Why do some people uncontrollably convulse right before they fall asleep?

What is it? You’re lying in bed, just about to drop into blissful oblivion, when suddenly you feel like you’re falling, your leg jolts out to balance you, you jolt up to see what the hell is going on...The phenomenon of jerking yourself awake just as you’re dropping off is commonly known as “sleep jerks” or “hypnic jerks.”

Why does it happen? Scientists are divided on the subject and there are two different hypotheses, but not a lot of concrete research about causes. Some sleep researchers believe that the jerking motion is linked to the physical changes that occur within your body as you fall asleep; your breathing slows down, your temperature drops and your muscle tension changes. It is thought that hypnic jerks may be a byproduct of this muscular transition.

The other hypothesis is that as your body begins to fall into a state of total relaxation there’s a point at which your muscles really let go. At this point your brain can sometimes misinterpret this muscle relaxation as a sign that you’re falling and shoots out a message to jerk your limbs to stay upright—this would also explain why you often feel like you are falling right before you wake up.

Should I worry? This is an entirely normal phenomenon and as long as it only happens once or twice in a night you have nothing to worry about. However, there is a disorder known as “Periodic Limb Movement,” which causes patients to jerk for up to two hours at regular intervals during sleep, leaving the patient exhausted upon awaking but unaware as to why. Obviously if this is happening, it’s probably best to head to the doctor.

Why does asparagus make your pee smell weird?

What is it? Yes, it’s gross but let’s not beat about the bush here—you’ve eaten some asparagus and then about 15 to 30 minutes later you take a pee and you smell the strange stench of rotting egg. You try to convince yourself it’s not you, but there’s no denying it, that smell is coming from your pee.

Why does it happen? Asparagus is filled with sulfurous amino acids that break down during digestion into various compounds. These can give a unique smell to your urine as they are excreted.

“It’s the same sulfur group that makes skunks smell,” explains dietician Samantha Li. “Not a great deal of research has been done into the phenomenon so no one can say exactly why it affects some people more than others.” Indeed, scientists are again divided on the issue: One camp believes that only about half the population has a gene enabling them to break down the sulfurous amino acids in asparagus into their smellier components. Meanwhile, others believe we all digest asparagus in the same way, but only about half of us have a gene that enables us to actually smell the specific compounds formed in the digestion of asparagus.

Should I worry? According to the Dictionary of Medical Syndromes, which includes an entry on the urinary excretion of “odoriferous components of asparagus”: “The syndrome does not have any pathological significance.” In other words, you’re safe, it’s normal—just hold your nose next time.

What are those dust specks you sometimes get in front of your eyes?

What is it? When you are tired or have been looking at a light source for too long, you may notice strange specks floating in front of your eyes that look like a small hair or a spot of dust. These are called “floaters.”

Why does it happen? Floaters are actually tiny clumps of cells inside the vitreous (the clear jelly-like substance that fills the inside of your eye). So while they may look like specks or strands of hair, you are in fact seeing the shadows of floaters cast on the retina (the light sensitive part of your eye). This is why as you move your eye, the floater moves with it—because what you’re seeing is not in front of your eyes but actually within your eyes. The floaters can be a sign of strain on the eye and occur when the vitreous thickens and clumps. It’s also common for pregnant women to experience floaters on a regular basis—in this case, they are seeing little bits of protein that are trapped in the eye.

Should I worry? Most spots and floaters are a harmless annoyance that disappears over time. However, you should see a doctor if the eye floaters are accompanied by flashes of light, peripheral vision loss or migraines, as those could be signs of more serious conditions such as diabetes or retinal hemorrhages.

Why do baked beans make you fart?

What is it? Canned baked beans, soybeans, peas, cabbage and onions can all create the most potent and irrepressible gas.

Why does it happen? Baked beans (and many other similar products) are sweetened with a family of sugars called “oligosaccharides.” In a nutshell, these are big clumsy molecules that are too large to slip into your body through the lining of the small intestine. Normally when your food reaches your small intestine, your intestinal enzymes snap up all the useful molecules, but for some reason these particular sugars are too complex to be broken down and therefore pass through into the large intestine still bearing valuable nutrients. Within the large intestines sit bacteria, which break down any leftovers. When a useful molecule slips into their home, they divide and grow to take advantage of the new food. As they consume the sugars, they let out gas which then accumulates and collects in your intestines. So essentially a bean fart is millions and millions of little bacteria farts combined together.

Should I worry? Yes! No, just kidding. Like all these things, if it’s happening often and is harming your social life, then you should probably visit your doctor. If not, just grin and bear it...or blame it on your dog.

