If Your Body Jerks Awake Right as You Fall Asleep—Do Not Open Your Eyes

Added: 2026-06-02

[00:00:00]If your body suddenly jerks awake right as you're falling asleep, do not open your eyes. [music] Cases have been reported in the UK. Most people assumed it was just a hypnic jerk. They were wrong. You're in bed, room dark, half asleep. Then suddenly, you feel like you're falling and your body jerks awake. Your heart starts racing instantly, like your body stopped something from happening. First, do not force yourself back to sleep immediately. Stay still and listen to the room around you. Second, do not move toward the edge of the bed. Most reported cases happened after people put their feet on the floor right after waking up. Third, if the falling feeling happens multiple times in one night, turn a light on because hypnic jerks are supposed to happen when your brain thinks your body is falling asleep too fast. But in reported cases, people described the exact same sensation, like something was trying to pull them deeper into sleep and the jerk was the only thing that woke them up before it got closer. Share this with someone who stays awake too late at night.