A doctor has revealed the real reason why you sometimes ‘rock’ in your sleep and wake up in a panic.
Dr. Kunal Sood is an acute and chronic pain physician from Maryland, US, and often unravels the common medical questions thousands ask him online.
He recently explained that a ‘hypnagogic shock’ – also known as a ‘sleep onset’ – occurs when you suddenly feel like you are plunging towards death, accompanied by twitching muscles in your legs and arms.
Your heart rate slows, as does your breathing, and your muscles begin to relax. This is when it is common for you to experience a hypnagogic jerk that may be accompanied by a visual hallucination.
Dr. Sood revealed that our brains become ‘confused’ when our muscles relax and think we are falling, creating a shock to prevent the fall.
The onset of sleep tends to wake you up during the transition from phase one to phase two.
This is more likely to happen if you suffer from anxiety, lack of sleep or use stimulants such as caffeine or nicotine.
Some scientists believe that the brain accurately misinterprets your body state when you begin to sleep.
Your brain ‘thinks’ that you are still awake, but notices that your muscles are not moving and therefore sends signals to initiate this.
Although they may be surprising, hypnagogic jerks are completely harmless and rarely a sign of an underlying condition or neurological disorder.
A doctor has revealed the real reason why you sometimes ‘rock’ in your sleep and wake up in a panic
Many thanked him for his simple explanation and shared their experiences with sleep starts.
“My husband has done this every time he falls asleep in the 14 years I’ve known him,” one woman said. “That’s how I know he falls asleep.”
“This has been happening to me all my life,” said another.
‘I always have nightmares where I fall and then I shake so hard I wake up!’ shared a third.