Do strange images of geometric shapes, people or animals appear out of nowhere as you lie in bed at night? Perhaps you’ve heard voices or noises which can’t possibly be real?
If so, it could be that you’ve experienced what’s known as sleep hallucinations.
Despite leading to the occasional leap out of bed in sheer terror, they are usually harmless. And many people experience them at some point in their lives – including me.
My nocturnal flying geometric manifestations
As a child, multicolored geometric shapes would regularly swoop across my bedroom, just as I was drifting off to sleep. I remember simultaneously marveling at them and wishing them away so I could sleep in peace.
It doesn’t happen so often nowadays, but once in a while, I’m still prone to my mathematical manifestations.
Perhaps I should be grateful for my geeky hallucinations – especially compared to the disturbing experiences some people have.
What are sleep hallucinations?
Sleep hallucinations are imaginary experiences that happen during the transition between being awake and asleep, and can feel confusingly real.
They are also referred to as hypnagogic hallucinations if they occur while you’re falling asleep, or hypnopompic hallucinations if they happen while waking up.
The hallucinations are usually visual, such as seeing shapes or figures in the dark. But they can also involve your other senses.
The hallucinations can be vivid and frightening in some cases. If you see a giant creature in your room or hear a scary voice, it’s understandable that some people will jump out of bed and turn the light on to check what’s going on!
How many people have sleep hallucinations?
A commonly quoted statistic in medical articles comes from research conducted in 1996. The team interviewed 4972 people in the United Kingdom by telephone. They found that 37% had experienced hypnagogic hallucinations. And 12.5% had experienced hypnopompic hallucinations.
In 2000, another team of researchers surveyed 13,057 people and found that 38.7% had experienced hallucinations at some point during the day or night. 24.8% of the sample had experienced hallucinations at sleep onset, and 6.6% upon waking.
A sign of Narcolepsy
For some people, sleep hallucinations can be a sign of narcolepsy. Narcolepsy is a sleep disorder which involves sudden daytime episodes of:
- Unexpectedly falling asleep
- Sleep paralysis
- Hypnagogic hallucinations
If you have these symptoms, it’s important to seek medical advice.
Symptoms
The main symptom is seeing or hearing things while falling asleep or waking up that aren’t real.
Researchers believe that the most common type of hallucination is visual. However, it’s possible to experience hallucinations that correspond to any of your senses:
- Visual – such as geometric patterns, shapes or light flashing. Sometimes complex forms like animals or people.
- Auditory – voices talking, phone or doorbell ringing, music, hissing, humming or whistling.
- Olfactory – pleasant or unpleasant smells.
- Tactile – insects crawling on the skin, rubbing, stroking, tapping or tickling sensations. Perhaps also feeling weightless, distortions in the body, flying.
Not the same as nightmares
Telling the difference between dreaming and hallucinating isn’t always obvious in the moment. But sleep hallucinations are not the same as nightmares.
When you wake up from a nightmare, you’ll know you were asleep (even if it takes a little while to come back to reality).
Sleep hallucinations, however, can feel like they are really happening. You know you’re awake, but you’re not convinced it’s merely your imagination playing tricks on you.
Coexisting with sleep paralysis
Sleep hallucinations sometimes happen during an episode of sleep paralysis.
During sleep paralysis, you might be unable to move your body in bed, which in itself is often frightening.
The hallucinations that accompany it can range from seeing a presence in the room to seeing and feeling a creature sitting on you.
Causes
The International Classification of Sleep Disorders manual suggests two causes related to brain function, though also states that more research is needed:
- An intrusion of dream imagery onto wakefulness.
- A lack of stimulus leading to the visual cortex in the brain creating images.
Health websites, such as healthline.com, suggest that sleep hallucinations can be caused by other conditions, such as:
- Sleep disorders like narcolepsy or sleep paralysis
- A medical condition or medication use
- A mental health disorder, such as schizophrenia
- Substance abuse
Risk factors
According to the American Academy of Sleep Medicine, they are more common in children and young adults. Women might experience them slightly more often than men.
