Find out why your body jerks before you fall asleep
Finally, we have
an explanation for that that weird jerking your body makes just before you fall
into deep sleep.
It has probably happened to just about everyone: you get all nice and comfy in bed, and slowly drift into Snooze-ville, but just as you begin to drift away you are jolted awake by an involuntarily twitch.
It is similar to being startled, and can leave you feeling really confused as to what could have caused the sudden movement.
Well, wonder no more. There is a perfectly good reason as to why your body wakes you up before you actually fall asleep – don’t worry it makes perfect sense.
The jolt is actually called a hypnic jerk, and is caused by your brain having a mini “panic attack” as it thinks you are dying!
Seriously, why would your brain think you are dying when you are obviously just trying to catch some z’s?
The answer will amaze you. When you fall asleep, your heart rate slows down along with your breathing.
Your brain totally freaks out – thinking your body is about to shut down for good – and sends a hypnic jerk!
It may cause you to wake up suddenly, but it sends you straight back into dreamland just as soon as it is done checking if you are alive!
How cool?!
Another theory is that your body is relaxing and getting into sleep mode, your brain has a sudden bout of confusion and thinks you are falling. It then sends a signal to your arms and legs to react accordingly.
Apparently it happened a lot during the caveman days when our ancestors were known to fall asleep in trees – and of course then fall right out!
Mmm, we think our brain is thinking a tad too much, when all we really are trying to is take a trip to Lalaland.