THURSDAY, Nov. 12, 2026 (HealthDay News) — Ever start to fall asleep — and suddenly jolt awake?
It's called a "sleep start," or hypnic jerk. And new research links frequent episodes to anxiety and poor sleep.
Researchers surveyed nearly 200 adults and found those experiencing jolts at least once a week reported worse sleep quality, more insomnia symptoms and higher levels of anxiety and depression.
Participants reported more episodes during periods of emotional stress. Those with more negative thoughts about sleep also tended to startle awake more often.
"Sleep starts are much more than a simple muscle twitch when falling asleep," said lead author Tanja Grünberger, from Paris Lodron University in Salzburg, Austria.
Participants described sensations of falling, racing hearts, flashes of light, even loud bangs — sometimes accompanied by fear or panic.
Most drifted back to sleep quickly, but some experienced real distress.
"What we found most interesting was how closely sleep starts are linked to how people think and feel about sleep," Grünberger said in a news release. "The more strongly participants held unhelpful beliefs about sleep and the more anxious they were, the more often they reported sleep starts — and in the moment itself, many described a strong pressure to finally fall asleep."
Researchers said it's unclear whether anxiety and pressure to fall asleep contribute to the jolts — or vice versa.
Next, they want to find out whether reducing worry about sleep could make these episodes less distressing.
The study was published Nov. 11 in the journal PLOS Mental Health.
More information
The National Sleep Foundation has more on sleep health.
SOURCE: HealthDay TV, Nov. 12, 2026
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