Have you ever been drifting peacefully toward sleep when, suddenly, your body gives a quick jerk and you wake up?
Sometimes the sensation comes with a vivid feeling that you’re falling, slipping, or missing a step. It can be surprising, especially when it happens just as you’re becoming comfortable in bed.
This common experience is known as a hypnic jerk, sometimes called a sleep start. For most people, it is a normal and harmless part of the transition from wakefulness to sleep.
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