Some factors are thought to increase the likelihood or severity of the hallucinations, including:
- Drug or alcohol use
- Anxiety or stress
- Mood disorders like bipolar disorder or depression
- Insomnia
- Epileptic seizures
Research shows that fragmented sleep is associated with more hallucinations
In 2021, a team of researchers published an interesting study of sleep hallucinations (you can read it in full on nature.com).
Based on an online survey of 10,299 people, they found that poor sleep is associated with the occurrence of hallucinations – a point already confirmed by previous studies.
However, they further showed that fragmented sleep, i.e. regular wakings, is related to hallucinations. And that fragmented sleep is also related to the content, frequency, duration, and associated distress.
Interestingly then, people who had better sleep had less negative and less disruptive hallucinations when they did have them.
So the more you have them, the worse they might be. It seems to me to be a good motivation to tackle any factors you know that make you wake up more often in the night.
Treatment
Do you need to see a doctor?
If you’re experiencing anxiety or losing sleep because of regular sleep hallucinations, it’s a good idea to speak to a doctor or sleep specialist.
They would ask you about your hallucinations and look at your medical history and other factors like medication and lifestyle. They might decide that an overnight sleep study is needed to find out more.
They would also look at the possibility of another condition causing the episodes. And if they find one, give you the appropriate treatment.
Worried about your mental health?
If you suddenly start having hallucinations, it’s understandable that you might question your mental health. This is a point I’ve seen raised in the comments below many times, so you wouldn’t be alone in thinking something was ‘wrong’ with you.
It’s worth noting that if it only ever happens when you’re in bed trying to sleep, there’s a good chance it’s harmless sleep hallucinations. Perhaps it’s a sign you’re under a lot of stress lately, for example, but it might not be an indicator that something is wrong beyond that.
Having said that, if you have hallucinations during the day, or other symptoms that are making you feel anxious or confused about your mental health, then it’s a good idea to talk to your doctor. And if you’re still not convinced the nighttime hallucinations are benign, talk to your doctor to get a professional opinion.
If this line of thinking feels relevant to you, there’s a good article on psychologytoday.com in which a clinical psychologist talks a patient having sleep problems rather than a schizophrenic illness.
What can you do to help reduce them?
Here are some ideas which might help keep the hallucinations at bay:
- Get an adequate amount of sleep every night. Try to stick to a regular sleep schedule and don’t allow yourself to become sleep deprived.
- Avoid recreational drugs.
- Eat a healthy diet and drink plenty of water.
- Try to reduce your stress levels.
- Try using a soft night light in the bedroom. This might help fill the space that your brain uses as a blank canvas.
- If you tend to have auditory hallucinations, listening to music, radio or a podcast in bed might help.
- If you find yourself focusing on visual hallucinations, try to re-focus your mind on something else. Breathing exercises or muscle relaxation can keep your brain occupied.
- If it’s overwhelming, turn on a light and get up for a while, do an activity you find relaxing, and then try to sleep again after 10-15 minutes.
- Several readers have said in the comments below that wearing a sleep mask helps them.
Hypnagogic and hypnopompic hallucinations are a normal part of life for many people. Once you’ve ruled out any serious illness or disorder, you’re left to deal with the experience in two ways.
First, try to adapt your lifestyle to make sure you do everything possible to sleep well. Second, relax and try not to worry about things that go bump in the night.
Your thoughts
Do you ever experience hallucinations when falling asleep or waking up? What form do they take?
Feel free to describe your experience in the comments below and share any ideas you have about dealing with them.
Hi.. Idk why I am commenting on this but for a couple of years ago I used to have this feeling that stuff were crawling on my body and people talking and sometimes I even saw things I still do see things but not as much like idk if it’s a part of this but sometimes I see some numbers/letters in some language or just very weird symbols I have also had this hallucination when I saw this ghost … It helped me with a lot of stuff And one time I really felt like just killing this person in my dream(ish) then the ghost did that then he became insane and destroyed everything in my room and house maybe that’s just cuz my anger problems or something I don’t really know I sometimes still also feel like someone’s watching me (don’t think it’s a part of this but still) and sometimes I see people I had this dream once where I couldn’t move and there was this guy in my room he carried a large axe and chopped me into pretty big pieces I could kinda feel the pain (it didn’t hurt that much but it still hurt) what helped me relax is music any kind really except rock cuz that I kinda hate but everything else is fine
Hi Alex
Thanks for your comment. Well, sometimes it’s good just to express how you feel and what’s happened to you in life, even if you don’t get an immediate response from someone. It’s good to get things out of your mind and into words, onto paper or in the modern world into a digital medium.
