someone in class asked why does your body jerk when you first fall asleep. the professor said extra credit if we could find out the correct answer. thanks!
2006-07-14 12:17:15 · 8 answers · asked by anna m 1 in Health ➔ Other - Health
OHH. I used to know the answer to this...one of us should go ask Jeeves. Oh, ok, I'll do it:
You're just about to drift off into a deep sleep when suddenly you feel like you're falling or rolling downhill on a roller coaster. Then your body jerks suddenly and you're awake. Weird! What's going on?
This body movement, also known as a sleep start, is what doctors and scientists call a hypnic (say: hip-nik) or myoclonic (say: my-uh-klah-nik) jerk.
These jerks usually occur before you enter the deeper stages of sleep and are completely normal. Doctors and scientists aren't really sure why they happen, but they have a few theories.
One theory is that your brain misunderstands the sensation of your muscles relaxing as you drift off to sleep. It's normal for the muscles to relax, but the brain gets confused, and, for a minute, thinks you're falling. In response, the brain causes your muscles to tense up so you "catch yourself" before you fall down.
These jerks can wake a person up, or the person might just keep on sleeping. They're nothing to worry about, so if one of them wakes you up, snuggle back under your quilt, and try to catch some more ZZZs!
2006-07-14 12:20:27 · answer #1 · answered by Evil Wordmonger, LTD LOL 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Take a rubber band and hold it in one hand. Use the other hand to grasp the loose end and stretch it as far as it goes. You have just built up energy in the band.
Now let go of the rubber band. You have just released the built up energy in the band.
How do you know how much energy you stored in the band by stretching it? By the amount of pain you have in the hand still holding the rubber band.
Your muscles are like the rubber band. You store energy in them and when your body relaxes to a certain point, the energy get released causing a jerking of the body.
How do you know how much energy was stored in your muscles? By the the severity of the Jerk.
2006-07-14 19:31:26 · answer #2 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
The technical term I believe is called a monoclonic jerk. You should be able to research this through the Internet resources for the correct reasons.
2006-07-14 19:22:09 · answer #3 · answered by Lee 0 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
You JERK when you are sitting up and your body starts to relax and your head becomes no longer level with the ground. It's your built in BERZERK mechanism. Your head slumps telling your brain something isn't right and you jerk it back up to level position.
2006-07-14 19:22:25 · answer #4 · answered by BBQGuide 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
The body is relaxing. Kind of like going from high gear to low gear.
2006-07-14 19:21:10 · answer #5 · answered by Paleo C 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
It's called myoclonus.
I've given you a start, but do your own homework.
Go to the below website to investigate:
2006-07-14 19:22:26 · answer #6 · answered by doublewidemama 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋
your body muscles have spazism when they are relaxed. can also happen during the day. your muscles contract and relax and when they do sometimes they have a spazism.
2006-07-14 19:20:54 · answer #7 · answered by luvshorses 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
don't know but that has been happening to me this week.I have been on pain medicine due to surgery.Thought that could be the cause ? ? ?
2006-07-14 19:26:35 · answer #8 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