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

Source: [Medical Xpress - latest medical and health news stories](https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-11-jolting-poorer-higher-anxiety-survey.html) · 2026-11-11 · Medicine
Page: https://themorning.science/story/jolting-awake-often-associated-with-poorer-sleep-and-higher-anxiety-survey-finds-dd31bd4c374b0d60
Kind: research · Impact: low

## In brief

- A new study published in PLOS Mental Health links frequent 'sleep starts' (jolting awake while falling asleep, also called hypnic jerks) with poorer sleep quality.
- The same study reports greater insomnia severity and higher anxiety among people who experience these startles than among those who do not.

## Why it matters

The findings associate a common, usually harmless experience with sleep and anxiety problems, which may help clinicians and researchers identify people with poorer sleep. The reported links are correlational and come from a survey.

## Coverage

- [Jolting awake often associated with poorer sleep and higher anxiety, survey finds](https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-11-jolting-poorer-higher-anxiety-survey.html) — Medical Xpress - latest medical and health news stories, 2026-11-11

Tags: sleep, anxiety, insomnia, hypnic jerks, mental health

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Brief generated by AI (claude-haiku-5-5) from the reporting listed under Coverage. Headlines belong to their publishers. The Morning Science – https://themorning.science