A “falling” feeling when you are falling asleep, making you wake up with a startle.
When I was younger, I described this feeling to an older friend, and he had an explanation for it that got me scared. He said, “It means you were falling into a sleep so deep, you were about to die, so your brain had to wake you up with a jolt.”
I carried that explanation in my head for years. Anytime I experienced the falling feeling, I refused to continue sleeping.
Then one day I decided to do some research on it, because it seemed I was experiencing it often – at least once in a quarter. I was surprised at my findings.
The research on it is still ongoing, but current knowledge shows that it is not a sign that I was just saved from dying, but an involuntary muscle contraction.
With this new knowledge, I started sleeping better, even after it happens.
Knowledge shapes destiny.
– Osasu Oviawe
