Why do we jump in our sleep when we dream of falling and/or tripping up? Is it just me or does anyone else do it?

Cause it's hot.

we all do it I think its that lil trip we go through when we fall into deep solid slumber

Muscle spasms

JDInteractive said:

"Do you ever wake up suddenly to a falling sensation and a strong muscle twitch just after you have fallen asleep?

This strange falling sensation and muscle twitch is known as a hypnagogic myoclonic twitch or Hypnic jerk If this has happened to you on more than one occasion, don't worry, you are not alone. Close to 70 percent of all people experience this phenomenon just after nodding off, according to a recent study at the Mayo Clinic.

Most experts agree that this is a natural part of the sleeping process, much like slower breathing and a reduced heartbeat. The occurance is well known and has been well documented. However, experts are still not completely sure why the body does this.


The general consensus among researchers is that, as your muscles begin to slack and go into a restful state just as you are falling asleep; your brain senses these relaxation signals and misinterprets them, thinking you are falling down. The brain then sends signals to the muscles in your arms and legs in an attempt to jerk you back upright. This misinterpretation that takes place in your brain may also be responsible for the ?falling? dreams that accompany the falling sensation. These ?dreams? are not really normal dreams, as they are not produced from R.E.M sleep, but rather more like a daydream or hallucination in response to the body?s sensations.

While this phenomenon happens to most everyone, studies have recently begun to link occurrences of Hypnic jerks to sleep anxiety, fatigue, and discomfort. People who are having trouble sleeping or can't get comfortable in bed appear to experience the sensation more often throughout the night. It is especially more common with people who are trying to fight falling asleep or have deprived themselves of sleep for more than 24 hours.

Researchers believe that the lack of sleep from sleep anxiety or sleep deprivation confuses the muscles and the brain. The muscles continually attempt to relax and shut down for rest, while your brain remains awake creating continued misinterpretations of falling or loss of balance.

Scientists and researchers continue to study sleep twitching and jerking in a small capacity, but state that the sensation is completely normal for our bodies and is of little medical significance. Our bodies go through several procedures of shutting down and preparing for an extended period of rest. Hypnic jerking is just one of them. It doesn't appear to cause damage to body and poses no danger to our physical wellbeing"

I thought I was the only one.

I feel like it's the impact of me hitting the ground without me actually hitting it. Does that make sense?

a better subject would be do you ever feel like you are up but something is keeping you from getting up while in bed and preventing you from screaming?

Angelic1302 said:

Wiki:
Physiologically, sleep paralysis is closely related to the paralysis that occurs as a natural part of REM (rapid eye movement) sleep, which is known as REM atonia. Sleep paralysis occurs when the brain awakes from a REM state, but the body paralysis persists. This leaves the person fully conscious, but unable to move. The paralysis can last from several seconds to several minutes "after which the individual may experience panic symptoms and the realization that the distorted perceptions were false".[5] As the correlation with REM sleep suggests, the paralysis is not entirely complete; use of EOG traces shows that eye movement can be instigated during such episodes.[6] When there is an absence of narcolepsy, sleep paralysis is referred to as isolated sleep paralysis (ISP).[7] "ISP appears to be far more common and recurrent among people of African descent than among whites or Nigerian Africans",[8] and is often referred to within African communities as "the Devil on your back"[9][10]

Serena said:

Yeah, we call it out here Cooshma!

hokie said:

happens to me quite a bit....wake up with a wtf on my face.

Angelic1302 said:

Fortunately, I've never experienced this, but I've heard it can be really terrifying.

But the jumpy thing happens every so often and I hate it! But, since I learned what caused it, I can just tell myself to get over it and go to sleep!

JDInteractive said:

Take comfort in the fact that if you should ever happen to fall asleep in a tree, that your instincts should wake & save you!

Serena said:

This has happened to me a few times. The worst time I was already dreaming, but had my eyes open. Because of the feeling of not being able to move my brain made the dream as if it was a horror movie. There were people screaming and shadows creeping down my walls. After a while I think my brain started to work out what was happening and i was able to move my arms a little....but sooooo slowly. Instinctively I put them up to my head (I guess to protect myself) and everything stopped. I was fine and could move again.

When I asked the doctor about it and he told me the reason I was so thankful. He found it odd that it happened to me because I've never actually had a single nightmare in my life. Apparently those who do are more prone.....

Alej said:

Both these things have happened to me so many times that when it does I jus sigh and go back to sleep
Another thing I hate is when I think I'm waking up and struggling to open my eyes...almost like my eyelids are glued shut.
Even taking my fingers and tryin to pull them apart doesn't work,
then I wake up after a few minutes and realise I wasn't wakin up a few minutes ago
[Edited 8/25/09 22:26pm]

connorhawke said:

!

hokie said:

like the moro reflex!

I don't jump when I have that falling feeling,I just wake up really fast,eyes like saucers. I fell asleep on the couch once,and had that falling feeling,woke up clinging to the couch cushions.

Serena said:

I've been experiencing sleep paralysis regularly since childhood and it is quite a burden but now I have my own methods in dealing with it when it does occur. If I was to describe it, similiar to a heavy weight being placed on my chest to obstruct my breathing whilst having a panic attack, heart is racing, limbs are numb, including my vocals so everything is in a state of paralysis.

Yep happens to me sometimes.

Serena said:

That makes sense to me. I am a terrible sleeper and this happens to me a lot. I'll be super sleepy and just exhausted, but my brain won't settle down at night. I always worry if I will be able to get to sleep or not. If I wake up at any time during the night, I usually do not go back to sleep because my brain immediately starts thinking of stuff.

dustysgirl said:

Oh geez, I do that too and I hate it! I need to learn how to meditate and quiet the noise.

I recognoze the falling while falling asleep

Thx Serena for the explanation.

To fight off Rigor Mortis.

It's just an intense dream that's all. The body reacts because it thinks the sensation in the dream is real. Maybe it's kinda like sleep walking which is really scary. Or even worse...night terrors!

DesireeNevermind said:

I experience this when I have fever- when I was little I was told that if I didn't wake up before hitting the ground when having a "falling " dream- it meant you actually died.

phunkdaddy said:

shit

AndGodCreatedMe said:

exactly

I do it a lot. Your mind and body actually believes that you are doing what's in the dream.

I remember waking up because I was dancing really HARD. I laughed at myself.