It’s a nightmare; the only difference is you’re actually asleep during a nightmare. Sleep starts, or hypnic jerks, those abrupt, full-body jolts that fire off just as you finally drift off, ruin nights’ sleep before they even begin. According to a new study published in PLOS Mental Health by researchers at the University of Salzburg, these nighttime spasms are not only responsible for you kicking your partner, but research says that they are also taking a major psychological toll on you.

What sounds like a random, innocuous muscle twitch is actually a full-body jerk, often accompanied by the feeling of an electric shock or a blinding flash that lights up the inside of a sufferer’s head. Some even experience the terrifying sensation of suddenly plummeting into a bottomless void.

Their heart starts racing, and they go into a full-blown panic as they are suddenly jolted awake.

Why Your Body Suddenly Jerks Awake Just as You’re Falling Asleep, According to Science

For some, it’s a weekly or even daily occurrence, and you can imagine that it can drive them absolutely nuts. According to the research, frequent sufferers report heavily degraded sleep quality paired with spiked levels of depression and daytime anxiety.

The jolts create a climate of fear, where going to sleep becomes stressful as the sufferer worries about falling asleep, keeping their nervous system on high alert. That hyperarousal makes their brains misfire, causing their bodies to convulse in acute terror. Now they’re too panicked to rest, so they don’t get adequate sleep, which rolls over into more stress tomorrow.

Researchers note that emotional strain triggers episodes more directly than basic sleep deprivation. Doctors used to write off hypnic jerks as a harmless quirk of the body, but new data shows that they deserve to be taken a lot more seriously as a manifestation of severe cognitive hyperarousal, where the brain is basically so overwhelmed by the pressure to fall asleep, to even just relax, that it starts slamming a panic button.

The post The Real Reason Your Whole Body Jolts Right Before You Fall Asleep appeared first on VICE.

There’s nothing worse than being absolutely exhausted and still not being able to fall asleep. Before you know it, it’s 3 a.m., and you’re calculating how many hours of sleep you can squeeze in before your alarm goes off. As if worrying about how tired you’ll be tomorrow is going to help.

If this happens at least three nights a week, you could be dealing with acute insomnia. According to a recent Psychology Today article, it can last anywhere from a few days to three months. After that, it’s considered chronic. Research says roughly one-third of Americans experience acute insomnia during a given year.

Stress, jet lag, a breakup, or a newborn who hasn’t discovered the joys of sleeping through the night can all contribute. And after several sleepless nights, worrying about sleep can become yet another reason you’re awake.

Cognitive behavioral therapy for insomnia (CBT-I) is the recommended first-line treatment for chronic insomnia, and there’s evidence it could help with shorter bouts, too. In a 2015 trial involving 40 adults, 60% of those who received a single CBT-I session and a self-help pamphlet were in remission after a month, compared with 15% in the control group.

Here are five strategies that could help you get some sleep.

1. Skip the Afternoon Nap

Your brain accumulates a chemical called adenosine throughout the day, making you increasingly sleepy. Napping reduces some of that sleep pressure, so you might find yourself wide awake again at bedtime.

As tempting as a midafternoon nap sounds after a previously sleepless night, skipping it could actually help. Of course, if you’re struggling to stay awake before driving, safety comes first. Take a short nap.

2. Give Yourself an Hour to Unwind

You can’t spend the evening answering work emails, worrying about tomorrow, and scrolling through increasingly depressing news, then expect to fall asleep the second your head hits the pillow.

Try giving yourself an hour before bed to read, stretch, take a bath, or listen to an audiobook. The idea is to give your body some time to relax before attempting to sleep.

3. Don’t Go to Bed Just Because It’s Bedtime

If you’re wide awake at 10 p.m., climbing into bed and hoping you’ll magically fall asleep probably isn’t going to work. Over time, lying awake in bed can teach your brain to associate the bedroom with frustration instead of sleep.

Wait until you’re actually drowsy. Heavy eyelids, repeated yawning, and struggling to finish a chapter are better indicators than whatever time your alarm clock says.

4. Get Out of Bed if You Can’t Sleep

After about 20 minutes of tossing and turning, get up. Head to the couch, grab a book, and do something relaxing until you feel sleepy again.

Just don’t spend those 20 minutes staring at the clock. A 2023 Indiana University study involving nearly 4,800 sleep clinic patients found an association between checking the time at night, worse insomnia, and greater use of sleep aids. Researcher Spencer Dawson suggested people cover their clocks and take off their smartwatches.

5. Wake Up at the Same Time Every Morning

This one’s hard after a night of terrible sleep, but keeping a consistent wake-up time helps regulate your body’s internal clock. And sorry, that includes weekends. Sleeping until noon on Sunday might sound fantastic, but it could make falling asleep Sunday night even harder.

If insomnia continues or starts interfering with your daily life, talk to a healthcare professional about CBT-I. There’s no reason to wait three months to get help.

The post 5 Things You Should Do When You Can’t Fall Asleep, According to Sleep Experts appeared first on VICE.

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