This has been happening to me for years and I could never figure out what it was, or if it even happened to anyone else. I was really scaring me. Thank you for this article, it helped a lot. Now I know it is normal and I am not alone.

This was great because I have always had this happen. I was telling my girlfriend that I saw this on House and he explained it. She was saying it's just a show. But like most shows they use real facts.

whenever I hunch over my desk in class and start to fall asleep my right arm whips out, I've hit two people in the face. D:

I'm not sure if that's a hypnic jerk or not?

Liked the article. After reading comments, I know am not alone :-)

I experience two kinds of hypnic jerks.

1. The falling sensation happens rarely to me. But I drank a lot of alcohol on a couple of occasions and the next day, I just could not sleep. I was tired and I wanted to sleep and just as I was about to fall asleep, I experienced it. On both these occasions, I experienced 15-20 jerks before I could fall asleep.

2. Short afternoon naps. These are very rare. And when these happen, I do not experience the falling sensation. But my brain seems to make a gurgling noise, my breathing stops and I need to struggle to catch breath. When I wake up, I feel extremely fresh - more fresh in a 15-20 min nap than in an 7 hour night sleep. These occur when I want to sleep and wake up in 30 minutes.

I started the jerks in my head six months ago, after taking some SAM-e pills (though not certain the pills caused it). It doesn't happen every day but it's horrible. I also feel that my head is kind of burning all day. I have to take Klonopin to go to sleep. They say sleep deprivation and stress can be the cause of the jerkiness, but I say it also works the other way around.

Everyone needs to deal with stress, and I had been perfectly fine handling stress and sleepless nights in the past. What changed? My question is, is it possible to get rid of the jerkiness completely if I take care of stress and coffee for some time? --Ida

I am a shift worker and my hypnic jerks only ever occur when i go to bed early and need to set my alarm clock before an early shift. They never happen at any other time. Maybe some part of my brain is resisting sleep to avoid missing the alarm.

I am 45 male, white TBI. 12 years ago (not sure if that has to do with whats going on though), nonsmoker, non alcohol, meds from doctor only. For the past year i've suffered from electrical shocks through my brain when i try to fall asleep. this happens before i fall asleep -- it's not something that wakes me up. The shock is horrible and the sensation covers my whole brain. it is very hard to sleep and i haven't had restful sleep in over three years. i am constantly waking up but now with this shock syndrome happening, i'm scared to even try to take a nap! i dread bedtime! Help me please!

I have these type of hypnic jerks at night while lying in bed before I go to sleep. The jerks can occur almost anywhere in the body. My whole arm can jerk from one side to another or my leg will twitch. It even occurs in my throat where I involuntarily snort during a sudden quick inhalation of air. It scared me so much I thought I had multiple sclerosis and went to the doctor who gave me an MRI which came back negative. Now I am at a loss to figure out what is going on. The symptoms come and go - I can go for long stretches of time without any symptoms. I am writing this now because last night was pretty bad.

Hi, I hope you are using all this information to develop a more solid theory.

Information about me: 21 year old male

Narcotics: Cig_packet/day, chronic coffee drinking (stop before 8 p.m.), alcohol consumption 2 times/week in summer and 1-2 per week in winter.

Sedentary lifestyle: Work on Pc no exercise or little.

Medicine: I used a light anti-depressant for IBS during university (now its 3 month recess and do not need it). I think its called Nortilen 10mg.

Lately, I think maybe three nights in a row, I'd be trying to sleep and I get the sensation of mosquito bites (no physical evidence in the morning) and just as my conscience descends into sleep, I hear a loud bang Boom! like a large wardrobe falling in my room and almost immediately after from my neck to my entire body feel a single violent electric shock that wakes me up leaving me with all my limbs sore (especially back) and sometimes a stitch in my belly. Regarding jerks, I've never suffered, but I do move a lot during the night.

I've never experienced two in a row, but I would hate that!

