World Innovations

Maybe you've had a rough day and are looking forward to cozying up in bed. As you blissfully doze off, though, you're suddenly woken up by a sensation of your arms and legs jerking. You're awake again and, in your sleepy haze, wondering what just happened. "This is called a hypnic jerk, or a sleep start," Raj Dasgupta, MD, an assistant professor of clinical medicine at Keck Medicine of USC in Los Angeles, California, tells LIVESTRONG.com. "As you're falling asleep, you get this feeling like a jolt of electricity." It's not a seizure, and it's a totally benign occurrence. And it's common, too — up to 70 percent of people experience hypnic jerks (which are sometimes called hypnagogic jerks). You might also get the impression that you're falling as you have them. While they're nothing to worry about, they can serve as a clue that something's off with your lifestyle or that you could use a little self-care. Here'...