You may have found yourself in this scene: you are relaxing, almost drowsy, when suddenly you feel a startle, as if the body is rushing downwards. Immediately your heart shoots up, and you feel a brief shock that wakes you up or interrupts your sleep. This phenomenon is much more common than you might think, and although it is disconcerting, it does not usually represent danger.
Specialists call this reaction “hypnagogic spasm” or “sleep shaking”.
These jerks are sudden muscle contractions that occur during the transition from wakefulness to deep sleep. They usually appear right at the beginning of the sleep process.
Why does this sensation of falling occur?
Although science has not come up with a single definitive explanation, there are solid theories that help to understand why this happens:Continue reading…
