For sure you at least once in your life, but you had to notice for yourself or someone close to myoclonic cramps. So called abrupt contractions of muscles. Now remember? This often happens when you fall asleep. The attack begins suddenly and lasts only a few seconds. Myoclonia can cover the entire body or only separate muscle groups.
Causes of myoclonic seizures
In most cases, involuntary muscle contraction appears simply and is not a symptom of disease. Myoclonia in this case is associated with physiological causes - muscle overstrain, for example.
Cramps when falling asleep are different:
- cortical - caused by factors from the outside;
- stem - provoked by excessive excitability of receptors;
- spinal - arising mainly on the background of inflammatory processes, tumors, heart attack , degenerative ailments, injuries;
- peripheral - appearing due to damage to the peripheral nerves.
The main factors that cause myoclonic seizures when falling asleep in an adult are:
- diffuse lesion of the gray matter of the brain (as in Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease or sclerosing panencephalitis, for example);
- various neurological pathologies;
- uremia;
- hypoxia;
- hypersmolar state.
There are also less serious causes of seizures during sleep:
- lack of nutrients in the body;
- smoking;
- stress, anxiety, overstrain;
- excessive physical activity;
- taking caffeine and other stimulants;
- irritation of the eyelid or face;
- reaction to taking certain medications (mainly corticosteroids , estrogen, stimulants).
Treating cramps in the body when falling asleep
Benign myoclonia in treatment does not need. But if the jerks become too strong and begin to interfere with sleep, you will have to undergo a screening and, most likely, start taking anticonvulsants and sedatives:
- Clonazepam;
- Sedanota;
- Apilepsin;
- Depakin;
- Convulex;
- Kalma.
If the cause of seizures in nervous overstrain, you need to ensure the body peace, normalize the regime of the day, before going to bed, take a relaxing warm bath and drink valerian or motherwort.
Among other things, it is recommended to give up cigarettes and alcohol at the time of treatment. The patient should spend more time outdoors. Will benefit and listen to relaxing music.