Why do your muscles jolt when you are falling asleep?!

It's called a myoclonic jerk. When you're falling asleep your heart rate decreases, often rapidly. Your brain panics and thinks you're dying, so it sends a nerve impulse to your muscles telling you to snap out of it.Health Question & Answer

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myoclonic jerk or sleep apnea....... while most people regularily experience it once or twice a night, some people like me get it far worse.... sometimes i can jolt upto 50 or 60 times in a night....it can hurt too. it is very disruptive to my sleep cycle. basically your heart stops beating and your brain sends a jolt of electricity to jump start your heart again...its the basic reason why defibrilators are used by doctors and paramedics to restart the heart cos the brain failed to do it on its own.Health Question & Answer

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Yes Myoclonic Jerk/Twitch. But when sleeping its specifically called hypnic jerk.
Health Question & Answer

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