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Question: Why is it we sometimes twitch in our sleep !?
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Cecil Adams is the smartest man in the world!. Here's what he said about this subject in his column "The Straight Dope":

Twitches while falling asleep are called hypnagogic myoclonus, myoclonus being any sort of involuntary muscle spasm and hypnagogic referring to sleep!. The twitches occur during very light sleep as the conscious brain gradually relinquishes control of the motor functions!. Often they're accompanied by a sense of falling, or the feeling that something is flowing through the body, and sometimes people will experience vivid dreams or hallucinations!.

It's not known exactly what causes the twitches, but they appear to be associated (although by no means invariably) with (a) anxiety and (b) some faint stimulus, such as a noise!.!.!.!.!.!.

It's thought that at times the stimulus can be purely involuntary, such as a dream!.

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Whenever I am falling asleep, I am dreaming that I am spinning or falling!. Every single night!. I'm still half awake though!. And then, I will jump or jerk when I hit the ground in my "dream"!. Maybe that's what other people are doing too, they just don't remember what they were dreaming about!?

I heard something once (I can't remember where) but I always thought it was kind of neat!. This guy said that we twitch because our spirits are trying to leave our bodies to visit other places!. We aren't dead when this happens, our body and our spirit is just separate for a while!. It might sound ridiculous to some people, but I thought it was a pretty neat theory!.Www@QuestionHome@Com

As we relax and start our journey toward the temporary oblivion we call sleep, our muscles begin to relax and they twitch!. Www@QuestionHome@Com

To relieve stress, sometimes physical, for example tired muscles, sometimes emotional stress plays a role!.Www@QuestionHome@Com

!.!.!.its a involuntary spasm/twitch while your body is resting!.!.!.Www@QuestionHome@Com

To practise our last goodbye here on earth!.Www@QuestionHome@Com