AP PSYCHOLOGY

Detailed explanation-1: -Hypnic jerks-also called sleep starts-are sudden, involuntary muscle contractions you may experience as you are falling asleep. View Source . Hypnic jerks are a type of myoclonus. View Source, which is a category of rapid, involuntary muscle movements.

Detailed explanation-2: -Hypnic jerks or sleep starts are benign myoclonic jerks that usually occur on falling asleep. Various factors like excessive caffeine intake, physical, and emotional stress can increase their frequency.

Detailed explanation-3: -“Hypnic jerks typically occur when there is a shift from Stage 1 of Non Rapid Eye Movement sleep to Stage 2, ” explains Dr Senthil Nathan, neurologist at Fortis Malar Hospital, Chennai. Your sleep cycle is divided into Non Rapid Eye Movement (NREM) and Rapid Eye Movement (REM).

Detailed explanation-4: -Myoclonus refers to sudden, brief involuntary twitching or jerking of a muscle or group of muscles. The twitching cannot be stopped or controlled by the person experiencing it. Myoclonus is not a disease itself, rather it describes a clinical sign.

Detailed explanation-5: -This body movement is what doctors and scientists call a hypnic (or hypnagogic) or myoclonic jerk. It’s also known as a “sleep start, ” and it can literally startle you out of falling asleep.