Hypnagogic Hallucinations
Hi, ive probably had sleep problems most of my life. This year started to experience heavy Hypnagogic hallucinations. Ive been through two sleep studies, the first maybe 10 years ago, the most recent 4 or 5 years. They found nothing remarkable.
Im just a bit confused of these symptoms. I have some of the narcolepsy symptoms but not sure if its something to worry about. Im not falling asleep while doing activities or anything.
Thoughts would be appreciated.
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Hi, My dad has this issue too. I'm glad to find this site & someone else that describes it just as he does. It really concerns him at times, and he's wondered for years what it is about, so I will be letting him know I found this site and share this with him. (he's 80 and doesn't go online) Has there been anything that helps with getting this to happen less frequently? Thanks for reading 🙂
When you say "... imagine the distance and content between ...", are you saying we should try to estimate the distance in inches and/or feet, and imagine the skin, bones, vessels, etc.? I've tried the method where you're supposed to move from one area of your body to the next and imagine it relaxing. Somehow, this just makes me more tense.
I've experienced Hypnogogic Hallucinations, for about 30 years. My mother had it too. I found a simple solution. I wear a sleep mask. This has been 100% affective for me. I had gone through sleep studies, been put on medication, did sleep meditation, etc, nothing worked, except for something covering my eyes, as I fell asleep. My hallucinations are extremely vivid. My first hallucination was of a racoon walking into my room, we made eye contact and it ran under my bed. I would see things like shotguns in my face; a faceless man leaping on my bed, with a butcher knife; spiders... One time, I saw a small UFO hovering at my ceiling. I climbed on my bed, jumped up to swat it, I hit the ceiling, sprained my wrist and almost fell off the bed. The funniest one was where I hallucinated on an airplane, saw a spider on the armrest of the woman in front of me, and I told her there was a spider on her armrest! I sat back in my seat and the hallucination then faded, but I was too embarrassed to tell her that I was hallucinating and in fact, there was no spider (didn't want to get kicked off the plane, lol).
I have a theory that this happens because my body falls asleep before my mind does. I'm curious too if there is a relationship with IQ.
Welcome @catdv, I love that a simple and very inexpensive remedy like a sleep mask was the solution to your having hypnagogic hallucinations as you fall asleep.
I don't have hallucinations, but I often wake during the night and sometimes I have a hard time falling back to sleep because my mind starts working, solving issues of the day before or thinking about what meetings I might have on my calendar the next day. It's not productive thinking because there's nothing that needs attention from me at 3 am or whatever dark o'clock hour it is. I just need to sleep. I found that putting on a sleep mask helps stop my thoughts too. The room is dark, so it's not light that keeps me up. Somehow the mask's complete darkness and focus on it, calms my mind and I'm able to go back to sleep.
Do you have a particular kind of sleep mask that is best for you? I just got a cheap one from the drug store and sometimes it's not comfortable. What works for you?
Hi Colleen
I like the sleep masks that have indentations for my eyes (so that the mask doesn't actually touch my eye lids). They are made of foam with a soft cover.
Regarding your mind solving issues during the night, I have found a great solution for that: write it down. What ever you're thinking about during the night, if you write it down (I use my phone and put it in my notepad), then your mind will let it go. Also, you were talking about focusing on the mask to calm your mind, that is a good solution too: focusing on something small, like the feel of the mask, or your breath, or thinking of a single word or color.
I hope this helps!
Happy sleeping 🙂
@lisalucier not sure you'll see this since I'm responding to a three year old post, but I've had the same thing happen so many times over the years. I close my eyes just to rest and then disturbing images pop up or I'm heading into a car accident and jump a foot as I slam on the brakes in my recliner. It's like I instantly start dreaming when I close my eyes, but I'm not asleep yet. Unfortunately, the images are never pleasant. I've had so many sleep disorders in my life, sleepwalking as a child, sleep paralysis very occasional for 40 years (terrifying dreams during), sleep apnea, insomnia. It's always worse when overly tired. I hope neither of us have this again.
I have been diagnosed with REM sleep disorder and speak loudly during sleep Have jumped out of bed nurse of someone and hit my head
I take melatonin which has only limited effect
I believe a long period taking Venlafaxine could be responsible for this onset which only started 2years ago during a period of extreme stress
I want to stop Venlafaxine in order to try to control my sleep disorder
I am told I will most likely develop Parkinson’s or Lewy body which worries me greatly
This sounds exactly like me! I've had spiders climbing down from my ceiling, flashing lights, and strange forms covering my bedroom walls. I even had my three-year-old standing on the door frame completely disappear into thin air in front of my eyes. My husband is so used to it; I ask him the strangest questions, under assumptions that he did or did not do something... I've also asked him, "Do you see that?" .. He'll say, "You're sleeping," and immediately I wake up.
I love the idea of a face mask!!!!!
Question.. Did you ever had a sleep study done? If yes, did they ever prescribe meds? Are you sleepy during the day a lot?
Thank you!
Sorry! I see you mentioned you did a sleep study. What type of meds did they give you?
Thanks!