Search results
Results from the WOW.Com Content Network
A hypnic jerk, hypnagogic jerk, sleep start, sleep twitch, myoclonic jerk, or night start is a brief and sudden involuntary contraction of the muscles of the body which occurs when a person is beginning to fall asleep, often causing the person to jump and awaken suddenly for a moment.
The word hypnagogia is sometimes used in a restricted sense to refer to the onset of sleep, and contrasted with hypnopompia, Frederic Myers's term for waking up. [2] However, hypnagogia is also regularly employed in a more general sense that covers both falling asleep and waking up.
The word myoclonus uses combining forms of myo-and clonus, indicating muscle contraction dysfunction. It is pronounced / ˌ m aɪ ˈ ɒ k l ə n ə s / [13] or / ˌ m aɪ ə ˈ k l oʊ n ə s, ˌ m aɪ oʊ-/ [14]. The prevalence of the variants shows division between American English and British English.
Exploding head syndrome (EHS) is an abnormal sensory perception during sleep in which a person experiences auditory hallucinations that are loud and of short duration when falling asleep or waking up. [2] [4] The noise may be frightening, typically occurs only occasionally, and is not a serious health concern. [2]
Sleep paralysis is a state, during waking up or falling asleep, in which a person is conscious but in a complete state of full-body paralysis. [1] [2] During an episode, the person may hallucinate (hear, feel, or see things that are not there), which often results in fear.
Periodic limb movement disorder is characterized by recurrent episodes of frequent limb movements while sleeping. It mostly happens in the lower parts of the body like the toes, ankles, knees and hips. It can also, in some cases, appear in the upper extremities of the body.
It is a sister site to The Free Dictionary and usage examples in the form of "references in classic literature" taken from the site's collection are used on The Free Dictionary 's definition pages. In addition, double-clicking on a word in the site's collection of reference materials brings up the word's definition on The Free Dictionary.
It has distinct meanings and causes. It can refer to the usual state preceding falling asleep, [1] the condition of being in a drowsy state due to circadian rhythm disorders, or a symptom of other health problems. It can be accompanied by lethargy, weakness and lack of mental agility. [2]