Has it ever happened to you that as you are about to fall asleep, you suddenly feel a jerk in your body, causing you to suddenly jump and awake for a moment? Or sometimes, you don’t fully wake up and only twitch in your sleep . This startling response of the body is called a hypnic jerk, and it’s more common than you might realize. It’s a sudden and brief involuntary muscle contraction that occurs typically when you transition from wakefulness to sleep.
While hypnic jerks are normal, they can create sleep disturbance for you or your partner. Dr Amy Shah, MD & nutrition expert, took to Instagram to share what to avoid before bedtime to prevent hypnic jerks during sleep. These things need to be avoided at least 3 hours before bedtime.
A post shared by Dr. Amy Shah (@fastingmd) ALSO READ: Poor sleep can age your brain by 3 years; study reveals alarming link between sleep problems and brain age It's incredibly common, according to Dr Shah. “This happens to me too, especially when I have too much caffeine, or I am very stressed, or I have just exercised.
So if you are trying to prevent that [hypnic jerk], you can stop doing those things three hours before bed,” she explained. Caffeine Caffeine is like our buddy that helps us get through the day. It’s a stimulant that keeps you alert and awake.
But when consumed late at night, it can disrupt the sleep. Coffee keeps the brain awake, so it’s no wonder drinking coffee or any other energy drink too close to bedtime increa.