Why do I jerk awake just as I fall asleep?
Answered by the AskDoc Medical Team · Medically reviewed under our Medical Director, MBBS
The hypnic jerk, a sudden full-body twitch at the edge of sleep, sometimes with a falling sensation, happens to about seven in ten people and is a harmless misfire as the brain hands over control.
Caffeine, evening exercise, stress and sleep deprivation make jerks more frequent, so they cluster in exactly the weeks sleep is worst.
No treatment is needed beyond the usual suspects: earlier caffeine cutoff, wind-down time, regular schedule. Repeated jerking through the night, or movements that injure or act out dreams, are different phenomena worth mentioning to a doctor.
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For light sleepers
Foam earplugs or a steady white noise machine fix more nights than most sleep aids, and cost almost nothing. Worth trying before anything stronger.
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