Falling in your dreams

It is midnight. The silence settles in, its presence periodically interrupted as the clock ticks by. You try to sleep and switch sides. Thoughts, as uninvited as some relatives, come to seek your attention. Finally, after minutes or even hours of battle, your sleep triumphs over your subconscious thoughts. You dive deep into your sleep only to wake up again, startled, perhaps even breaking a sweat.

This feeling of falling in a dream is quite familiar to most of us. Chances are, more of your dreams have been broken this way than due to nightmares.

So, what is it?

Such a dream brings forth an involuntary twitch in your arm and leg muscles, and sometimes in the entire body causing you to wake up. This is called a "hypnic jerk". If you have watched the movie Inception, the "kick" they refer to as the key from exiting their dream state is none other than a hypnic or hypnagogic jerk.

What do the scientists say?

Researchers have found that approximately 70 percent of people have experienced hypnic jerks at least once in their lives. As a person drifts asleep, certain parts of the brain reduce its activities as they hand over to others. During this handover, the previous part detects a decrease in brain activity. It then carries out a last-ditch effort to regain control and rarely becomes successful in doing so. This surge in brain activity due to a rough or failed transition during sleep causes the twitching of muscles causing a person to wake up.

Another such hypothesis explains itself using the theory of evolution. Brains of earlier primate-like human forms had this reflex mechanism to protect them against falls as they often rested on trees. Additionally, hypnic jerks may also have been useful in making them more alert against potential predators.

I experience these jerks. Should I be worried?

According to most experts, these sudden movements are nothing to worry about. Factors such as stress, lack of sleep, increased caffeine consumption usually contributes to these jerks. Don't restrain yourself from having your daily cup of cappuccino if these hypnic jerks are not as bad for you.

References

1. MedicalNewsToday. What is a hypnic jerk?

2. Wikipedia. Hypnic jerk.

Osaman is a curious mind always wondering about AI, simulations, theoretical physics and philosophy. To discuss nerd stuff mail him at osamanbinahmed@gmail.com