# Does anyone ever sit "bolt upright in bed" **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [June 9, 2009, 2:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-anyone-ever-sit-bolt-upright-in-bed/499206 "2009-06-09T14:30:33Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 18\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![Cicero](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cicero/32/3594_2.png) [@Cicero](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cicero)\ **Post date:** [June 11, 2009, 12:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-anyone-ever-sit-bolt-upright-in-bed/499206/41 "2009-06-11T12:08:06Z")
Part of me stands bolt upright at night. Does that count? ---
**Author:** ![Telcontar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/3bc359/32.png) [@Telcontar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Telcontar)\ **Post date:** [June 11, 2009, 2:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-anyone-ever-sit-bolt-upright-in-bed/499206/42 "2009-06-11T14:15:35Z")
> [@Cicero](#): > > Part of me stands bolt upright at night. Does that count? Only if you hit the ceiling. ---
**Author:** ![congodwarf](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/e36b37/32.png) [@congodwarf](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/congodwarf)\ **Post date:** [June 11, 2009, 5:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-anyone-ever-sit-bolt-upright-in-bed/499206/43 "2009-06-11T17:53:13Z")
I have and it only started recently. I’ve probably done it 10 or more times in the last few months. It has always been brought on by a nightmare. I never used to get nightmares. Unfortunately for me, my bed is a bunkbed. A metal bunkbed. I sleep on the bottom. I’m going to kill myself one of these days, if I don’t get the nightmares under control. ---
**Author:** ![Typo\_Knig](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/cdc98d/32.png) [@Typo\_Knig](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Typo_Knig)\ **Post date:** [June 11, 2009, 11:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-anyone-ever-sit-bolt-upright-in-bed/499206/44 "2009-06-11T23:17:34Z")
Besides **Mama Zappa** ’s story upthread, I’ve sat bolt upright in bed a couple of times during or after nightmares. Yes, it does happen. ---
**Author:** ![Push\_You\_Down](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/push_you_down/32/9095_2.png) [@Push\_You\_Down](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Push_You_Down)\ **Post date:** [June 11, 2009, 11:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-anyone-ever-sit-bolt-upright-in-bed/499206/45 "2009-06-11T23:37:05Z")
My fiance’ and I have a fun game going on right now of rushing into the room while the other is sleeping and shouting the other’s full name and watching them jump up out of bed going “AHHH!” We both sleep on our sides or our stomachs so it isn’t “bolt upright” it’s more of a “flip over and then bolt upright.” ---
**Author:** ![Regallag\_The\_Axe](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/regallag_the_axe/32/445_2.png) [@Regallag\_The\_Axe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Regallag_The_Axe)\ **Post date:** [June 12, 2009, 12:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-anyone-ever-sit-bolt-upright-in-bed/499206/46 "2009-06-12T00:39:34Z")
I’ve sat bolt upright directly from sleep sometimes. Usually it’s because I had a nightmare, or someone opening my door while I sleep. ---
**Author:** ![Sir\_T-Cups](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ed655f/32.png) [@Sir\_T-Cups](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sir_T-Cups)\ **Post date:** [June 12, 2009, 3:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-anyone-ever-sit-bolt-upright-in-bed/499206/47 "2009-06-12T03:24:53Z")
The thing I did to make me “bolt upright” the last time, I am doing tonight. We shall see if it happens again. ---
**Author:** ![peachesxenon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/5e9695/32.png) [@peachesxenon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/peachesxenon)\ **Post date:** [July 24, 2018, 9:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-anyone-ever-sit-bolt-upright-in-bed/499206/48 "2018-07-24T21:47:19Z")
I have very lucid dreams and every now and again they overlap with reality. Had a dream last night where there was this creature in my room and it was crawling towards me but something was holding me still so I couldn’t get away. Finally managed to break free and sat bolt upright, awake in my bed. Honestly I can usually control my dreams to be happy or fun but don’t know what happened last night… Scared the hell out of me! ---
**Author:** ![TriPolar](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tripolar/32/3008_2.png) [@TriPolar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TriPolar)\ **Post date:** [July 24, 2018, 10:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-anyone-ever-sit-bolt-upright-in-bed/499206/49 "2018-07-24T22:25:00Z")
I dreamt I was being chased by zombies and bolted upright in bed. Also several other times because I used to wake with a start of one kind or another frequently. Not so much lately which makes my wife sleep a little more soundly. ---
