I think there are few things that can mess up a night’s sleep more than that terrible feeling of waking up suddenly in fear.
Maybe you’ve felt it sometimes – most of our readers probably have at some point – and if you haven’t, then consider yourself fortunate. For many, the sensation of being jolted from sleep is an uneasy one, often coming right before the feeling of falling.
It’s like one of those dreams where you’re falling… falling… only to wake up just before hitting the ground. You never really get used to it, sadly, and getting back to a calm sleep after it happens can be tough.
But what does this jerking feeling actually mean? Why does it seem to be a totally normal and common thing for most people? Is there anything we can do to stop it from happening?
Well, we’ve tried doing some research on this topic. While many parts of this strange experience remain unclear, we do have a few answers that might interest anyone who has ever woken up in the middle of the night with their heart racing.
First off, let’s call these sensations by their real name: hypnic jerks. Also known as sleep starts, they’re those sudden muscle twitches that happen as you start to fall asleep.
What we know
According to the Sleep Foundation, hypnic jerks usually affect one side of your body – like your left arm or right leg – and researchers still don’t fully understand why they happen.
In fact, all we really have are theories based on limited facts; for instance, hypnic jerks (hypnic is short for hypnagogic) begin in the same part of your brain that controls your startle response. Makes sense right?
It could be when your muscles relax completely – which is obviously part of falling asleep – your brain sometimes thinks you’re actually falling for real and reacts by quickly activating your muscles.
Another idea is that hypnic jerks relate directly to dream-like images accompanying them. In other words, your brain mixes reality with dreams causing muscle reactions based on what you’re experiencing while sleeping.
Why is this happening
Figuring out exactly why you’re having hypnic jerks isn’t easy either but there are some ideas about what might make them more likely.
According to the Sleep Foundation , certain risk factors include too much caffeine or other stimulants , heavy exercise before bed , emotional stress , and not getting enough sleep .
Stimulants like caffeine and nicotine play a big role since they stay in our system long after consuming them . These products keep tiredness away making it harder to fall asleep so maybe it’s not surprising they lead to hypnic jerks .
Similarly , working out hard late at night isn’t linked with easily collapsing into bed . Instead , exercise energizes us making us feel more awake than sleepy .
It’s key to remember that anyone can experience hypnic jerks at any age; they come in different forms & seem very common . The Sleep Foundation says around 70% people deal with hynpic jerks & while unsettling they’re not dangerous .
What can be done?
So all this raises an important question: how can we stop or at least manage annoying symptoms related with these pesky hypnic jerks?
There are several things you can try doing for better chances at reducing them including improving sleeping habits (like going bed & waking up same times each day), trying lower stress levels in life , exercising daily (but not too late), cutting down caffeine intake & reducing or eliminating nicotine & alcohol .
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