When you say you see things, do you mean when you’re in bed or during the day as well? That would make a difference to what it likely to be going on. And in terms of the stuff being destroyed in your bedroom and house, was that in a dream? It would be great if you could clarify your story a little.
Regards
Ethan
when i wake up in the morning it feels like my pillow has changed into a man wearing a white shirt, he tries to choke the life out of me grabbing both of my arms so I can’t move my body but after a very few moment he suddenly disappears. It happens to me so many times in my life and of course i dont believe in any ghosts.
Hi Levi Grey
Thanks for your comment. It sounds like that could indeed be sleep paralysis. If it happens again, try wiggling a finger or toe to break out of it sooner, and try to stay as calm as possible.
Regards
Ethan
Wow! I am so relieved to know I’m not alone with this! I’ve been experiencing these hallucinations for years. It’s always spiders on my walls, ceiling, or dangling right above my face. One time, I saw a scary looking man standing in the corner of my bedroom. I always jump out of bed and flip the light on right away; of course, the hallucinations always go away but at the moment it’s all happening, I don’t know if it’s real or not. I wonder why so many people seem to see spiders? It’s such an awful feeling to be jolted awake in fear like that. My heart is always pounding when it happens to me. I’m thankful I came across this article and read a good bit of the comments. Thanks for easing my mind about this!
Hi Jessica
Thanks for your comment, and I’m very glad to hear you found the article and comments helpful. I don’t know why so many people see spiders – perhaps it’s just a very common thing for the brain to think up in the dark when it’s not sure what might be there. And maybe because they are dark normally, it makes sense to see them in the darkness.
Regards
Ethan
Hi
I have just stumbled across this page–I am very relieved that this is not uncommon. I have hallucinations quite often of spiders launching or dropping towards my face, or crawling on my arm. I have also experienced
(a few times) of not being able to move in my sleep, which stirs me out of deep sleep but am still not able to move for a short time. I was very unnerved the 2nd time it happened and refused to sleep in bed for a good few months – I slept with the dog downstairs and the TV on. Only when we moved house did I start to sleep upstairs again. It happened again a few weeks ago. Not so intense though. I am under some stress and can be sleep deprived and thirsty.
I’m not sure if I have anything but any help stopping what happens would be great because its becoming exhausting. For as long as I can remember from when I was a child nearly every night I act up in some way. Some nights I will scream, talk and have conversations. Other nights I will get up and move around, and other nights I see things.
They are so vivid all the time, spiders, people etc. One of the worst was a few years ago I was in bed and had a feeling of being watched so I looked up from the cover and saw a floating misted figure. It terrified me but I tried blinking to make it go away but it didn’t. Then i got up and waved through it. It was like smoke going through my fingers. It didn’t go away for at least a minute or two.
Is there anyway to stop them, im worried i may do damage someday?
Hi Terri
Thanks for your comment, and it’s understandable that you find it exhausting. Can I ask what you mean by scream, talk and have conversations and move around – are you asleep during this, and someone has told you you do it? Or are you awake and doing these things?
Regards
Ethan
I HAVE RECENTLY AT AGE 74 BEEN DIAGNOSED WITH HYPNOGOGIC SLEEPING DISORDER…………….FOR ALL THESE YEARS I HID THIS. IT HAS HAPPENED ALL MY LIFE. FOR 9MTHS NOW, MY SLEEP HAS BEEN DEPRIVED AND IT HAS CAUSED ME TO NOT BE ABLE TO SLEEP……FINALLY I DID GO TO A SLEEP DISORDER CLINIC AND WAS AT EASE FOR THE FIRST TIME IN MY LIFE. NOW THE DR. IS GOING TO TRY DIFFERENT APPROACHES. I AM SO RELIEVED AND NOT AFRAID ACTUALLY TO TELL HER ABOUT THE PARALiLIZATION, THE HORROR OF VILE BEINGS TALKING TO ME AND FEELING THEIR PRESENCE. I THOUGHT I WAS CRAZY, TRULY MENTALLY ILL TO HAVE THESE THINGS HAPPEN.WHY DID I WAIT SO LONG? I THINK THE ERA OF TIME I WAS BORN IN, WOULD HAVE MADE MY PARENTS THINK I WAS CRAZY..MY CHILDREN HAVE THE SAME THING ALSO.
