Jumping?

I'm sure we're all aware of this feeling, but just when you're on the brink of sleep and you jerk really badly and it wakes you properly again, does anyone know what causes that?

Nope but when it happens to me I'm usually just about to fall off something . Last time I remember it happening I "slipped off" the bottom attic step

I understood this to be a symptom (not in a negative sense) of the brain changing waveforms as one falls asleep - occasionally the waveform changes before the mind is fully in 'standby' and the jump is because the change is noticed. Having had a little look online, this is perhaps more assumption on my part than fact; that said it is a well recognised, if not fully understood, part of the mind and onset of sleep.

The actual 'jump' is a Hypnic Jerk - Described by Wikipedia here:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hypnic_jerk

And the wider-ranging arena of dozing off is covered in rather more detail here. It may be useful if you're having difficulty getting to sleep...
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hypnagogia

Thank you Dilettante, I will make time to look at those links, i've heard people say too that it is something to do with leaving the body at night (some believe this happens every night) and occasionally you are jerked back in very quickly (especially if you're about to get disturbed.)

Violet wrote:Thank you Dilettante, I will make time to look at those links, i've heard people say too that it is something to do with leaving the body at night (some believe this happens every night) and occasionally you are jerked back in very quickly (especially if you're about to get disturbed.)

You're welcome.

Certainly, To dream is to enter another world.

yes, the brain state in our physical body is related to our mind wandering.....
but yes it is when we are astrally travelling and we fall (i often trip on a paver sticking out a bit)or get into trouble. sometimes if i would wake a bit early in the morning i would catch myself settling back into my body.


(that thing with the toilet roll? i must confess i idly stood by as one of my kittens- who is 1 now- did that a few months back!)

Thanks Sparkly, thankfully my cats haven't discovered the loo rolls

awww! but violet, it was so c -ute!
ok, so i'm a sucker for animals!
my dog turned 10 last friday, so i cooked him cajun chicken and bought him a pizza.

Aww ........Happy Birthday to your dog, did he enjoy his supper

you betcha! he reckons he wants eggs on buttered toast soon too. his son enjoyed the meal also. turns out liege prefers hawaiian pizza over meatlover's or vegetarian.
the cats liked the chicken.
yep we bought them a cooked chicken for new year's eve.
hope your new year's was a good un.