Are twitches dangerous when falling asleep?
No! A twitching of the muscles when falling asleep is absolutely harmless in most cases. However, if the twitching also occurs several times during the day or in the course of the night, it is worth visiting your family doctor.
The doctor will be able to rule out most dangerous causes by means of a specific medical history and an orienting neurological examination, especially with the question of further accompanying symptoms. Indications for more serious neurological diseases are a longer existing numbness or pain in the area of the extremities or the spine. A twitching of the musculature when falling asleep may be frightening at first but is usually not dangerous.
Associated symptoms
The twitching of the musculature when falling asleep cannot be deliberately influenced by the affected person. For various reasons, the associated nerve is malfunctioning; the muscle is activated. The triggers are often stress and psychological strain. However, the nerve can also be irritated by a herniated disc in the spinal column. In this case, the affected person usually complains of other symptoms such as severe pain and loss of sensation or paralysis.
Is it possible to prevent twitching when falling asleep?
When falling asleep, involuntary contraction of a muscle occurs more often. This is usually caused by a malfunction in the brain, which occurs mainly in the transitional phase between sleep and wakefulness. There are, however, factors that favour this muscle twitching.
These can be eliminated as best as possible. On the one hand, there is stress and psychological strain, on the other hand, there is sometimes a magnesium deficiency behind it. Therefore, a sufficient magnesium supply ensures that no muscle twitching occurs due to magnesium deficiency.
Consequences
Involuntary twitching, which occasionally occurs when falling asleep, can generally be considered harmless. So far, no connection with serious diseases such as epilepsy could be established. Nevertheless, the twitching can have an effect on the well-being of the persons concerned. Severe twitching can make it difficult to fall asleep and can sometimes even lead to sleep disorders and insomnia. The consequences of sleep deprivation can have a very negative impact on the quality of life of the persons affected.
