The feeling of 'falling' in our sleep is very common. On waking up you may feel that you must have seen a bad dream, this sudden retraction from sleep has a scientific reason behind it. Commonly known as a hypnic jerk, these are involuntary movement in our muscles known as myoclonus. That abrupt movement in your sleep can be described as a condition which you may not even be aware of.You may be experiencing these on a daily basis. Some common causes of hypnic jerks are:1. Exhaustion2. Anxiety or stress issues3. Undergoing treatment or taking any kind of medication4. Sleep postureHypnic jerks are not a disease and will in no case lead to a nervous system disorder. Hypnic jerk is not sleep paralysis as well. Your heart may start beating very rapidly. You can also start sweating in the process. Since our brain is hallucinating at this time, you may also experience a sudden shock. It is not necessary that hypnic jerks only affect unhealthy people or those undergoing treatment, it can affect a perfectly healthy person as well. Too much consumption of caffeine or nicotine can stimulate the activity of a hypnic jerk.Our mind goes through a transition during this time because it is in the middle of sleep and waking up. Hypnic jerks may lead to you developing anxiety or insomnia, if that is the case, make sure to contact a doctor. However, hypnic jerks are extremely normal and do not cause any harm whatsoever.Some ways of preventing hypnic jerks are:1. Meditation and listening to calm music2. Taking a bath before you sleep or cleaning your feet before you sleep3. Avoid taking stress over occasional hypnic jerks as this can lead to unnecessary anxiety