A doctor has shed light on why you might suddenly jerk awake as you're falling asleep, and how to prevent it.Doctor Youn, known as @doctoryoun shared on TikTok, shared with his nearly nine million followers about this common phenomenon.
The medical professional explained that this is called a hypnic jerk, an involuntary muscle contraction that occurs as you're drifting off to sleep.
He reassured viewers that while it can be startling, there's no need for alarm.In his viral video, viewed over two million times, he elaborates: "This is called a hypnic jerk, which is involuntary muscle contractions when you are falling asleep.
One explanation is that when your muscles relax as you are falling asleep, your body interprets it as if you are falling."This could explain why it often feels like we're falling when this happens.