Most people are familiar with the phenomenon of sudden flinching in a dream . Many of us have wondered why a person twitches when he falls asleep.
Even in ancient times, people drew an analogy between the process of falling asleep and the onset of death. Our distant ancestors believed that the soul of a sleeping person goes to the world of the dead. An involuntary cramp during sleep was considered a reaction to the touch of the devil.
But what does modern medicine say about this? In science, there were many theories to explain this phenomenon. It was believed that
twitching of limbs in a dream indicates an onset of epilepsy. The essence of another hypothesis was reduced to disruptions of the hypothalamus - the higher autonomic center of the brain. But attempts to find the answer to the question of why a person twitches when he falls asleep, with the help of these theories failed.
The most convincing refused explanations of scientists who investigated the nature of such a physiological state as sleep. Some of them came to the conclusion that people start at the transition from one phase of sleep to another. Other experts claim that the human body responds to slowed breathing and a decrease in the amplitude of heart contractions. Reflex muscle contraction is a test of vitality, since the sleep state is mistakenly perceived by the hypothalamus as close to a coma.
Scientists also found that there is a relationship of night cramps with physical activity and emotional experiences during the day. That is, the answer to the question of why a person twitches when he falls asleep lies in his state just before bedtime. Therefore, the transition from wakefulness to night rest should be smooth. It’s best to leave unresolved problems in the morning.
But not only adults start in a dream. Sometimes a young mother notices that a
newborn is twitching in a dream. But, as doctors say, this is not a reason to sound the alarm. The fact is that for babies up to a year such a physiological reaction during sleep is completely normal. The inhibitory mechanism of the child’s nervous system at this age is imperfect. This is especially true for premature babies, so they shudder more often.
It should be noted that in babies sleep, sleep phases and their duration differ from what happens in this regard with adults.
Since growth hormone is produced in newborns in this condition, young children spend most of the day in sleep. This is necessary for the normal development of the child. As the baby sleeps, his nervous system and brain are actively developing. Children up to a year wake up from the slightest rustle, this is due to the fact that the phase of superficial sleep is longer than deep. A similar program is inherent in us by nature. Infants are most vulnerable, therefore, children, sensing a threat to their safety (noise, bright light, sudden movement) immediately wake up and scream.
So, the answer to the question of why a person twitches when he falls asleep has already been found. There is nothing wrong with this physiological reaction, and involuntary twitching in a dream does not cause a problem in a healthy person.