This application is not fully accessible to users whose browsers do not support or have Cascading Style Sheets (CSS) disabled. For a more optimal experience viewing this application, please enable CSS in your browser and refresh the page.
Imagine that you're relaxed and drifting off to sleep when suddenly an arm or leg twitches and you have the sensation of falling out of bed. If this has happened to you, you've experienced what sleep specialists call a hypnic jerk or sleep start. Sleep starts happen in normal, healthy people and don't ordinarily require any medical treatment. However, certain medical conditions can make you jump in your sleep and should be evaluated by your physician.
Itâs believed that sleep seizures are triggered by changes in the electrical activity in your brain during the stages of sleeping and awakening. Most nocturnal seizures occur in stage 1 and stage 2, which are the stages of lighter sleep. And nocturnal awakenings are sometimes confused with insomnia. Epilepsy patients are often unaware of the seizures that occur while they sleep.