Jactatio capitis nocturna: symptoms, causes and treatment

Sleep is a fundamental process for humans and other animals, since it allows the body to rest and repair itself. We spend a large part of our lives sleeping, and not doing it correctly can have noticeable effects on our abilities.

But sometimes, even though our mental activity and brain waves are mostly in the process of sleep, our body is not so sleepy since it has not finished deactivating and makes movements even if they are not conscious.

This is what happens in sleepwalking or in nocturnal boasting capitis, the latter being the sleep disturbance that we are going to talk about throughout this article.

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Nocturnal jactatio capitis: description of this parasomnia

It receives the name of nocturnal jactatio capitis a sleep disturbance which is characterized by the appearance of rocking, tapping, and rhythmic, involuntary movements of the head, and sometimes of the entire body. Sometimes grunts or the emission of unconnected sounds also appear.

In many ways, the symptoms of nocturnal jactatio capitis decrease the quality of sleep and make it difficult to get enough rest; in some cases, it even results in injury.

Symptoms

As a parasomnia that it is, it supposes the existence of abnormal behaviors during sleep which are carried out without the affected person being aware of it and without causing them to awaken.

In the case of nocturnal jactatio capitis, the movements performed are usually smooth, although on occasions they may be abrupt and violent and result in blows and injuries, without the person waking up. suffer. These episodes usually last about a quarter of an hour., and the average is around 60 or 70 movements per minute.

This alteration appears during childhood and usually occurs between six months and the first four years of life, although it is more common between nine months and two years. Although it is not common, this parasomnia can present or persist in adolescence or sometimes into adulthood. It can appear in both boys and girls..

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Causes

The causes of these movements are not entirely clear, but it has been suggested that they have the function of relieving anxiety, imitate the rocking movement to relax and facilitate sleep or simply as a source of gratification.

Some theories propose that in some cases it can appear in the presence of a vital stage in which the child feels tense and frustrated. Also It can arise due to a deprivation of affective stimulation, or as a learned and conditioned behavior in which the child acquires rocking as a calming method (by linking it with the rocking of the crib or of the parents).

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My son has it: should I worry?

The existence of this type of parasomnia usually generates deep concern in parents, often before the fear that the boy or girl may have a neurological problem or be suffering from some type of epileptic outbreak.

Although some of the movements made during sleep may resemble epilepsy in cases where the movements are violent, it It is true that nocturnal jactatio capitis does not imply a neurological alteration and in fact no alterations are observed at the level of waves or functioning cerebral. However, it is worth making an assessment in this regard since the presence of these could favor this type of problem.

Nocturnal jactatio capitis is generally an innocuous sleep disorder that does not itself cause harm to the sufferer, although It is advisable to take the precaution of placing a barrier in the bed to prevent falls o Watch that there are no corners or elements with which the child can hit and injure himself.

The prognosis is positive and as a general rule it is a type of parasomnia that disappears after a few months., although it can last for years and even last well into adulthood (although the latter is rare).

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Treatment of this alteration

Although nocturnal jactatio capitis usually disappears on its own over time and does not pose a health risk, sometimes it can be used different treatment options, especially when the movements are especially virulent and generate blows against walls and objects or are very frequent.

It should be taken into account to analyze first if there is any type of environmental element that may be generating stress the child or assess whether he receives enough or excessive stimulation that frustrates him or causes the need to calm down.

As regards the problem itself, on a psychological level a method similar to that of the pee-stop can be applied to cases of nocturnal enuresis and based on conditioning: an alarm or a light device is placed that activates when the minor begins to make the movements. This, although slightly aversive, will wake the child up and stop the movement, and over time the child will stop linking the movement to calming down. Sometimes it may also be considered appropriate to use drugs, always under medical prescription, such as benzodiazepines or tricyclic antidepressants.