If Your Body…

You finally go into bed, exhausted, and begin to drift off to sleep. All of a sudden, your body begins to feel as though it is “falling,” and you have a sudden awakening. This abrupt and involuntary movement, which is referred to as a hypnic jerk, has the potential to be shocking. It is possible that you will find yourself questioning why it occurs, and you are not alone in this regard; up to seventy percent of people go through this. Despite the fact that it occurs frequently, it never strikes me as being any less abrupt. Despite the fact that the precise reason is still unknown, one idea proposes that hypnic jerks are brought on by the transition of the neurological system that takes place while the body slowly enters a state of sleep. The natural downshifting of the neurological system that occurs throughout the sleep cycle is the subject of another theory on the subject.