Jolting awake often associated with poorer sleep and higher anxiety, survey finds

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A study found that people who frequently experience hypnic jerks while falling asleep report poorer sleep quality, more severe insomnia, and higher anxiety. The findings were published in PLOS Mental Health by researchers from the University of Salzburg and colleagues.

People who frequently startle awake while falling asleep—a phenomenon researchers call "sleep starts" or hypnic jerks—report poorer sleep quality, greater insomnia severity and higher anxiety than those who do not, according to a new study published in PLOS Mental Health by Tanja Grünberger and Manuel Schabus of Paris Lodron University Salzburg, Austria, and colleagues.