What Does It Mean If You Suddenly Jerk Awake At Night?

Jul 10, 2018 by apost team

Everything is calm. You’re just about to or have fallen asleep as you imagine a nice dreamland escape. Bam! You’re startled awake by your body jerking and a sensation akin to falling. Yet, you’re still in bed with no threat around. You’ve likely been curious, but maybe a little too freaked out, to figure out what in the world happened. No, you aren’t weird and you haven’t developed some rare seizure disorder. It’s called a hypnic jerk.

Over the years, the phenomenon has been called quite a few different names, including sleep starts, night starts, hypnagogic jerks, sleep twitches, and myoclonic jerks. The startling effect of a hypnic jerk is described quite vastly, too.

Some just jerk awake abruptly to a sensation of falling, tripping or being pushed. Others may swear someone has kicked them in the leg or arm or punched them in the face. Some even describe it as feeling like they’ve been electrocuted or momentarily possessed. No matter the descriptors used, the common thread is the startling jerky jump of a hypnic jerk. According to sleep.org, up to around 70% of all humans experience hypnic jerks in their sleep.

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Technically, the jerk is a harmless myoclonic contraction within one or many muscles, most often the lower extremities, that occurs only during quiet wakeful states or just after entering a light sleep. As to what exactly causes these muscles contractions, science has many theories. One is that it’s neurological mix up as one side of the brain tries to fall asleep faster than the other.

A similar theory is a muscle mishap as the brain and body are downshifting into sleep mode with lower body temps, heart rates, and breathing causing a shift in muscle tone. Another theory is based on our primitive ancestors having slept in trees to avoid predators; as they shifted around in their treetop sleep, they basically needed a way to prevent themselves from falling and would subconsciously twitch awake when at risk.

While the precise scientific root of hypnic jerks is wildly debated, research has concluded that certain external causes might increase how frequently you experience hypnic jerks. Here are the top five contributors:

1. Caffeine consumption and tobacco use too close to bedtime. Sleep experts recommend abstaining for at least two hours prior to bedtime if hypnic jerks are frequent.
2. Too much exertion, insomnia, and sleep deprivation can cause you to rapidly fall asleep when your exhausted state finally wins out. Rapid sleep can cause the two hemispheres of the brain to shut down at different speeds, confusing it into releasing a burst of panic-driven chemicals. 
3. Certain medications, such as Ritalin, have been shown to increase the frequency of hypnic jerks.
4. Mental stress, such as anxiety and depression, is a contributing factor to muscle tension and how those muscles transition in tone as you fall asleep.
5. Uncomfortable position and bedding have also been shown to increase the likelihood of experiencing hypnic jerks.

Your health is important to us here at Apost! Our content is created to the best of our knowledge, yet it is of general nature and cannot in any way substitute an individual consultation with your doctor. If you eliminate contributing factors and still experience hypnic jerks, it’s always prudent to speak with a healthcare professional.

Do you have frequent hypnic jerks? Have you found they’re associated with any of these or other factors like stress and anxiety?