If you ever twitch while falling asleep, you’re not alone. In fact 70% of the population experience this phenomenon, called a .Ìý
It's so named because it occurs mostly during the , or the period of transition from being awake to being asleep. There are for why hypnic jerks occur. First, it’s a by-product of evolution, where our bodies associate muscle relaxing with the potential to fall out of a tree, and jerk them to ensure we are still secure. On the other hand, there’s that stress, caffeine, anxiety or exercise can cause these muscle jerks.
Perhaps most interesting is the theory that hypnic jerks are the result of our bodies testing to see if sleep paralysis has taken effect. During the body is paralyzed in order to prevent a dreamer from acting out their dreams. hypnic jerks occur when the brain sends electrical signals to muscles to test for this paralysis, but it has not completely set in.
Whatever the reason, hypnic jerks are completely normal and safe, unless of course, you’re kicking your bedmate.
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