Why do you sometimes shiver shortly after you pee?

What is it? While some of you will have no idea what we’re talking about when we refer to the pee shiver, others will be nodding in an all-too-familiar manner. The pee shiver occurs within the last few seconds of urination; it’s an uncontrollable shake that takes hold of the entire body.

Why does it happen? No one has ever conducted a study on why this phenomenon occurs. However, after chatting to many waterworks experts, the most plausible explanation we discovered was from urologist Dr. Stephen Woo. “Basically, your autonomic nervous system controls your body’s involuntary muscles, like the muscles around your bladder that help you control yourself when you go to the toilet,” he explains. “It also regulates your body’s temperature control, making you shiver to warm up or perspire to cool down. So there is a theory that during urination, the autonomic system can get over-stimulated and in addition to the messages it is sending to your bladder to allow you to urinate, it may also cross-communicate to other areas; hence the shiver. It’s almost like your autonomic system becomes confused and sends mixed messages.” The longer you hold in your pee the more your body can become overstrained and more likely to send these confused messages.

Should I worry? The pee shiver is not normally a problem but when it occurs to a man, it has been known for the shiver to cue a drop in blood pressure, which can cause them to pass out at the urinal. But before you start taking precautionary friends into the toilet with you, this usually only happens to men above the age of 60.

Considering the amount of time we spend in front of a computer screen, it’s no surprise that the internet is now one of the most popular ways to find love. It’s also a lot easier than the real thing—the butterflies in the stomach, working up the courage to approach, dropping the pick up line as casually as possible, dealing with rejection…all this is eliminated in the Cyber Meet Market. You can cruise as long as you want, flirt to your heart’s content, and meeting up face-to-face is only an option, not the rule. According to a 2000 BBC report, in the next 15 years, pick-up lines will disappear as everybody turns to internet dating. But with the ease that online dating affords comes a whole new set of challenges, including fierce competition and abundance of supply. How can you stand out from the crowd? We asked the experts.

Follow the Four P*s

There are plenty of dating sites, not to mention “networking” ones (MySpace, Hi5, etc.), where you can get connected with hundreds of online daters. So how can you reel in Mr. or Ms. Right? Marketing! With the right strategies, we all stand a good chance of finding our match. “The Four P’s” is a common business model used to market just about everything, so why not yourself?

Placement is how you show off just what a kind, witty and generally magnificent creature you are. More importantly, you need to promote the fact that you are single and available. According to GMM Grammy promoter Ratthakarn Noiprasit, who has mapped out the marketing plans for artists like Sleepless Society, Calorie Blah Blah, Endorphine and Bird Thongchai, it’s essential to be out there and network as much as possible. “When we begin representing new artists, it’s crucial to find out their unique selling point, determine who is the target audience and promote accordingly. And the internet has been really useful in promoting artists,” says Ratthakarn. “It helps the artists to reach millions of fans around the globe and allows these fans to chat directly with their favorite singers. Most people nowadays may not have time to watch TV or listen to the radio, but everyone is online.”

Toby Jones, founder of dating site wheresmydate.com, is of the same opinion. “You’ve got to remember that people are now regularly living on the internet—working, booking holidays, shopping, and even consulting doctors—so it’s no surprise that this trend extends to finding a partner. If you’re serious about promoting yourself on the love market, the internet is one of the easiest and quickest ways to start meeting people.”

Ready to harness the power of the internet to find love online? The key to maximizing your chances of chatting up the right people is to circulate your personal ad as much as possible. There’s no rule stating that you have to be loyal to only one service, so it’s advisable to register with more than one site. “You have to get your name out there and give yourself maximum exposure,” says Ratthakarn. “The more people get to know you, the higher your odds of success.” Myspace, Multiply, Asiandate—find the sites that meet your needs and preferences and post your profile on as many as you wish.

2. Promotion

Once you’ve got a solid online presence, it’s all about building up the right hype. Everyone is dating online, so you’ve got to stand out with your profile. Choose carefully what details you reveal and make sure your personal statement and homepage express what you’re looking for. “I don’t like to hand out advice about this, as what is attractive to me is going to be different for someone else,” says Jones. “However, I will say that humor always works well and I prefer reading about what someone is genuinely like, rather than stupid time-wasting one-liners like, ‘I like going out.’ Try and be yourself but work out what kind of person you want to attract,” he adds. “Tailor your statement to them. There’s no point in trying to write a generic profile to attract a million people because it just won’t say anything about who you really are.”

