For quite some time I've been experiencing a kind of feeling where I falls down from my bed or other heights at the start of my sleep. This has been termed as hypnic jerk, when checked on Google. Why exactly does this happen? What causes it and is it okay to go through this?
Hello, mattpflock.
Hypnic jerks are common and normal occurrences at the start of sleep. They are caused by a sudden, involuntary muscle spasm or twitch that can happen as a person is transitioning from a wakeful state to a sleeping state. It is believed that this happens due to the brain misinterpreting the relaxation of muscles as a sign of falling and so it sends a signal to the muscles to contract in order to prevent the fall. It is perfectly normal to experience hypnic jerks, and there is no need to be alarmed.
Hope this will ease your mind.