A member asked:

What causes the weird falling sensation i have while sleeping?

A doctor has provided 1 answer
Dr. Gary Richardson answered

Specializes in Sleep Medicine

Vestibular shutdown: Your vestibular system, the motion sensors in the inner ear, continue working during sleep, but their output is selectively blocked. While poorly understood, it's thought that asymmetrical inhibition (left vs right) is what gives the sensation of falling during sleep. This sensation is alarming enough to startle us awake. It is probably why we use the phrase "falling asleep".

Answered 10/7/2015

2.2k views

Thank

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