Ever wondered why you jolt suddenly as you’re falling asleep? Here’s the reason
As many as one in 10 people are affected by this neurological disorder at some point in their life
HAVE you ever wondered why your body jolts suddenly as you nod off to sleep and feel like you're falling?
You’ve probably accidentally woken yourself up or your other half by these twitches or as experts call it “hypnic jerks”.
Sometimes, you might not even know it’s happening especially if they don’t wake you up.
Don't worry they're completely normal and it's commonly and affects as many as one in 10 people in the UK.
According to Jason Ellis, Professor of Sleep Science at Northumbria University, hypnic jerks occurs when the muscles, usually in the legs involuntarily contract quickly, almost like a twitch or spasm.
Nobody really knows why this happens but there are some theories.
Explaining in , Dr Ellis wrote: "Hypnic jerk is merely a symptom of our active physiological system finally giving in, albeit sometimes reluctantly, to our sleep drive, moving from active and volitional motor control to a state of relaxation and eventual bodily paralysis."
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The professor advised those who twitch in their sleep should avoid drinking caffeine and doing vigorous exercises in the evenings.
He added: "From a nutritional perspective, it has been suggested, albeit anecdotally, that deficiencies in magnesium, calcium and/or iron can also increase the chances of experiencing a spontaneous hypnic jerk."
