A doctor has shed light on why you might suddenly jerk awake as you're falling asleep, and how to prevent it. Doctor Youn, known as @doctoryoun shared on TikTok, shared with his nearly nine million followers about this common phenomenon. The medical professional explained that this is called a hypnic jerk, an involuntary muscle contraction that occurs as you're drifting off to sleep.
He reassured viewers that while it can be startling, there's no need for alarm. In his viral video, viewed over two million times, he elaborates: "This is called a hypnic jerk, which is involuntary muscle contractions when you are falling asleep. One explanation is that when your muscles relax as you are falling asleep, your body interprets it as if you are falling.
" This could explain why it often feels like we're falling when this happens. Many people describe the sensation as feeling like they're falling from a great height or tripping over something. He further advised: "One way to prevent it is to avoid caffeine or exercising several hours before you go to bed.
According to sleepfoundation.org : "Hypnic is short for hypnagogic, a term that describes the transition from wakefulness to sleep, which is when these jerks occur." These common sleep contractions typically only affect one side of the body, such as your left arm and left leg.
Backing up what the expert says, the foundation also says that excess caffeine and too much exercise can contribute to this feeling. It also explained that a la.
