I keep waking up with a jolt when I'm trying to go to sleep. Does anyone know what causes this?

Question

should I be worried?

Answer 1

I get this too. Just as you are nearly asleep you realize you are surrendering your conscious mind and so it jolts you awake as if in panic. Its probably to keep you in check, like maybe you suddenly become aware and it is scary. Maybe an old survival mechanism. Its common but may indicate a bit of stress.

http://www.menshealth.co.uk/answers/answer.phtml?id=49&PHPSESSID=b90509676bf9c2f3b7fadac98da7223c
this is an answer to that exact same question on a mens health website!

Answer 2

I have been having these jolts all of my adult life and I'm 62. They usually happen when I have had an exerting day and I'm half dreaming of walking, jumping or passing an obstacle. I will describe an instance. I am dreaming of walking along a street and I pass over a curb at a junction, after a few steps I suddenly realize that I have not gone down to the new level of the road. That is when the jolt occurs as I try to adjust to the level of the road. I can always remember what caused the jolt when I wake up. If this is similar to your experiences I would recommend a not too hot bath before bed.

Answer 3

I can have a similar thing I stop breathing in my sleep And wake up with a jolt or just jump and stay asleep and start breathing again. Very frightening for a lady who sleeps with you for the first time. I didn't even know I did it untill I was told by a former girlfriend. I was checked at a hospital where I was monitored by a machine but told it was nothing to worry about. I have often thought if this is the cause of cot death If a baby stops breathing in its sleep and doesn't start breathing again like I do. I am now 60 and still here.

Answer 4

I got the following information online:

What you are probably experiencing is a phenomenon called a sleep start. They are quite common and are experienced by about 60-70% of the population. These sudden jerks occur during the transition from wakefulness to sleep and are quite similar to the startle response we experience in wakefulness. Often times these events can be preceeded by visions of flashing light or a visual dream or hallucination. In our laboratory the most commonly reported symptom is the sensation of falling prior to jolting awake. If intense and frequent enough, sleep starts can lead to a fear of falling asleep which can result in insomnia and sleep deprivation. In this case, you may want to see your doctor.

Unfortunately there is no known cause for these annoying events. Stress, excessive exercise and over use of stimulants (particularly caffeine) have all been implicated. The best bet in order to prevent sleep starts is to avoid intake of stimulants and try to keep a regular sleep/wake schedule.

Answer 5

some say it is your spirit returning to your body..do you ever get that dejahvoo feeling when you think you have done something before or been someware before or it could be even something as simple as picking up a pen but you remember doing it before they say when you sleep your spirit can travel into your future and when it returns you get a jolt in your body some people can wake up gasping for air when their spirit returns but this is ware you get the dejahvoo feeling from. when this happens you should try and write down what you was dreaming at the time. more often than not you dont remember for some reason but beleive me or not speak to a spiritualist about this and they can tell you the same thing.

Answer 6

The same happens to me. I'm sleeping, I get up with a jolt and feel like the world is swirling around me and my heart and blood are pumping. It's not from nightmares, it's when you are worried about something or you have done something bad. I'm used to it, you'll get used to it, too.

But in case there's something else, go visit the doctor, he'll tell you for sure.

Answer 7

OMG! I do the same thing. When I just first fall asleep, I will be startled awake, like I fell of the bed or someone jumped on the bed next to me. I have no idea what it is, but its sorta weird. I will wake up from it, heart pounding and practically scared to death. I've learned to live with it, I know that it is brought on by stress. So try something calming before bed, like reading or a bath.

Answer 8

I get this too occasionally. usually when i'm very tired. i think it's just muscle spasms and nothing to worry about. my bf does this all the time and wakes us both up. it's like letting go and drifting into sleep.

Answer 9

It's because all your muscles are relaxing. Just turn over relax and go back to sleep. No need to worry about this!!! Night night sleep tight.

Answer 10

Do you mean when you feel like you're falling off a cliff just as you're drifting off? This is actually common, normal and nothing to worry about, there is a medical term for it, but I forget what it is.