Hi there
Thanks for your comment. I’m glad you’ve found some help through the sleep clinic. Hopefully they’ll be able to sort out your sleep problems and get you back to sleeping peacefully. I’m sure you’re in good hands.
Regards
Ethan
I was happy to read this article and many of the comments. I have been hallucinating spiders and people in my sleep for the past couple of years now, with increasing frequency. Often it’s a giant spider hanging above my head, which causes me to get up and turn on a light to look for it. It drives my husband crazy, but otherwise doesn’t cause significant distress.
The other night, though, I was sure that a third person was asleep in our bed. I felt them get into bed and could feel their body next to me. I became suddenly embarrassed, thinking that I was in the wrong bed and crawled over my husband to get up without disturbing the imagined third party. Needless to say, he wasn’t happy about being woken up in the middle of the night with me crawling over him rambling about a stranger in bed.
I’m thirty now and the hallucinations have been going on for about three years. Before that I would sleepwalk a few times a year, but I’ve not done that since college.
I’m so glad that I’m not the only one going through this. I thought I was going mad for sure. I see spiders a lot too. Often dangling from the ceiling right above my face. I’ve also seen tiny pierrot clowns crawling over my boyfriend in the middle of the night or walking across the bed covers. On one occasion I woke my boyfriend up when I reached out to grab a tiny clown sitting on him. When he asked me what I was doing, I just explained it to him as if it was a normal occurrence. lol “oh I thought I saw a clown and wanted to get him off you.”
Last night I began to experience tactile and auditory hallucinations too. Feelings of having my face and neck tickled and stroked and then of my whole upper body being pressed. I seem to be handling the visual and tactile stuff but when I hear a booming loud man’s voice speaking gibberish it scares the crap out of me.
I’ve suffered with sleep hallucinations since I was small. When I was younger I would sleep walk most nights too. I do still sleep walk sometimes but it’s much rarer now. I have over the years acted out scenarios when I’m sleep walking such as opening a window wilst dreaming the house was on fire to escape ( luckily the fresh air woke me ) and getting into the shower as I was dreaming I was late for work.
I’m now almost 40 and have sleep hallucinations happen regular at least once a week and at the moment it’s every night as I’m falling to sleep. it’s always spiders too. I see them hanging in front of my face, crawling over my bed and sometimes flying around above me. I normally always have sleep paralysis along side the hallucinations too. It can be very scary at times as I tend to throw my bedding off the bed when I have the episodes and jump up out of bed because it seems so real. even though I know they’re not really there I still end up searching for the said spiders afterwards.
This article is very interesting and it’s good to know I’m not the only one who suffers with this.
ME TOO……………..HORRIFIC AND VILE ISN’T IT?
This is rather fascinating. I’m a 26 year old male and during the last couple of years or so I’ve had between 5 and 10 experiences where I’ve seen things that weren’t there.
The first incident happened during a time when I was feeling ill due to a cold or flu. I had laid down in bed and had fallen asleep for barely a few minutes when I suddenly opened my eyes and saw a huge translucent spider descending from the ceiling right over my face. I immediately sat up and still saw it hanging there, so I got up, turned on my light and began looking for it. Part of the way through looking I started to realize that what I saw couldn’t have been there because the spider was semi-transparent, so I reluctantly went back to bed.
Since that time I’ve had a few more spider related hallucinations, and each incident is mostly the same. I’ll go to bed, fall asleep for what seems like a minute or two, then open my eyes to find a huge spider hovering right in front of my face. Although, they haven’t appeared semi-transparent anymore – they always appear to be pitch-black now. Plus, they’re not always spiders – sometimes I see them as strange flying insects, or some huge insect with spider-like qualities. Each time I see these things I freak out, throw my pillow at it, get out of bed, turn my light on, then slowly come to the realization while I’m looking for the insect that nothing was ever there.
