YOU’RE just drifting off to sleep when your body suddenly jolts.
It instantly wakes you – and often your partner – and leaves you feeling suitably irritated.
GettyThe sudden jolt you feel when you’re falling asleep is known as a hypnic jerk[/caption]
Well as annoying as it might be, this sensation is actually pretty common.
It’s known as a hypnic jerk and is estimated to affect up to 70 per cent of people.
Sometimes also called a hypnagogic jerk, sleep start, sleep twitch or myoclonic jerk, it is an involuntary movement that tends to happen during the transition between stage one and two of your sleep cycle.
This is when your muscles start to relax, your heartbeat and breathing slows, and your body temperature begins to drop.
The spasms are often associated with the sensation of falling, or occasionally a loud noise or flash of light, according to the NHS.
Sometimes the whole body twitches, but it can also happen in just the legs, health experts say.
Generally, they are not too distressing and don’t impact your sleep long term.
However, there are several things you can do to decrease your chances of it happening.
This includes reducing your stress and anxiety levels, consuming fewer caffeinated drinks, and getting more sleep to begin with.
It is also advised to not to exercise within three hours of going to bed as this has been linked to night-time contractions.
And scientists recommend steering clear of alcohol at least two hours before hitting the hay.
But to begin with, specialists recommend keeping a diary to track exactly when jerks happen and what you did, ate and drank that day.
Lisa Artis, deputy CEO at The Sleep Charity, told The Mirror this narrows down potential triggers and helps tackle the root of the problem.
Most people don’t need treatment unless they are accompanied by other complaints such as physical injury, bedwetting or confusion.
In these instances, you should visit your GP, the organisation said.
They are generally totally harmless, but stress, anxiety and sleep deprivation can all make them a little bit more common.
Avisha NessAiver
Scientist Avisha NessAiver, who runs the TikTok channel @distilledscience, shared a video explaining more about hypnic jerks.
In it, he said: “They are part of a category of involuntary muscle movements called myoclonus, which are sometimes produced by seizures or Parkinson’s disease, but they can also be totally benign like a hiccup or the startle reflex.
“Up to 70 per cent of people experience them at some point, though it’s more common when younger.
“They are generally totally harmless, but stress, anxiety and sleep deprivation can all make them a little bit more common.
“Targeting those aspects of your life is really the only way to make hypnic jerks less common.”
The viral star said it’s not known exactly what causes them, but one paper theorised that they started when our genetic ancestors used fall sleep in trees.
“The brain might misinterpret muscle relaxation as you fall asleep as you falling out of a tree branch, so it wakes you up pronto,” he said.
“So no yelling at your boyfriend. It’s not his fault.”
His followers were stunned by the simple explanation.
One person said: “Oh, that’s why when I’m about to fall asleep I wake up from the feeling of falling.”
Another wrote: “I do this all the time. I feel like I’m walking down stairs and fall really fast. It’s terrifying.”
While a third commented: “I do this every night and it’s so odd. This is proper interesting.”
Tiktok – @distilledscienceScientist Avisha NessAiver explained why we experience the phenomenon on TikTok[/caption]
Tiktok – @distilledscienceHe said the twitches are often worsened by stress, anxiety and sleep deprivation[/caption] Read More