Falling feeling?

Sometimes, after i've been in bed for about 20 to 30 minutes, and i'm pretty much asleep, i feel like i'm falling back into my bed, I wake up after this. Does anyone know what this is?

That's called a hypnic jerk, they're very common.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hypnic_jerk
:)

Actually, this sounds more like you are entering sp. I get this a lot when I'm falling asleep, I believe it' also common during WILDs. A hypnic jerk is a little different, I've experienced this often as feeling as though I was falling and had just landed in my bed (although this often happens after that falling sensation if you are woken up.)

I get the falling sensation alot. I agree, it's right before sleep paralysis takes over. It's an interesting feeling...my body slowly starts falling within the bed...faster...faster...gaining speed. Then it's like I fall into a bungee type net. I feel i start to slow down...until eventually I come to a stop. Then almost immediatly I feeling a acceleration now moving the opposite direction, towards the sky. It honeslty feels like bungee jumping (if anyone can relate)

I remember the first night it happened. I was about 17 years old. I was laying on my back. I was still awake and talking to myself when It was happening. I remember saying "oh shit!!!! This is crazy!!!" as it was going. It fiinally ceased...but then I was so pumped I couldn't get back to bed or a good 2 hours! Lol

I sometimes get that too. Once it happens, I feel like I saw (and felt) myself falling down the stairs or something. Yeah, it's a hypnic jerk.

Heh, I've never entered SP(have tried many times tho'), but I get the 'falling feeling' pretty often when i try to not move. :P

you should never fall asleep on a sofa and accidently kick someone
.
.
oh and dont forget punching the wall and not being able to feel the broken bones because your half asleep



ill be unintentionally involved in some domestic violence case in the future if i keep fighting things in my sleep ;/

I believe that's how the term "falling asleep" originated.

I don't think this really has anything to do with sleep paralysis.

If this happens when you start to fall asleep, you still need to go through stages 1-4 before you hit REM. So it would make sense that this happens during the 1st stage. Plus, like what Flashdance said, the term stems from leading into sleep.

I guess it also depends on how long you were falling. If it was just a quick jolt (even with the falling perception), I would just go with hypnic jerk. If you felt like you were falling through some kind of tunnel of nothing for about 7 seconds, I think we could assume you were experiencing sleep paralysis.

I hope this helps.

Oh and for the record, I get this sometimes.

whenever i have a hypnogogic jerk i always jerk so hard that it wakes me up

I get this a lot too, it's only if I really limit my breathing and try to envelope myself in the darkness i'm seeing.

Usually I get excited or worried and come out of it, other times I need to breath so the sound of a heavy intake stops the feeling.