Rhelyn Harder
- Hypnagogic jerk is the state where an involuntary muscle spasm occurs while a person is drifting off to sleep
- A doctor clarified that Hypnagogic Jerk, popularly known as Hypnic Jerk, is not dangerous
- Fear of sleeping due to the feeling of falling can cause insomnia, or trouble conditions in sleeping
Have you experienced the feeling of falling when you are sleeping?
Sometimes we wonder why we do experience the feeling of falling when we are asleep and sometimes it scares us from going back to sleep.
A sleep medicine specialist Dr. Rodolfo Dizon said, on the ABS-CBN program Salamat Dok, that this is the usual experience of sleeping called Hypnic Jerk or Hypnagogic Jerk. It is an involuntary muscle spasm that occurs as a person is drifting off to sleep. The phenomenon is named in reference to the hypnagogic state — the transitional period between wakefulness and sleep.
“Nararamdaman natin kadalasan ‘yong parang nahuhulog tayo o parang may humihila sa paa,” Dizon said.
“Maaaring nagko-contract ‘yong isang part ng muslce, biglaan, o ‘yong pag-urong ng kalamnan.”
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According to the doctor the person who could experience Hypnic Jerk are those who lack sleep, are stressed or fatigued, and those having excessive intakes of caffeine. It usually happens on the first 30 minutes of sleeping.
“Yong hypnic jerk kasi nangyayari sa pasimula ng tulog,” Dizon added.
He also clarified that Hypnic Jerk is not dangerous, though there is a possibility that an individual would have fear of sleeping; due to the feeling of falling that can cause insomnia, or trouble conditions in sleeping.
“Maaaring maging isang trigger para magkaroon ng insomnia ‘yong isang tao dahil sa takot niyang matulog,” he said.
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But then, there are solutions to avoid or manage the the said state or condition by simply following the advice of an expert.
According to the founder of No Sleepless Nights, Ethan Green, he has recommended some advice that might help a person to manage Hypnic Jerk. First, it is to simply cut down on alcohol and caffeine intake especially in the evening in order to help manage Hypnic Jerk, as well as to reduce heavy exercises.
To help reduce muscle and nerve spasm, make sure that one has enough intake of magnesium and calcium in one’s diet. If one suffers from anxiety or stress, it is recommended that he/she has to do some simple relaxation exercises in bed.
After a busy and tiring day, one should allow rest by giving enough time to sleep, and to really sleep well.
