Research shows that each person spends 1/3 of their life sleeping, which partly proves that sleep plays an extremely important role in life and health. Sleep helps the immune system to be healthier, reducing the risk of cardiovascular disease, diabetes, cancer, etc.
Getting enough sleep also helps reduce stress and psychological instability, thereby improving work efficiency. Not only that, sleep also plays an important role in maintaining a stable weight, limiting the risk of being overweight, obese and improving skin problems.
In addition, when we sleep, we often shiver. This phenomenon is academically called "hypnic jerk". This is a strange feeling when you sleep, your body is shaken for a few seconds like an electric shock. At that time, all the muscles contract strongly, causing you to suddenly wake up.
This phenomenon occurs because the body begins to fall asleep, the breathing rate quickly decreases, while emotions and muscles are relaxed. However, these things make the brain think of signs of death and will notify the body by making you dizzy, startled, the body tries to grab something so we dream of falling off a cliff or feeling like stepping on air.
According to many scientific studies, up to 70% of the world's population has experienced the phenomenon of being startled while sleeping. However, few people understand the reason for this. Some people think that this is an activity to check the brain to see if you are still alive. Others think that this is your body secretly growing taller. However, medical experts say that this problem is really not simple.
1. Lack of calcium in the body
This condition is very common in teenagers and the elderly. They not only have sudden convulsions while sleeping, but also have cramps in the calves. The cause is a decrease in blood calcium levels, leading to a state of excitement of the muscles and nerves, which in turn causes spasms and convulsions.
2. Stress, anxiety
Overworking and overworking during the day, including manual or mental work, can easily cause this condition. Anxiety and stress put pressure on the reflex nervous system that transmits to the brain during sleep.
A common characteristic of people who are startled is that they often face anxiety, fatigue, and stress at school or work. In fact, people who are stressed often wake up in the middle of the night and have a hard time falling back asleep.
3. Brain disease
If the body is often startled when sleeping, when waking up you will suddenly have a headache, dizziness, nausea... That means there may be a brain problem such as a tumor, degenerative disease, stroke sequelae, traumatic brain injury sequelae...
4. Unstable blood sugar
Low blood sugar can cause a startled reaction when sleeping. In particular, people with diabetes are more likely to experience this condition.
5. Sleeping in the wrong position
Another cause is due to an incorrect sleeping position. For humans, sleeping is to put the body into a state of rest and safety. If you accidentally sleep in the wrong position, the brain will perceive that the body is in imminent danger, causing you to not sleep deeply, or to be startled and wake up.
Sleeping in the wrong position can also cause back and neck pain, fatigue, difficulty breathing while sleeping, muscle cramps, irregular circulation, headaches, heartburn, indigestion, and even premature wrinkles.
How to prevent the phenomenon of being startled when sleeping
1. Work and rest reasonably
Arrange your working time reasonably, ensure your mind is always comfortable to have a good night's sleep. Adults need to sleep 7-8 hours a day, and can take a nap for 15-20 minutes at noon.
2. Limit caffeinated drinks and have a healthy diet
Drinking too much caffeinated foods such as coffee and strong tea can cause nervous tension and anxiety disorders. Healthy adults should consume less than 400mg of caffeine and no more than 3 cups of coffee per day.
In addition, you need to ensure that you supplement enough magnesium and calcium in your diet to prevent muscle and nerve spasms. Try to have a healthy, balanced diet such as eating less sugary and salty foods and eating more fruits rich in fiber and vitamins. You can drink water or juices that are good for sleep such as cherry juice, banana, watermelon, etc.
3. Relax before going to bed
Do not work hard or exercise vigorously for half an hour before going to bed, let your body and mind be in the most comfortable state. You can listen to soft music, read books, magazines to fall asleep faster.
4. Sleep in the right position
The two sleeping positions recommended by most medical doctors are sleeping on your side and lying on your back, with your back straight. Try to avoid lying on your stomach or curling up when sleeping, because lying like that will compress the chest cavity, making the heart and lungs uncomfortable, causing muscle spasms during sleep.
In particular, choosing a soft, firm mattress will also help you sleep better and avoid the phenomenon of being startled when sleeping. In addition, you need to go to bed early and get enough sleep to ensure the quality of your sleep.
The phenomenon of being startled while sleeping occurs differently in each body, some people will have mild convulsions, others will have feelings of anxiety, fear, accompanied by continuous convulsions. So first of all, we must adjust our daily habits scientifically. If this condition continues to occur every night after you have eaten and slept regularly, you should proactively see a specialist for advice and appropriate and effective treatment.