Duration
The muscle twitching when falling asleep is usually limited to the phase just before falling asleep and is therefore only of very short duration. It usually disappears with the onset of sleep. Since it occurs more frequently in stressed or emotionally charged people, the twitching is not always equally pronounced. It may occur every evening for a few days and then disappear again for weeks.
Diagnosis
The doctor will first conduct a detailed medical history. He will ask which muscle group is affected, as well as the frequency and severity of the muscle twitch and any accompanying symptoms. The doctor will then carry out a brief physical examination.
After these two steps, the doctor will surely have a suspected diagnosis. In most cases, no further diagnosis is necessary. If further examinations should be necessary, they are usually carried out by a neurologist. In this case, further examinations include a measurement of the nerve conduction velocity (ENG) and the measurement of the electrical muscle activity (EMG).
Therapy
A twitching of the muscles when falling asleep is in most cases absolutely harmless and does not require any treatment.Especially when stress or emotional strain is the trigger, the muscle twitching usually disappears by itself without treatment. It is helpful to learn different methods of stress management. Psychotherapy can also be useful for dealing with emotionally stressful situations.
If a magnesium deficiency is probable because there is an increased need due to pregnancy, more magnesium should be supplied to the body, for example through food in tablet or powder form. Then the muscle twitching improves rapidly. Serious diseases as a cause of twitching when falling asleep are very rare.
They are treated by a neurologist. In principle, however, muscle twitching while falling asleep has no disease value and therefore does not need to be treated. This topic might also be of interest to you: How to reduce stress A twitching of the muscles while falling asleep can have many causes.
The fact is that it occurs more frequently due to stress and emotional strain. A lack of magnesium is also seen as a frequent trigger for muscle twitching. People with an increased magnesium requirement, e.g. athletes or pregnant women, are particularly affected.
It is therefore advisable to try to take in more magnesium through food first. Magnesium-rich foods are: Pulses such as beans, chickpeas, lentils, sesame seeds, pumpkin seeds, poppy seeds or bananas. In addition, magnesium can always be taken in the form of dietary supplements in tablet or powder form.
