Hypnic jerks: Why you may be getting them and what to do

I Find There Are Few Things That Can Ruin A Night’s Sleep More Than That Awful Sensation Of Jerking Awake In Panic.

Perhaps You’ve Experienced It On Occasion – Most Of Our Readers Likely Will Have At One Point Or Another – And If You Haven’t Then You Can Count Yourself Lucky. For Many, The Feeling Of Being Ripped From Sleep Is An Uncomfortable One, And Is Often Preceded By The Sensation Of Your Body Falling.

It’s Like One Of Those Dreams When You’re Falling… Falling… Only To Then Start Awake Directly Before You Hit The Ground. You Never Really Get Used It, Unfortunately, And It Can Be Difficult To Return To A Peaceful Slumber After It’s Happened.

But What Exactly Does This Jerking Sensation Mean? Why Does It Appear To Be A Fully Natural And Common Occurrence Among Most All Humans? Is There Anything That Can Be Done To Prevent It From Happening?

Well, We’ve Endeavored To Do A Little Research On The Matter, And While There Are Many Elements Of This Creepy Phenomenon That Remain A Mystery, We Do Have At Least A Few Answers That Might Be Of Interest To Anyone Who’s Ever Started Awake In The Middle Of The Night With Their Heart Feeling Like It’s Pounding Out Of Their Chest.

First Of All, Let’s Start Referring To The Sensations By Their Actual Name: Hypnic Jerks. Also Known As Sleep Starts, They’re The Sudden, Oft-Overwhelming Muscle Contractions That You Can Suffer From As You Begin To Fall Asleep

What We Know
According To The Sleep Foundation, Hypnic Jerks Typically Affect One Side Of Your Body – Your Left Arm, For Example, Or Right Leg – And Their Cause Remains Largely Shrouded In Uncertainty Where Researchers Are Concerned.

In Fact, All We Really Have To Go On Are Theories Backed By The Few Available Facts, Such As The Fact That Hypnic Jerks (Hypnic Being Short For Hypnagogic) Begin In The Same Area Of Your Brain That Controls Your Startle Response. Figures, Right?