According to Live Science, a hypnagogic jerk is an involuntary muscle spasm which happens as one is falling asleep. It has gotten the name because it has to do with the hypnagogic state, i.e. the transitional period between being awake and being asleep. They are commonly known as sleep starts or hypnic jerks. Let us learn more about why this happens…
Why Do Our Bodies Jerk while We Fall Asleep?
The spasms may happen all of a sudden or as a result of a sound, light or some other stimuli. In some people, the hypnic jerks are followed by dreams, hallucinations, a sense of falling, loud noises, or bright lights.
Believe it or not, this phenomenon is rather common and according to Live Science, somewhere around 60 to 70 percent of people experience it.