One time however I saw a man kneeling beside me. I panicked and started screaming, then he kinda vanished while my eyes were still open.
The last time this happened was just last night, hence why I read this article. The scary thing is that it didn’t happen just once, but rather THREE times while attempting to fall asleep! Each time I saw a black spider hovering in front of my face, and each time I was thrown into a panic trying to find where the spider went after I hit it with my pillow. I attribute last night’s hallucinations to sleep deprivation though – I hadn’t slept for over 24 hours prior to that.
Hi James
Thanks for your comment. Some illnesses, and definitely sleep deprivation, can cause hallucinations – as you’ve already worked out yourself. I’m not sure why you always see spider shapes, but perhaps if it continues to bother you, you could try sleeping with a dim night-light on and see if that helps at all.
Regards
Ethan
I get the complex visual coloured 3D geometric hallucinations when I fall off to sleep. Maybe even 4D? I’ve always believed that this is the language that my brain stores information in, the coding system. I love them; I’m so relaxed and so close to sleep when they come. I can’t control them, they just drift, and if I tried to pin them down, I’d lose them. Thanks for the article; good to know that someone else experiences them.
Hi! I’ve been struggling with this nightmare from my childhood.During my childhood, thrice in a month I had nightmares like someone lifting my bed to high above and dropping it. It gave me lots of fear so i used to wake up with a loud scream. Now I’m 20, now a days i got nightmares with different pattern like human voices, loud scream. During my nightmare I realize its just a nightmare I tell myself its a nightmare it’ll go off but only up to some extent I can hold, I woke up with a scream. It became a part of my sleep but during these days I got nightmares continuously thrice at a time. I got nightmare and I woke up with a scream then I sleep I got nightmare again and I woke up with a scream and again a nightmare. Till last month it was twice at a time but now it became thrice.
Thank you for writing this article about EHS. I’ve been suffering with it along with sleep paralysis and hypnagogic hallucinations for over 20 plus years. When it first happened I thought I was having a seizure of some sort. I never had one before so I didn’t know. It was a very loud buzzing noise, it started low but grew louder and louder. As it buzzed in my head I became very dizzy and could not move. After it stopped I remember sleeping like one would after a seizure. I was tested for seizures by putting the electrodes on my head and flashing lights. Seizures were ruled out. As they became more frequent I could tell it was going to happen the buzzing, the dizziness and feeling paralyzed. I’d try so hard to move my arm or try to speak. There’d be sounds of someone breaking into our home and I’d be trying so hard to shout out my husbands name but couldn’t get my mouth to move. I felt awake the whole time but unable to do anything. I could see the burglar in my bedroom!! Again I would try shouting and this time I could hear myself call out my husband’s name and feel my lips moving. It took every ounce of energy I had to do that. Only to realize later it was all in my head. Then like a switch I’d come out of it. I would then roll over and wake up my husband and ask him didn’t you hear me calling you?!?! Was there someone in the house?! He knows then that I had an episode and let’s me know I’m safe and the house is secure.
There are times when I hear the buzzing in my head starting and I can shake them out for a bit. But eventually they get me.
Does anyone feel like while they are under the spell of the hallucinations that your lifting your arm or arms in the air? Or have any sensation of controlling your body? I’m sorry so many go thru this. I’m so glad I found this page and know I’m not alone.
Marie
Hi Ethan,
Wasn’t sure if you got to see my comment being that it was the last one on the page. One time I watched a ghost who wore English clothing including the tall hat and mustache. Not sure if that’s what Englishmen wore back in the day but anyhow he would float by me as I was laying paralyzed in bed and float into our master bathroom.
He’d come back out float past me to where I couldn’t see and he’d come out floating having more ghosts with him taking them into our bathroom. Someone maybe the Englishmen told in my head he was using it for a portal. Next thing I knew I was laying in bed able to move. I shook my husband and asked if he saw the Englishman? He of course didn’t. I made him get up and go into the bathroom and tell me if anything was out of place. He said everything was fine and it was one of my episodes. When I have scary ones it’s nice to have him beside me once I’m out of the confused state holding on to and reassuring me all is well.
Hi Marie
Thanks for your comment. I did see your comment. I don’t always have time to reply to all the comments though unfortunately, especially since most of them tend to be quite long! From what you describe in this experience with the gentleman and being paralyzed, it seems like you might have had sleep paralysis.