I've recently started having these too! Just as I'm falling to sleep- Wham! My whole body jerks me awake. Kind of scary. After reading this article, I'm going to do more research and relax more :)

I had my first major hypnic jerk and I never want another one. It was literally like someone put paddles on my heart and shocked my entire system. So Yuck!, my whole nervous system went like daggers. I sat up awake from the force of it and thought my heart would leap out of my chest. I have realised it came on when emotionally overloaded. Feels like a power surge! so I now I laugh more, stress less.

I've read all the comments - and am reassured that my husband is okay. He jerks his legs so bad - and almost every night - that when it starts, I wake up and move as far away from him as I can (in a queen size bed, it's not that far!). He has kicked me so hard - usually in my calves - I've learned to wake up when it starts and move over - or else! I think I need a bigger bed - or a separate one!

i'm not sure if i'm having hypnic jerks or something else. It's not when i'm falling asleep at all. But, when i'm doing everyday normal things like having a conversation with someone, if I close my eyes for a second during the conversation, let's say just to express my meaning more i'll jerk, hard for one second and i can't talk. Or if i'm laughing and close my eyes i'll jerk. my whole body. my neck seems to tense up along with my jaw. Sometimes when i'm talking and blink i'll jerk and lose train of thought and repeat the word i'm saying. I just recently learned my 20 year old brother does the same thing. Im 23 and it's quite embarrassing. it only happens to me maybe once a month or once every two months but it happens to my brother 2 to 3 times a week. He's staying with me for 6 weeks and he'll just say "i just got one of those things." It happens when he closes his eyes too. Genetics? Any ideas?

I was experiencing the same symptoms of the hypnic jerks that were described above several times a night for the past 6 years. They were getting increasingly worse (up to 8 times a night). After doing some research I went to the local health food store and bought Calms Forte, a pill form of natural sleep aid, and Calms Plus, which is a powder drink that increases your magnesium level in your body. I haven't experienced 1 single hypnic jerk since I started taking these two things and they are healthy for you and completely natural. I hope this can help someone else! --T

I used to get those every night when I was younger, just before really drifting off to sleep I would suddenly get a falling sensation and jerk myself awake.. It seemed to slow down the older I got.

It's been happening to me too, but only recently this year. I'm 31. At first it was just that I was doing that "jumping/falling" thing right when I was falling asleep with a high frequency. This alone made it difficult to go to sleep. Later I started waking up in the middle of the night, for no reason. Then when going back to sleep (which I can do quite easily as long as I don't get up), I sometimes hear a strange buzz in the back of my brain, very low frequency. Then *bam* I'm in half waking dream that is entirely convincing, so much so that I can never distinguish that I'm in it. And it's always in my bedroom, not some far away place. One time, a shadow figure jumped from my wife's side of the bed, I punched it and then woke up. Luckily, I don't actually move in real life (sleep paralysis or something like that), or that would be bad. One time, I dream-walked (not physically) into my den where there bunches of animals (raccoons, squirrels) attacking my cats. Of note, we're in our 7 month of pregnancy first child, so I might have some subconscious stress going on, but consciously I'm prepared and very excited about my first baby. It's crazy what your mind can conjure up.

I think I have hypnic jerks too. Every time I do, I dream I just fell off of something, but I wake up suddenly before I ever hit the ground. It's crazy though, my entire body just jumps like I got electrocuted or was extremely scared (which I was..kind of because I didn't really have time to react). The thing is it wasn't until very recently I've been getting these hypnic jerks. Since I sleep late to talk to my friends and wake up extremely, I'm guessing that that's what's causing these jerks. Thank goodness it's summer so I can sleep in as late as I want.

I get Hypnic Jerks most nights, and it is driving my wife mad! I've been to the doctor and he gave me Rivotril which are normally given to treat epilepsy. Can anyone suggest any natural remedies or anything to avoid ie; coffee? Thanks.

