL

I think my body does it when I'm very relaxed cos it occaisonlly does it when I'm awake and watching TV (but much smaller twitches then).

It also used to do it when I used to smoke cannabis, ie. relaxed - when I was stoned I used to twitch like mad.

Dunno if you can stop it though

[electricblue]

I'm like that a bit,i put it down to relaxing and the body loosening up!!

[madham]

I get them when I am mega overtired and try and stay up another half hour watching some daft programme, but when I follow my normal bedtime routine I'm fine. But I used to get them alot in a morning on waking, I constantly thought a fog horn on a ship was sounding everytime my alarm went off, made me jump more than twitch though .

[sweetness05]

I also have full body twitches my boyfriend noticed them before i did i only have them when i sleep i was told to cut back on caffiene i was told it could be from stress also if you take pain meds can cause them i was told to try eating a banana before bed every night cause it could be low potasium. I wish i knew how to stop them too cause i have them to the point it shakes the whole bed sometimes like i have fallen on the bed. if any one can help me futher let me know