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Sleep Glitches

  • Writer: Ash
    Ash
  • 3 days ago
  • 6 min read

DISCLAIMER: I am not a medical professional!! If you require support with any of these sleep-related issues, please consult a medical professional, such as a GP or psychologist.


Hi friends! I recently watched a YouTube video about sleep glitches - like weird/odd stuff that happens to us surrounding sleep, and I wanted to make a blog post about it, so here it is!! I've included sleep glitches and sleep disorders in here.


I also recommend checking out my post on "sleep paralysis" too!


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Sleep Glitches and Sleep Disorders


  • Hypnic Jerk - A hypnic jerk can be described as "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." I get these a lot, and it's kinda like being startled, and you jump a little, and when you're in bed, you get a bit of a falling sensation. Wikipedia says that around 70% of people experience hypnic jerks. Hypnic jerks are usually not anything to worry about!

  • Insomnia - I think this one is pretty clear, but it's a sleep disorder where a person struggles to get enough sleep and often finds themselves waking up during the night and not being able to get back to sleep. For some people, it's just one of those things, and for others, it can be a major disruption to their lives.

  • Hypersomnia - Hypersomnia is when a person struggles to stay awake during the day, no matter how much sleep they've had the night before. A person who has hypersomnia is unable to control when they feel sleepy; it just happens. I believe there are treatments out there for this disorder, but for some, it can really impact people's careers.

  • Narcolepsy - I think this is part of hypersomnia, but it is a neurological condition where the brain has trouble figuring out one's sleep/wake cycle, so many people feel very sleepy during the day. It can also cause people to just randomly fall asleep at random times (very unsafe for driving).

  • Exploding Head Syndrome (EHS) - Don't worry, it's not a literally exploding head! This one refers to when a person is about to drift off to sleep, and they hear a loud bang (often like the sound of a b*mb going off). I've had this once in my life, and it was terrifying. Thankfully, I've never had it again. EHS is characterised as a type of parasomnia.

  • Sleep Hallucinations (also known as Hypnagogic Hallucinations) - These are hallucinations that briefly take place while you are falling asleep. Such hallucinations tend to be visual in nature, like colours or patterns, which aren't a cause for concern - I think I've also had this once! I woke up in the middle of the night, and I saw a purple orb floating in the house, and I think that's what it was. I also once heard my mum's voice when I was sleeping, and that freaked me out, so I'm wondering if that fits in here too. I've just read that these hallucinations can be visual, somatic, or auditory, so I'm definitely going to assume that's what I experienced!! Quick sidenote, there's also hallucinations which are "hypnopompic", which is the same thing, just when you're waking up.

  • Sleep Paralysis - Obviously, I've written about this one before, but if you're unfamiliar with sleep paralysis, it's when you are unable to move right before falling asleep or when you wake up and often people see scary stuff like demons. It's as if your mind/body is "stuck" between asleep and awake, but you're not quite either. It goes away, but it's pretty scary. The best thing for sleep paralysis is to wait it out. Psychologists do CBT for this, too I believe.

  • Sleep Talking (Somniloquy) - Basically, sleep talking is very self-explanatory, but for the purpose of this post, it's when a person talks out loud in their sleep. It can range from some mumbles to full-blown conversations. It can happen in both NREM and REM stages of sleep, but it is more common during NREM.

  • Sleep Terrors (also called Night Terrors) - This is characterised by intense periods of screaming, crying, or extreme fear/panic and can occasionally result in someone waving their arms/legs, and all this happens while a person is asleep. When the person experiencing night terrors wakes up, they usually have little memory of the event. Sometimes an adult can remember some of it, but not always.

  • REM Sleep Behaviour Disorder (RBD) - This is where a person may act out their dreams with their body while they are asleep. It can be quite violent in nature. Normally, in REM, our brain blocks our muscles from moving, but with RBD, the muscles don't get blocked due to nerve issues, and one acts out their dreams.

  • Sleep Walking (Somnambulism) - This is when a person gets up and walks around while they are asleep, and tends to be more common in children. Often, children will grow out of it. I remember having a friend who slept-walked as a kid, and I think once she started doing the vacuuming in her sleep. Unless you have more than 1-2 experiences of sleepwalking, then you probably don't have anything to worry about as an adult.

  • Sleep Apnea - This one is the scariest to me for some reason, and I know quite a few people who have it! If you snore a lot, this is something you should get checked for. I think I only snore when I'm sick. Anyway, sleep apnea is where your body does a start/stop breathing response while you are asleep. People who have sleep apnea tend to snore REALLY loudly and feel tired/fatigued during the day.

  • Restless Leg Syndrome (RLS) - This is another one I definitely have LOL. RLS is a condition where a person has a super strong urge to move their legs, and it often happens in the evening/night when a person is settling down for bed and tends to happen while lying down.

  • Sleep-Related Eating Disorder (SERD) - This is as it reads, SERD is a disorder where a person eats in their sleep, and the person has little to no memory of the event the next day. It is usually a sign of other sleep disorders and can be caused by some medications.

  • Bruxism (aka Teeth Grinding) - This refers to the involuntary action of grinding one's teeth at night. I think I may do this sometimes, but I'm not 100% sure. My crown hasn't been damaged, so hopefully I don't!

  • Fatal Familial Insomnia - This is an EXTREMELY rare genetic disorder where people affected struggle to get to sleep at first, then things that follow are acting out dreams, dementia, and extreme loss of energy. It's as if the person gets stuck between being asleep and being awake in their life. It is life-threatening because the disorder can cause health implications. Sounds so scary.

  • Sleeping Beauty Syndrome (aka Klein-Levin Syndrome) - This is another rare condition where a person sleeps for a very long time. People with this syndrome can sleep up to 20 hours per day, which can cause behavioural changes such as hallucinations, increased appetite, and amnesia.

  • Non-24-Hour Sleep-Wake Syndrome - Again, this is very rare, but it's where a person's biological clock is unable to synchronise a 24-hour day. Basically, the circadian rhythm is disrupted. People with this syndrome will find that it is hard to go to sleep at the same time every day and often delay when they do get to sleep. It's more common in people who are blind.


Thank you for reading! I hope you learned something from this post, as I did! And the best sleep advice I can give is to have good sleep hygiene. Lately, I've been having a Milo before bed, and that's made me very sleepy, so I want to keep doing that.


Much love,

Ash xx


References


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