**Author:** ![puzzlegal](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/puzzlegal/32/3827_2.png) [@puzzlegal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/puzzlegal)\ **Post date:** [July 24, 2018, 11:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-anyone-ever-sit-bolt-upright-in-bed/499206/50 "2018-07-24T23:04:56Z")
Another vote for “acid reflux”. I have problems with acid reflux, and occasionally I aspirate a little of it when I sleep. It’s horrible, and yes, I sit bolt upright. then I cough and get up and walk around and drink water and… But my initial response is to sit bolt upright. When I’ve been startled or frightened, I often lie still in bed. ---
**Author:** ![Beckdawrek](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/beckdawrek/32/3647_2.png) [@Beckdawrek](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Beckdawrek)\ **Post date:** [July 24, 2018, 11:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-anyone-ever-sit-bolt-upright-in-bed/499206/51 "2018-07-24T23:21:26Z")
I am poor sleeper. I have slept walked, had night terrors and waking paralysis and sitting up is one if my tamer night antics. Sometimes I wake up to it, other times I am still asleep. Mr.Wrekker fills me in if he had to lay me back down. ---
**Author:** ![The\_Stainless\_Steel\_Rat](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/the_stainless_steel_rat/32/5727_2.png) [@The\_Stainless\_Steel\_Rat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Stainless_Steel_Rat)\ **Post date:** [July 24, 2018, 11:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-anyone-ever-sit-bolt-upright-in-bed/499206/52 "2018-07-24T23:27:30Z")
Don’t remember ever doing it for a dream and since I live alone, there is no one to startle me. But on occasion I will get a leg cramp so bad I will be up and massaging that spot as hard as I can in no time flat. ---
**Author:** ![Gatopescado](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gatopescado/32/5711_2.png) [@Gatopescado](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gatopescado)\ **Post date:** [July 25, 2018, 12:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-anyone-ever-sit-bolt-upright-in-bed/499206/53 "2018-07-25T00:08:48Z")
I’m surprised **Mr. Nylock** hasn’t checked in. ---
**Author:** ![Shinna\_Minna\_Ma](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/f08c70/32.png) [@Shinna\_Minna\_Ma](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shinna_Minna_Ma)\ **Post date:** [July 25, 2018, 2:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-anyone-ever-sit-bolt-upright-in-bed/499206/54 "2018-07-25T14:05:43Z")
Apparently, I used to do this when my (then little) kids would wake me in the middle of the night for whatever reason (throwing up, nosebleeds, that sort of thing). They’d poke me and poke me until I woke up, and I’d sit “bolt upright in bed” saying “what what what.” My little one is now almost 23, and all my kids still tease me about it. ---
**Author:** ![laurieb](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/51bf81/32.png) [@laurieb](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/laurieb)\ **Post date:** [July 25, 2018, 2:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-anyone-ever-sit-bolt-upright-in-bed/499206/55 "2018-07-25T14:08:57Z")
It happened a hell of a lot when I was stuck in my Cairo hotel during the Arab Spring uprisings. Bolted up from sleep an average of five times each night. Scariest experience of my life. I didn’t know if I would make it out alive. Between the riots down the street, and nearly being attacked by two local men, I was traumatized. ---
**Author:** ![FloatyGimpy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/floatygimpy/32/7750_2.png) [@FloatyGimpy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FloatyGimpy)\ **Post date:** [July 25, 2018, 3:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-anyone-ever-sit-bolt-upright-in-bed/499206/56 "2018-07-25T15:26:09Z")
I have Exploding Head Syndrome [Exploding head syndrome - Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Exploding_head_syndrome) When I have an especially loud episode it can be shocking enough that I do sit bolt upright with my heart racing. Actually sometimes it’s so loud that I jump out of bed and am suddenly standing there, heavy breathing, heart racing, wondering why my house is being bombed. I had a mild one last week (which was only as loud as a gun going off) so I didn’t jump up, but just jerked awake while still laying down. ---
**Author:** ![Hermitian](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hermitian/32/470_2.png) [@Hermitian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hermitian)\ **Post date:** [July 25, 2018, 4:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-anyone-ever-sit-bolt-upright-in-bed/499206/57 "2018-07-25T16:58:17Z")
Never. ---
**Author:** ![Maserschmidt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/maserschmidt/32/18829_2.png) [@Maserschmidt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Maserschmidt)\ **Post date:** [July 26, 2018, 1:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-anyone-ever-sit-bolt-upright-in-bed/499206/58 "2018-07-26T01:53:31Z")
I get severe leg cramps occasionally when I’m asleep (always the right leg!), and when it happens, I actually bolt to my feet as that’s the only thing that will ameliorate it. Just typing that made my calf twitchy. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-anyone-ever-sit-bolt-upright-in-bed/499206.md?page=2)