Have you ever experienced waking up in the middle of the night, but you couldn’t move? It’s as if your brain’s already awake, but your body won’t cooperate—this is one of the scariest feelings some people experience. This is called sleep paralysis, and many people all over the world experience it at some point in [...]
If you toss and turn for most of the night due to trouble falling or staying asleep, then it's possible you may have a sleep disorder. It’s an umbrella term that refers to different forms of sleep disruption—including ubiquitous conditions such as sleep apnea, and other lesser-known conditions such as sleep terrors. Understanding the type [...]
Restless Leg Syndrome (RLS) is a medical condition that involves the involuntary movement of your legs, often leading to discomfort. It can be exceptionally bothersome when dealing with it at night, as you sit down or lie down, preparing to get some sleep. Also known as Willis-Ekbom disease, this condition can be quite bothersome, disrupting [...]
Many people dream of going to bed after a tiring day and drifting off to sleep, but the unfortunate reality is that most experience anything but sweet dreams. Quality sleep is essential to your health as it offers the time where your body and mind can rest and replenish its energy. By getting less than [...]
Babies typically clench their fists before falling asleep and then start to loosen their grip after falling asleep. But, what about us adults? Why would we have a clenched fist while sleeping? Perhaps it was because of a dream, but there could be other factors on why you have a clenched fist while sleeping. Let's [...]
Sleep myoclonus is a brief involuntary twitching of the muscles when you’re asleep. Most people are unaware of twitching in their sleep, but if the condition is severe enough, it may be disruptive enough to wake their spouse or interfere with their ability to achieve deep, restful sleep. Despite this, twitching in your sleep is [...]
A hypnagogic jerk (also called a hypnic jerk) is an involuntary muscle spasm that occurs as a person falls asleep. Individuals may experience a falling sensation (or even dream of falling), causing them to jerk and awake. Some individuals may only experience a small twitching, that’s only noticeable to a spouse or caretaker, and not [...]
Most people have noticed that they tend to wake up at the same time every night. Despite their efforts to make small changes in their sleep routine, such as going to bed later or earlier, the pattern persists. It’s important to realize that waking up at the same time every night is harmless and has [...]
Sleep inertia refers to a period of impairment after waking, marked by intense grogginess. If you regularly awaken from sleep, only to have the unshakable urge to fall back asleep, it’s entirely possible you could be suffering from sleep inertia. This can pose an inconvenience to some and even danger to others—particularly for workers who [...]
To understand circadian rhythm sleep disorders, it is essential first to understand circadian rhythm. The circadian rhythm is the body’s natural “clock” that occurs over a 24-hour period. In addition to other bodily functions, it dictates the body’s natural inclination for sleepiness as well as wakefulness. Most individuals are naturally most sleepy around 11 p.m., [...]
