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Wake me up in 30 minutes6/7/2023 Scientists also believe hypnic jerks can happen when the body doesn’t spend enough time in the first stage of sleep. Since hypnic jerks occur naturally as the body falls asleep, many hypothesize that this is just the body preparing for rest. There are several theories for what causes this phenomenon. The brain jerks your head back up to straighten the air pipe back out so you can breathe properly,” says Breus. “Your head weighs roughly eight pounds so if it falls over too far, it will bend your air pipe in a way that makes it difficult to breathe. This is another natural reaction, but it likely occurs for a different reason than a hypnic jerk. If you’ve fallen asleep sitting up at your desk or on an airplane, you likely know the feeling of your head suddenly bobbing and waking you up. While that is reassuring in some ways, many people would still be glad to know the reason they jerk awake as they are calmly trying to fall asleep! A hypnic jerk is not the same as a bobbing head. Because hypnic jerks are only about as harmful as hiccups, they have not been a high priority research topic. “One of the things that happens as you fall asleep is your muscles relax, but the awake part may still be stimulating enough that it will temporarily overreact and you get this jerk of muscle activity,” he says.ĭoctors are still uncertain why you see the images you do when you have a hypnic jerk. Scientists aren’t sure why you have dreams of falling. Michael Breus, Ph.D., a sleep doctor, clinical psychologist, and fellow of the American Academy of Sleep Medicine, explains, “We don’t have a great answer to the visual component, but we think it might be the easiest way for the brain to interpret the rush or feeling of falling into sleep too quickly, like a lack of balance if you faint while standing up.” Because these dreams are so individualized, it can be hard to study. You get the sensation that you’re losing your balance, and you jerk awake. Jolting up is usually accompanied by dreams of falling, tripping, maybe even leaning too far back in your office chair. He says that hypnic jerks seem to result from a conflict between the brain system that keeps you awake and the brain system that helps you fall asleep. ![]() Ph.D., and the director of the Sleep Disorders Center at New York-Presbyterian/Columbia University Medical Center is a sleep expert. Scientists that study sleep disorders are trying to determine what causes this phenomenon. Sometimes you may feel like you’ve lost your balance while other times you may feel like you’re falling off a cliff! In these dreams, people are often falling, jumping, or tripping. Many people who experience hypnic jerks report having dreams at the moment they wake up. The condition occurs most frequently when people are exhausted and fall asleep quickly. and now they’re starting to understand a little more about it. Some people don’t even realize they’ve had a hypnic jerk while others may scream while it’s happening.įor years, scientists have been trying to figure out what causes it. Reactions can also be different for different people. It’s also known as a “sleep start” or “night start.” It is a quick muscle reflex whose intensity varies from person to person. Many of us have had this experience, but what is it all about? The phenomenon is known as a “hypnic jerk.” For seemingly no reason, your body just forcefully woke you up. ![]() You quickly look around your room, and remember you are safe and sound. Sweet dreams, that is, until you suddenly jerk back awake. It can be hard to stop thinking about the stressful events of your day, but once you fall asleep, there should be nothing but sweet dreams ahead of you. It’s the time of the day when you try to set aside all your worries and prepare for a few hours of rest. The best part of the day is plopping into bed and sleeping like a log.
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