Have you ever had the feeling you were falling in empty space during your sleep? This feeling can wake you up in the middle of the night and leave you disoriented.
This space-falling phenomenon is known as a “hypnagogic jerk”. The term is commonly known as sleep starts or hypnic jerks. It occurs when there’s an involuntary spasm in the muscle while you are drifting into sleep.
In medical terms, Hypnagogic State is defined as a period of transition from sleep to wakefulness
What Happens During the Hypnagogic State?
The bad news is that scientists have not been able to come up with the “why” behind this phenomenon, but they do know the “how”.
The cause behind the muscle spasms is usually induced by external stimuli, for example light. Often people’s hypnic jerks are accompanied by dreams, hallucinations, a bright light, loud noise or a sensation of falling. Around 70% of people experience hypnic jerks but many of them don’t remember them.
Symptoms of Hypnic Jerks
The good news is that hypnic jerks do not present any threat to your health or psyche. Following are the symptoms of hypnic jerks:
- Sensory flash
- Quickened breathing
- Falling sensation
- Sweating
- Rapid heartbeat
- Hallucination or dream that startles you
- A body part jerks or jolts
Causes of Hypnic Jerks
There are a number of factors that cause hypnic jerks. Expanding from your lifestyle to personal habits, anything can cause this involuntary muscle spasm. Let’s have a look at the four common causes:
1. Anxiety and Stress
When you have anxiety, your brain works overtime even when you are trying to relax. When it’s time for bed and you are about to doze off, your brain sends an “alert” signal that jerks you awake.
2. Stimulants
Alcohol, caffeine, and nicotine are the top three substances that can cause hypnic jerks. These stimulants impact the ability of your body to fall asleep. The chemicals in them stop the brain from reaching the state of deep sleep, and this is what startles the brain every now and then.
3. Exercise
While exercising daily is good for your health, doing any vigorous activity just before bedtime can lead to hypnic jerks. As you will lie down in bed, you will feel your muscles pulling and stretching. Even though after a while your muscles will relax, your brain will still be active.
4. Sleep Deprivation
Poor sleep habits such as watching TV or scrolling on your mobile while in bed will prevent you from falling asleep. A few other things such as indulging in a strong night cap or eating junk food will do the same. Not to mention sleep disturbances such as loud noises and bright lights will keep you awake. When you do finally asleep, your body will not be at rest and that will cause the hypnic jerks.
There are a few theories on hypnic jerks. All of them have one thing in common and that is: when a person goes to bed with all the weight of the world on his shoulders, the brain remains active even when asleep, which cause the hypnic jerks.