Myoclonic Jerk

Had a weird and mildly disconcerting episode in the middle of the night.

I went to bed around 11, fairly early for me, alone in bed. The wife was downstairs watching some DVR and fell asleep on the couch.

Out of a deep sleep I suddenly jerked awake. Someone – or something – had just grabbed my toes, which were slightly sticking out from under our snug comforter. My heart skipped a beat, all the muscles in my body tensed, and I sat up immediately.

My first thought was that my daughter had crept into the room. Not a common occurrence, but it has happened once or twice in the past, mostly due to nightmares on her part. I strained in the darkness to make out her shape, her form or outline, but nothing came.

The clock across from me read 12:35. I had been asleep exactly 90 minutes, which, I believe, is the amount of time a normal REM sleep cycle takes.

Goosebumps rose up all over my arms and body as I felt really, really weird, just sitting there in bed in the dark. As far as I could tell, I was alone in the room, but my feet were still tingling from whatever it was that brushed across them, be it a dream or a random breeze in the room, or – who knows? – maybe even a mouse.

I went to the bathroom across the hall without waking anyone up or turning on the lights. By the time I hit the sheets again, five minutes later, I convinced myself that it was just a dream. I was in one of those states where you say, “Uh oh, now I’m gonna be up for the rest of the night,” but before I knew it I was out again, fast asleep.

Until 3:40. Then I was up for the rest of the night …