Hypnic Jerks: A Scoping Literature Review.

A scoping review is an approach to identify or map the extent of key concepts and main sources and types of evidence available on a topic. Hypnic jerks are considered a parasomnia categorized as a sleep-wake transition disorder. Although hypnic jerks are considered a benign sleep/movement disorder, some of the latest research indicates that they may be a clinical characteristic for other sleep disorders that affect health care outcomes. This article conducts a scoping review of the literature to determine the extent, range, and nature of the research activity related to hypnic jerks and identifies research gaps in the existing literature.