Why your body jerks when you are falling asleep - doctor explains all
Doctor reveals reason why you jolt awake just as you’re beginning to fall asleep
- Dr Amir Khan explained the phenomenon known as hipnic jerk, which causes individuals to jolt awake just as they are beginning to fall asleep.
- He stated that as muscles relax during the onset of sleep, the brain sometimes misinterprets this as falling, sending a signal to the body to twitch awake.
- This sensation is believed by some scientists to be an ancient survival reflex.
- The reflex may have developed from a time when humans slept in trees, where a sudden twitch could have prevented a fall.
- Watch the video in full above.