Meanings
nounhypnic jerk (plural hypnic jerks)
plural hypnic jerks
- An involuntary twitch which occurs just as a person is beginning to fall asleep, often causing momentary wakefulness.
Synonyms: hypnagogic jerk, night start, sleep start, sleep twitch
Synonyms & antonyms
nounAn involuntary twitch which occurs just as a person is beginning to fall asleep, often causing momentary wakefulness.
Translations
Chinese Mandarin 入睡抽動 /入睡抽动, 臨睡肌躍症 /临睡肌跃症
- 入睡抽動 /入睡抽动 (rùshuì chōudòng)involuntary twitch which occurs just as a person is beginning to fall asleep
- 臨睡肌躍症 /临睡肌跃症 (línshuì jīyuèzhèng)involuntary twitch which occurs just as a person is beginning to fall asleep
Finnish säpsähdys
- säpsähdysinvoluntary twitch which occurs just as a person is beginning to fall asleep
Polish zryw miokloniczny, mioklonia przysenna
- zryw mioklonicznyinvoluntary twitch which occurs just as a person is beginning to fall asleep
- mioklonia przysennainvoluntary twitch which occurs just as a person is beginning to fall asleep
Russian гипнотический рывок
- гипнотический рывок (gipnotičeskij ryvok)involuntary twitch which occurs just as a person is beginning to fall asleep
Cite this entry
APA
hypnic jerk. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 4, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/hypnic%20jerk
MLA
“hypnic jerk.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/hypnic%20jerk. Accessed November 4, 2026.
Chicago
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “hypnic jerk,” accessed November 4, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/hypnic%20jerk.
Source: hypnic jerk on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.