3. Pricing

How much are you really worth? Of course you’re hot, funny, and smart, but compared to others, the first step to hook up might be to get off your pedestal and set your expectations a tad lower.

A popular psychological theory called the matching hypothesis shows that we are more likely to form a long-term relationship with someone of equal attractiveness. So when it comes to assessing your value and the type of person you want to have a relationship with, you must be realistic. Unless you are logging onto rent-a-bride.com, don’t have a long list of date criteria that must be filled—you’ll never find the perfect person who can tick all the boxes on your ten-page list of requirements and you just might put yourself off-limits to people you never thought you could get along with so well.

Don’t go for the first warm body that e-mails you either. It’s still important to remain picky, not undervalue yourself, and steer clear of damaged goods unworthy of yourself and of your hopes.

Pranom Thavaravej, international director of personal development institute John Robert Powers, points out that, at the end of the day, everyone can increase their “price.” Attractiveness, says Pranom, is a combination of various elements, from style to speech. But the most important is personality. “While chic outfits and pleasant tone are important, the most powerful weapon to impress people is a positive attitude,” says Pranom. “You can improve your style or lose weight but if you don’t respect and cherish yourself, who will?”

4. Product

If the online romance goes well, it’s time to meet up in person. To make a good first impression, it’s all about highlighting the good while downplaying the bad. The style, color and shape of your clothes speak volumes about who you are, so it’s vital to work out what you want your outfit to say about you. To be in trend, and at the same time still be yourself, lifestyle/fashion consultant of Gaysorn, Noppanuch Thongphakdi, recommends to make classic items (i.e. black dress, white shirt) your wardrobe staples. Then feel free to pair them up and play them off with bolder trends. “Getting dressed is supposed to be fun and creative. We shouldn’t have to limit ourselves with certain types of skirts or trousers just because we feel insecure about our body. Messing with your hair or dress all the time is a major turn-off. You should be confident and comfortable in your body; that makes you attractive.”

Noppanuch*s Tips for Styles That Flatter Your Figure

Hourglass: Think Nigella Lawson and Jennifer Lopez. No matter how much their weight fluctuates, they always have those tiny, curvy waists. Wearing something that clinches at the waist will make an hourglass-shaped gal look ultra-feminine and sexy. Keep an eye out for tulip skirts and platform shoes that help elongate legs and create a leaner silhouette.

Bottom heavy: A tunic paired with skinny jeans couldn’t be more unforgiving to your generous bottom. Show off your leaner upper body by wearing a scoop neck, sleeveless t-shirt. A low-slung belt and A-line skirt can do wonders to your hips as well.

Top heavy: Show off your skinny legs and slim hips by wearing a short dress. Wearing a loose top, maybe a size or two bigger will give the illusion that you are so thin, you’re practically drowning in them. Balance the look with shorts and ballet flats or even a mini-skirt, but only if you are under 25.

Skinny girl: Wear a potato sack with ballet flats and you can still manage to look divine. If you have few curves, avoid boxy shorts or fitted jackets. Opt for graceful, flowing styles instead.

Whether you are single, recently divorced and on the rebound, tired of cheesy one-liners at the pub or afraid of a face-to-face rejection, the internet dating scene is an inviting alternative. According to the latest government census, Bangkok now has 200,000 more men than women. Maybe this imbalance is why it’s so hard to run into your compatible mate in the offline world. However, there is a vast potential of e-daters that are just a click away. Next time you find yourself sobbing into your vodka while gently swaying about on an empty dance floor, think about signing up on a few dating sites. Romeo, or Juliet, could be just waiting for you to log on.

How to create the most inviting networking profile according to Toby Jones of wheresmydate.com.

1. Include a photo—a really good one. In a recent focus group, only 10 percent of people said they would respond to postings without a photo. But don’t use a photo from your high school yearbook (well, unless you still are in high school). Recent pics that represent what you really look like will avoid disappointments and dates disappearing mid-meal.

2. Don’t include a photo of your genitals, your cat, or your mom.

3. Do have a good opening line, especially a funny one. Everyone loves a good sense of humor. If you don’t have one, get your funny friend who always gets all the chicks to write it for you.

4. Don’t list what you don’t like in a potential date—no one likes a whiner.

5. Don’t say you are looking to get married—you’ll scare everyone off.

6. Do write something other than, “Want to know more? IM me.” It doesn’t make you look mysterious, just lazy. There are thousands of profiles out there. No one will IM you.

7. Don’t bring your baggage along and start moaning about how your ex-boyfriend dumped you for your sister—this isn’t Oprah; no one cares.

8. Do be honest—it’s only fair and people are less likely to date and run.