Why do we feel like we´re falling just before we fall asleep?

Question

Saw this question on Yahoo answers Spain, and I like it so here it is in English!

Answer 1

It's because suddenly a tense muscle or muscle group relaxes and it feels like you've let-go and are falling.

Happens to a lot of people

Answer 2

Good question! This has to do with the diminishing body radiations which makes a loosening of the soul possible. The feeling that you fall or jump is the moment when the soul rises out of the hitherto firm radiation-connection.

Here I explain it more in detail: We know that micro-electric processes are constantly going on in our brain, which can be measured as brain-current on the electro-encephalograph. This brain-current shows up to thirty cycles per second in the waking state. In sleeping persons it drops to half a cycle per second in the course of falling asleep. But at the same time the heartbeat, respiration, blood-pressure and body temperature also diminish. The body economy is maintained only on a "pilot-light". Research has thereby established the outward signs of a weakening of all vital functions, naturally also accompanied by a weakening of the body`s radiation, which is dependent on these vital functions. This, however, confirms exactly what you have just heard: for this diminished body-radiation makes possible the loosening of the soul. Before achieving deep sleep some sleeping persons even have the sensation that they are falling-they jump. It is the moment when the soul rises out of the hithero firm radiation-connection.

Answer 3

Before falling asleep, I always suddenly jolt in bed, with my legs, like a spasm, I suppose ou could say, and over the years, I have learnt whenever I feel my legas apasm, then within five minutes, I will be asleep.

The last conscious thing in your mind just as you are falling asleep, is always what you dream of, if it be a television show, a stuffed bear that you see in your room, or something on the street, your subconscious remembers everything and the most vivid thing in your mind is always what you will dream of.

Answer 4

Its really a medical or psychology question. However, as we fall asleep we go into the hypnogogic state, which is a from of hypnosis. Some people report a feeling of falling when they are in a state of hypnosis. What the midical reason is - i dont know.

Answer 5

Because you're falling out of consciousness. Sometimes I've fallen so quickly I jump awake startled. I literally thought I was falling (off the bed or something). It's freaky. That only happens occasionally to me but it's scary when it does happen.

Answer 6

Christern,
Evolutionists tell us that the falling sensation is a reflex that dates back from when our ape ancestors lived in trees. As apes fall asleep the "fall reflex" reminds them to keep hold of the tree that they are in.
I think that this is the current scientific theory to cover this "falling" feeling.
Hope this Helps!!!
The "Mac"

Answer 7

It happens to me very often since I was a kid. it is the so called REM sleep: REM sleep is the portion of sleep when there are rapid eye movements (REMs). Rapid eye movement (REM) sleep is the stage of sleep characterized by rapid movements of the eyes. It was discovered by Nathaniel Kleitman and Eugene Aserinsky in 1952. During this stage, the summed activity of the brain's neurons is quite similar to that during waking hours; for this reason, the phenomenon is often called paradoxical sleep. Most of the vividly recalled dreams occur during REM sleep.

Dreams occur during REM sleep. We typically have 3 to 5 periods of REM sleep per night. They occur at intervals of 1-2 hours and are quite variable in length. An episode of REM sleep may last 5 minutes or over an hour. About 20% of sleep is REM sleep. If you sleep 7-8 hours a night, perhaps an hour and half of that time, 90 minutes, is REM sleep.

REM sleep is characterized by a number of other features including rapid, low-voltage brain waves detectable on the electroencephalographic (EEG) recording, irregular breathing and heart rate and involuntary muscle jerks.

By contrast, NREM (non-REM) sleep is dreamless sleep. During NREM, the brain waves on the EEG are typically slow and of high voltage, the breathing and heart rate are slow and regular, the blood pressure is low, and the sleeper is relatively still. NREM sleep is divided into 4 stages of increasing depth of sleep leading to REM sleep. About 80% of sleep is NREM sleep. If you sleep 7-8 hours a night, all but maybe an hour and a half is spent in dreamless NREM sleep.

Answer 8

Actually, every time i'm about to fall off a cliff in my dreams i wake up with a sudden jerky motion. i wonder what would happen if i didn't wake up and fell all the way down. would i hurt? or would i die?

Answer 9

you're in The 20th floor aren't you ?
i am in the forth , i feel i am relaxed and happy before falling asleep

Answer 10

i read somewhere that it has something to do with your blood pressure dropping as u are getting relaxed enough to fall asleep.