Few things can wreck a good night’s rest faster than the unsettling jolt of suddenly waking up in a panic.
Most people have experienced this strange sensation at least once — and if you haven’t, consider yourself lucky. Being yanked from sleep, often feeling like you’re falling, is never pleasant. It’s that familiar dream where you’re dropping… dropping… and then, just before hitting the ground, you wake with a start. No matter how often it happens, it’s hard to get used to — and even harder to drift back to sleep afterward.
But why exactly does this happen? Why is it so widespread? And is there anything you can do to stop it?
We decided to dig into the topic, and while science doesn’t have all the answers yet, researchers have uncovered some interesting facts about what’s happening during these midnight shocks.
First off, there’s a proper name for them: hypnic jerks. Also known as sleep starts, these are sudden, involuntary muscle spasms that can jolt you awake just as you’re drifting off.
What We Know
According to the Sleep Foundation, hypnic jerks usually affect just one part of the body — say, a leg or an arm — and their exact cause remains a bit of a mystery.
What experts do know is that these jerks originate in the same part of the brain responsible for your startle reflex. It makes sense: as your body fully relaxes when falling asleep, your brain sometimes misinterprets it as a sign that you’re physically falling, triggering your muscles to react and “catch” you.
Another theory suggests that hypnic jerks might be tied to the blurred line between dreaming and waking life. As your brain starts to dream, it might prompt your muscles to move in response to what you’re seeing or feeling in your mind.
Why It Happens
Figuring out exactly why hypnic jerks occur isn’t an exact science. However, experts believe there are certain factors that can make them more likely.
The Sleep Foundation lists things like high caffeine intake, intense exercise right before bed, emotional stress, and lack of sleep as possible triggers.
Caffeine and nicotine, in particular, can linger in your system for hours, overstimulating your body and making it harder to settle down for the night. It’s no surprise that a wired nervous system could increase the chance of a hypnic jerk.
Similarly, working out too close to bedtime can leave you feeling energized instead of relaxed — not ideal when you’re trying to wind down.
Hypnic jerks can happen to anyone at any age and can vary in intensity. They’re surprisingly common, too: according to the Sleep Foundation, up to 70% of people experience them. The good news? As scary as they might feel, they’re completely harmless.
How to Reduce Them
Naturally, the big question is: how can you prevent or manage hypnic jerks?
The best approach is building healthier sleep habits. Try going to bed and waking up at consistent times, managing daily stress, exercising regularly (but not too close to bedtime), cutting back on caffeine and nicotine, and moderating alcohol intake.
By making a few changes to your nightly routine, you might just save yourself from those heart-pounding wake-ups.
Have you ever been jolted awake by a hypnic jerk? Feel free to share this article on Facebook — someone you know might be looking for answers too!
