Phrase guide

hypnic jerk

noun · 1 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot

Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.

Sound

Pronunciation

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1

noun

Meaning 1

An involuntary twitch which occurs just as a person is beginning to fall asleep, often causing momentary wakefulness.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: hypnagogic jerk, night start, sleep start, sleep twitch

Antonyms: none provided

History

Etymology

No etymology was provided for this word.

Across languages

Translations

6 source translations are retained for this English entry.

  • Chinese Mandarin: 入睡抽動 /入睡抽动 (rùshuì chōudòng) — involuntary twitch which occurs just as a person is beginning to fall asleep
  • Chinese Mandarin: 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 — involuntary twitch which occurs just as a person is beginning to fall asleep
  • Polish: zryw miokloniczny — involuntary twitch which occurs just as a person is beginning to fall asleep
  • Polish: mioklonia przysenna — involuntary twitch which occurs just as a person is beginning to fall asleep
  • Russian: гипнотический рывок (gipnotičeskij ryvok) — involuntary twitch which occurs just as a person is beginning to fall asleep