# Why is it that when you're almost alseep, you flinch really hard? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [May 23, 2004, 7:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-it-that-when-youre-almost-alseep-you-flinch-really-hard/246627 "2004-05-23T07:27:06Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 8\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![superstef0303](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/7ea924/32.png) [@superstef0303](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/superstef0303)\ **Post date:** [May 23, 2004, 7:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-it-that-when-youre-almost-alseep-you-flinch-really-hard/246627/1 "2004-05-23T07:27:06Z")
So this happened to me the other night, i was almost asleep and i had this vision of my falling of a bike on a curb and i flinched really hard and woke up…why does this happen? ---
**Author:** ![ThatGuy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/e5b9ba/32.png) [@ThatGuy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ThatGuy)\ **Post date:** [May 23, 2004, 7:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-it-that-when-youre-almost-alseep-you-flinch-really-hard/246627/2 "2004-05-23T07:35:42Z")
I have always wondered as well. My guess would be it’s just a simple matter of your mind is wandering, so if it envisions a situation that would call for curling up for protection or a reflex reaction then your body jolts up in defense. As far as i know your motor functions arn’t disabled until you are actually asleep. ---
**Author:** ![Duderdude2](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/cdc98d/32.png) [@Duderdude2](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Duderdude2)\ **Post date:** [May 23, 2004, 8:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-it-that-when-youre-almost-alseep-you-flinch-really-hard/246627/3 "2004-05-23T08:17:27Z")
I have had the exact same thing occur, repeatedly. Only fall off of a skateboard (despite me never having ridden one before, nor do I have any desire to). It’s quite startling for a few seconds. ---
**Author:** ![Capt.Ridley\_s\_Shooting\_Party](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/cc9497/32.png) [@Capt.Ridley\_s\_Shooting\_Party](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Capt.Ridley_s_Shooting_Party)\ **Post date:** [May 23, 2004, 9:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-it-that-when-youre-almost-alseep-you-flinch-really-hard/246627/4 "2004-05-23T09:36:30Z")
This happens to me regularly. I’m just about to fall asleep, then I dream a football is about to hit me in the face, and I flinch so hard my whole body lifts a few inches off the bed. ---
**Author:** ![matt](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/a6a055/32.png) [@matt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/matt)\ **Post date:** [May 23, 2004, 10:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-it-that-when-youre-almost-alseep-you-flinch-really-hard/246627/5 "2004-05-23T10:07:02Z")
Twitching in your sleep has been discussed before… > **[That Violent Twitch](https://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=11590)** > > You know it if you’ve had one. The one that wakes you completely up just as you are about to fall asleep. For me it’s a violent twitch, I’ve heard others describe it as a sensation of falling. I’ve heard it said that this is the last rush of... Incidentally, I see I misspelt “myoclonic” in that thread. More on myoclonic twitches: [http://www.ninds.nih.gov/health\_and\_medical/pubs/myoclonus\_doc.htm](http://www.ninds.nih.gov/health_and_medical/pubs/myoclonus_doc.htm) It’s interesting that people are reporting the twitch while dreaming of flinch-inducing incidents. Whenever I’ve experienced it, I was just falling asleep and can’t recall dreaming anything at the time. ---
**Author:** ![porcupine](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/ac91a4/32.png) [@porcupine](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/porcupine)\ **Post date:** [May 23, 2004, 6:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-it-that-when-youre-almost-alseep-you-flinch-really-hard/246627/6 "2004-05-23T18:03:51Z")
Two relevant colums from Cecil: [Why does my body jerk when I’m falling asleep?"](http://www.straightdope.com/classics/a2_423b.html) [Why do we twitch while falling asleep?](http://www.straightdope.com/classics/a1_090.html) ---
**Author:** ![Sattua](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sattua/32/11906_2.png) [@Sattua](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sattua)\ **Post date:** [May 23, 2004, 9:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-it-that-when-youre-almost-alseep-you-flinch-really-hard/246627/7 "2004-05-23T21:33:10Z")
I always feel that the bed is tilting, before I flinch. Hmm. I think I may have imparted that piece of info in an earlier thread… ---
**Author:** ![violacrane](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/c57346/32.png) [@violacrane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/violacrane)\ **Post date:** [May 23, 2004, 10:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-it-that-when-youre-almost-alseep-you-flinch-really-hard/246627/8 "2004-05-23T22:02:52Z")
There is medication that will stop the myoclonic twitches happening. A few years ago I was in hospital with a broken leg. Every time one of the stupid twitches happened in that leg the resulting pain was excruciating and I would come fully awake, every time I began to drop off again another twitch. I don’t mind saying I was nearly in tears with frustration and tiredness when I called for the nurse. I actually didn’t think there would be anything she could do and was so relieved when she got the doctor to prescribe something and it worked. I don’t know what it was, perhaps someone could enlighten us, but I guess it’s not something they would prescribe under normal circumstances.