I get this every night to where i jump off the bed about 1 foot and back down again...and it does this for about 2 hours before i drift off to sleep. one day i had told my DR. about this and he gave me script called Temazepam 15MG. i take 2 of them 1/2 hour before bed and it completely stops them done! i can sleep now and wake up the next day happy... i would try it and the meds are not that costly. i think 30 days supply of them are about $15.00, not bad.

I am not sure I get it to be honest. When i started Zomig about three days into it I started getting the Jerks all night long. My husband timed them from about 5 to 8 min from the time I would close my eyes each time. I got no sleep at all.

So how does this make you sleep? That, I don't understand, because it wakes me up. Then when I finally rest again boom strong Jerk again and back up. Almost like I would get to a certain stage of sleep and couldn't go past that stage. I stopped taking the zomig and am on Prozac. Did good for a few weeks and the past three nights I am going through this all over again. My eyes are so bloodshot the vessels actually hurt from where they are ruptured. Any advice *please?*

I get these jerks periodically when I'm alone, but it also happens almost every single time that I fall asleep with my boyfriend, even if it's just falling asleep on the couch watching TV. Maybe because I'm trying to resist sleep as to spend time with him (we live 2 hours apart and only see each other once every few weeks)? I just thought it was a little strange and it seems so arbitrary.

I have had hypnic jerks for several years. I don't always feel tired or stressed-out when I have them. But I frequently have had trouble falling asleep in the past, so I really enjoy them when I have them because I know I will instantly fall asleep.

It feels like someone is applying defibrillators to revive my heart because I convulse so high up off the mattress.

I recently had about 7 or 8 multiple ones, one right after the other. I wish I had had a video camera on me. Since then I had one so massive that it shook the window when landed back on the mattress. I think they're fun -- like a ride at the amusement park that you don't have to wait in line for. If you've never had one, you don't know what you're missing.

I also started having this jerk at night. The funny thing about it is, I have a Labrador dog, and when it was a puppy she did the same thing right before falling asleep. I went to the vet the next day and he said the dogs nervous system was reacting and it is normal.

When it started happening to me, I was scared. One thing I noticed about the atricle is that most seem to have this start when, under extreme stress, and two, after the second or third night of no sleep. I get it when I do not sleep for several nights in a row... Like last night, was three without sleep and stress during the day. If anyone knows what supplements to use please post. I read that magnesium is for relaxation. The author of the book Ultra Mind by dr mark Hyman might have been able to explain this experience. krzz

The explanation in this article is great thanks... now i know there is nothing to be scared of!!

I guess the Hypnotic jerk also effect younger people. im 16 and when i lay my head on my desk at school almost asleep, i jump up suddenly.all my friends laugh at me. I dont know what is going on. there was also this one time at school a boy was walking past my desk, when i jerked, i kicked him in the leg.

I have had "hypnic jerks" for around six years but over the last two years these seem to have intensified to mini fits, i have a consultant who has prescribed mirtazapine due to slight depression but has now alongside this prescribed me Carbamazepine to help stop the convulsions, when i have the jerks i usually see a big red dot and wake up sometimes shouting and my speech is sometimes incoherent. i also have slight memory loss. i'm not 100% this is hypnic jerks1 Can anyone help, i feel like i'm going mad it's 4.05am as i'm typing this and just had 4 attacks.....

Hi,

I experience this jerk with my whole body just as I pass from consciousness to an unconsciousness (fallen asleep) state. I usually am very tired when it happens and going to bed late. It has concerned me that I might have some rare disease coming on.....but after finding this article....I am sure it is just a natural way of my subconsciousness taking over by tensing my muscles so that when they relax it can take over. Good explanation from above !

I am studying hypnotheraphy and I have noticed to similarity between the Hypnic Jerk effect and what is called 'rapid induction' (into hypnotic state) or 'instant induction'. During rapid induction the hypnotist literally jerks forcefully the hypnotic subject's arm (thus the whole body) and commands it to 'sleep'.

