I've Fallen and I Can't Wake Up

Help. I've fallen and I can't wake up. You know the feeling you're in the middle of a dream or maybe just falling asleep when you feel yourself falling and then suddenly you jerk awake. If this has happened to you, you are not alone. Around 70% of people report these types of occasional jerks.

This phenomenon is called a hypnic jerk, or sometimes a sleep start. And while not necessarily dangerous, they can be fairly alarming. Now, the exact cause of a hypnotic jerk is not well understood, but there are a couple of theories. Number one is that it has to do with your brain's response to dream content, such as actually feeling like you're falling. Or two, it could be a type of misfiring event in your brain that occurs when your body fully relaxes as you drift off to sleep.

Now, there are certain risk factors that can increase your chances of having a hypnotic jerk, and these include things like excessive caffeine or caffeine too close to bedtime, increased alcohol use, increased stress, or even sleep deprivation. These are all things that can interfere with the transition from waking to sleep. So if this happens enough to disrupt your sleep regularly, then I recommend keeping a journal of the events. Something simple like putting an X on a calendar on the nights that your hypnotic jerks occurred. You can then start to connect the dots with other things that are going on, such as alcohol use or worsening, stress.

Now, if you snore loudly or find yourself gasping for breath as you jerk awake, talk to your doctor about being evaluated for sleep apnea, a more serious sleep disorder. But if you just occasionally experience this phenomenon, well, you're not. Your brain just hiccupped. And now you can rest easy. Thanks for being here.

See you next time.