The Twitch

Duke of Url

Ever get that feeling when you are falling asleep out of nowhere it feels like You got a jolt from a defibrillator.

jimgoose

Yes, an awful shock sort of feeling while asleep or nearly asleep, like you've suddenly fallen maybe, and you wake suddenly, slightly agitated. I get that occasionally. What is that, anyway?

Trigger Happy

Yup, they are called Hypnogogic jerks .

donvito99

Trigger Happy wrote: »

Yup, they are called Hypnogogic jerks .

I prefer psychics

jimgoose

Trigger Happy wrote: »

Yup, they are called Hypnogogic jerks .

Would you not think we suffer enough, without labelling us??

Trigger Happy

Trigger Happy wrote: »

Yup, they are called Hypnogogic jerks .

Very interesting. Apparently this jerking sensation also leads to the feeling of falling during sleep. That's the worst.

o1s1n

Yeah I always get this with a sense of falling, I generally 'trip' over something in a dream, fall forward and then jerk awake.

o1s1n

o1s1n wrote: »

Yeah I always get this with a sense of falling, I generally 'trip' over something in a dream, fall forward and then jerk awake.

Always some variation of this for me. Usually I find myself on the edge of a crane, somehow.
https://twitter.com/challxxn/status/1285867391772229633?s=19

JimmyChew

There's a similar type of effect called "exploding head syndrome" I get it from time to time, quite mildly thankfully. But it occurs similarly to whats already been described just as your nodding off and basically that "sudden jerk" occurs in your cranium!
Its like a firecracker going off inside your head and it jolts you back to reality.

Both things are some sort of bodily defense mechanism.

Now that sleep paralysis, No thank you. That sounds terrifying.

Overheal

Trigger Happy wrote: »

Yup, they are called Hypnogogic jerks .

Ah yes. Thank you for terming this for me. Notice it with me and the OH often.

Insect Overlord

o1s1n wrote: »

Yeah I always get this with a sense of falling, I generally 'trip' over something in a dream, fall forward and then jerk awake.

I had a quare one the other night. Dreamt I was jumping to save a shot. Woke with my arm in the air and the headboard banging off the wall!

JimmyChew

JimmyChew wrote: »

Now that sleep paralysis, No thank you. That sounds terrifying.

sleep paralysis seems to be very subjective. The typical one for me is a very heavy bodily feeling, trying to get up, but unable to lift my limbs, and in a dream environment, yet aware that I'm dreaming. It's strange, but not scary. Some people get it a lot worse, I've heard of people crying in frustration in the paralysed state.

And worse again is "The Demon". That's where you are in sleep paralysis, and you visualise yourself in your room, and there's an ominous man standing beside your bed or beside the door, like a demon, or the grim reaper. I came downstairs and told my Mum about that when I was a teenager and she said "Oh, the devil? I see him too"...so do loads of people. I don't know why.

Apparently there's a some kind of genetic link to this very common sleep illusion/ sleep paralysis. Its linked to mothers more than fathers, no idea why.

EmmetSpiceland

Was always told that the feeling of tripping, or falling, in your sleep was caused by a temperature “change” in the body.

Obese Man

Is the twitch not the sense you get out the back before the turtle erupts from its slumber

picturehangup

I think you're all talking about the myoclonic jerk, which occurs just as one is falling asleep.

It literally means 'muscle jerk'.

They are quite normal, and not indicative of anything sinister.

Overheal

But if you jerk awake in your sleep and need a breath of air folks: that's apnea, get that looked at.

bb1234567

Yeh I've looked into them, seems they're still a bit of a scientific enigma. Think it's a hangover from when we were monkeys and our bodies alrted us so we didn't get too sleepy and fall out of our tree house or something.

They are a bit annoying though. Not nice feeling when you're almost into a lovely deep sleep and youre up again suddenly heart thumping out of your chest. Apparently they're fairly benign though so not much we can do about it except complain about it on boards.

Duke of Url

Overheal wrote: »

But if you jerk awake in your sleep and need a breath of air folks: that's apnea, get that looked at.

This happens to me if I sleep on my Left side

Im fine if I sleep on my right side.

topper75

bb1234567 wrote: »

... Think it's a hangover from when we were monkeys and our bodies alrted us so we didn't get too sleepy and fall out of our tree house or something.

...

Pretty good theory there actually.