I have experienced Hypnotic Jerks when overtired or stressed, hyperalert by some upsetting experience and consequently resisting sleep. I am inclined to believe that the Hypnotic Jerk is just what it says: the body's way of inducing sleep instantly by jerking itself and relaxing muscle tone. The strong spasm or jerk averts the conscious function (which hangs on to being awake) for enough time so that the subconscious may receive the 'command' to sleep.

I'm actually able to voluntarily invoke this phenomenon while awake. I experience them at night from time to time, and one night many years ago found I was able to duplicate it right afterwards by quickly placing all my muscles in a deep relaxation. The whole thing happens in 1-2 seconds at the most and makes me feel I'm falling, then my legs/neck/arms suddenly jerk. I heard about this on a HOUSE episode and looked up hypnic jerk, where I found this site after googling the name. Very interesting, I suppose.

I had this the other night hence why I looked up this article. I experience the sensation of falling in bed every now and then but not too often. The other night, I was almost asleep, almost but not quite just kind of gone. I felt my body jerk, heard just like the article said, a loud popping sound, thought it was my knee and then WOMPHF felt like I landed hard back into bed.

Terrifying is what it was. I thought I had a heart attack, my heart was beating so fast. No sleep for me that night. I've always had very vivid dreams, and fall into altered states of consciousness often (spiritual/meditation) ... so this was quite the experience for me.

My best friend said she has them all the time. I use to get them a lot, as well, but lately, they come rarely.

But I primarily see babies & infants jerk in their sleep.

The only time that I seem to get these spasms is not only when I am about to go to sleep ( which I attribute to a switching from an active to a relaxed state), but when I am dehydrated as well.

I have noticed from my research so far that there may be a link between hypnic jerks, Periodic Limb Movement Disorder, and Myoclonus, which may be caused by not enough oxygen going to the brain. Drinking more fluids may help.

I'll call myself Anonymous 2. Please note that I AM NOT A DOCTOR, so nothing I say here should be considered medical advice.

I have a history of panic attack disorder with agoraphobia, and I first had this hypnic jerk happen to me about twelve years ago. Since then, it happens to me periodically, and if I'm recalling correctly, it always happens either when I have not been giving myself enough time to sleep or when I am particularly stressed.

When it happens, I know that for the next few days I've GOT to make myself spend as much time in bed, whether I'm sleeping or not, as I can. If possible, I will spend a couple of days (like a weekend) sleeping, getting up if I wake up and feel like it, and going to bed immediately when I feel tired, even if I've only been up for an hour or two. If I manage to do this, the third night I usually am still rather tired but manage to have a relatively normal night's sleep. Then I'm careful for the next three or four days to get a normal night's sleep, and not to overdo it. For me, after that one week of being careful, I am usually back to normal, and it doesn't happen again for some time.

One thing that I do try to remember is to stay away from caffeine during this period, as the adrenaline rush you get from it stresses you out more, which only makes the problem worse.

Having consulted "Prescriptions for Nutritional Healing" (PFNH), I also make sure not to eat certain foods before bed, especially foods containing tyramine, which is a stimulant and which the authors feel can keep you from falling asleep. Tyramine is found (according to the book) in foods like potatoes, cheese, tomatoes, and ham. PFNH suggests that eating foods with tryptophan, like milk, bananas, and tuna may help you sleep.

Again, please note that I AM NOT A DOCTOR, and what I've included is not intended to be medical advice. I'm just passing along things that I've read and which have worked for me. Every one of us is different, so what works for me might not work for you.

Best of luck to you.

My hypnic jerks started about a year ago. I have them every night before I go to sleep and even just before my Sunday afternoon nap. It is as if my mind is alert but my body knows sleep is coming. I am in my late 50's. Is it normal that this has started at my age?

Hi I get this muscle twitch over and over as soon as I get to sleep and catch a glimps of dream material, it can last for houres over and over and I get fed up and get up with no sleep under my belt.I do have a history of panic and anxiety problems and maybe this is a biproduct of this? But is there anything I can do to help this? For I have had this off and on for a few years now.