Well, I guess the twitch that people do (including myself) right after falling asleep is perfectly normal according to some researchers.

This strange falling sensation and muscle twitch is known as a hypnagogic myoclonic twitch or “Hypnic jerk” If this has happened to you on more than one occasion, don’t worry, you are not alone. Close to 70 percent of all people experience this phenomenon just after nodding off, according to a recent study at the Mayo Clinic.

Most experts agree that this is a natural part of the sleeping process, much like slower breathing and a reduced heartbeat. The occurance is well known and has been well documented. However, experts are still not completely sure why the body does this.

Sleepwalking, why do people do it? Personally, I have sleepwalked in the past. I had just flown once around the world and my body was so tired that it must have decided to go on its own. At least that is better than this Chef who sleepwalks and “cooks”, that is scary.

Here’s some interesting facts:

Rab Wood, from Glenrothes in Fife, is worried that he could burn his house down during his sleepwalking sessions.

The 55-year-old, who has been sleepwalking since he was 14 years old, said it is making his life a misery.

His wife Eleanor said she is constantly alert at night with worry about what her husband is going to do next.

It has been estimated that between two and 4% of adults in the UK sleepwalk. Experts at the Edinburgh Sleep Centre have said that if both parents sleepwalk then their children have a 60% chance of inheriting the disorder.

Children with one parent who sleepwalks have a 45% chance of it running in their genes while there is a 22% chance if neither parent sleepwalks.

Bed Jumping can help you to be healthier and get to bed better. By exercising you limbs jumping up and down your mattress, you will raise your heart-beat a little and be able to go to sleep easier too.

Check out these funny pictures of bed jumpers. I am sure you have one too. Send it to us at bed@bedzine.com if you’d like to be featured on Bedzine.com.

via bedzine

Wikipedia has a nice description of sleep paralysis:

a condition characterized by temporary paralysis of the body shortly after waking up (known as hypnopompic paralysis) or, less often, shortly before falling asleep (known as hypnagogic paralysis)

Stanford University has a nice definition of sleep paralysis too.

Here’s an interesting article about how sleep can make your children more healthier and slimmer.

They found that children who get more sleep tend to have a lower body mass index (BMI, a ratio of weight to height) and are less likely to be overweight five years later, than kids who get less sleep.

Sleeping an extra hour a night reduced the chance of being overweight from 36 percent to 30 percent in young children, and from 34 percent to 30 percent in older children.