Regards
Ethan
I started having these when I was a teenager (now 27). One time in college I hallucinated that a space ship had landed at my sorority house and was sucking the oxygen out of the building. Being the good friend that I am, I tried to get my roommates to evacuate, lol. I came-to when we were all in the hallway – they thought I was crazy.
Nowadays it comes on during times of stress within the first few hours of sleep. I will hallucinate that something menacing is crawling around or sawing through the ceiling, walls or floors. At least once a month my husband will wake up to see me army-crawling on the floor screaming for him to ‘watch out’. I am now better at recognizing what is happening and can snap out of it faster. My husband is slightly afraid I will stab him in his sleep, which is crazy, as I view myself as the bedroom vigilante protecting us from these intruders.
However, it does worry me a bit since there is a history of psychotic disorders in my family. I would talk to a psychiatrist, but I would prefer to avoid medication if possible.
Hi Lindsay
Thanks for your comment and for sharing your story. It sounds like you do experience these hallucinations to an extremely vivid extent. If you’re concerned about what’s happening to you, then you could try talking to your doctor first rather than going to see a psychiatrist. And even if you do, unless you’re considered a danger to yourself or others, they might recommend medication, but that doesn’t necessarily mean you’re obliged to take it. Of course, medical care varies from country to country and I don’t know where you’re based. But I think in the modern age, most western countries have the attitude of working with people to find the best solution for them rather than simply prescribing meds. At least that’s the hope!
Regards
Ethan
I see all kinds of things floating toward me. I usually reach out to touch them. The images are not scary just interesting. Every now and then I do see spiders in the ceiling but not often. The visions usually start with a fog then float toward me. This happens when I cut the lights off. Last night it was flowers on the ceiling and webs floating toward me. Sometime when I’m awake I see little white dots falling like rain. Glad to know it’s an actual thing I thought I was nuts.
This didn’t start happening for me until my 30s. Hallucinations have become more frequent when waking up over the last couple of months and it always involves spiders of some kind.
The first time it was the silhouette of several huge, black tarantulas against the curtain (certainly not what you’d get in the UK). The last couple of times it’s been much smaller, thin, white spiders running up the wall, across the bed side table etc. Most recently I’ve been out of bed, wide awake and on my feet, following them only for them to fade and disappear.
This morning I snapped out of a non-spider related dream quickly and immediately in my line of sight there was a giant house spider crawling up the wall next to me. At this point I became completely aware I was hallucinating (out of bed, standing up). This lasted for a good ten seconds before it vanished. It crawled into a solid shelf before fading while made me realise it wasn’t really there at all. After the initial shock I find it surreal and fascinating.
I’m arachnophobic and haven’t been sleeping well over the last two months due to stress and a couple of personal issues so I can only put it down to this (currently taking propranolol on and off for anxiety and to help control heart rate). Typical sleeping time at the moment falls between 1.30am and 6.30am when normally I’d get by on eight hours.
I could have written this, it’s so similar to my experience. What’s the deal with the spiders! Maybe the spectral spiders feed on our stress…
Hi there. Just wanted to say thankyou to Ethan and the creators of this site- it has provided me with some very reassuring information and Ethan’s responses to people’s problems and concerns are very well considered caring and sensible. I experience sleep paralysis and hypnagogic hallucinations fairly frequently at the moment- they are always fairly different- most of the time they are scary or terrifying, sometimes just peculiar and once it was just very funny (but still peculiar). I always presumed these happened when I’ve been tired, stressed, too busy and more recently when I’ve taken drugs and done too much partying. So it’s reassuring to hear that’s the cause of then rather than something more sinister! I think I just need to be better behaved to stop having these! I have found that when these happen it’s really helpful for me to get up out of bed and walk about a bit and then I sleep with a light on- as this helps me to come back to reality again. I also look at them as a thing that just happens and try not to get too anxious- although this has taken me a while- when it first happened I thought id had a stroke and when I finally managed to move again I went to sleep in bed with my mum like a little kid! Anyway- thankyou for this site and information- really helpful and interesting and most reassuring to feel like I’m not totally mad (although I think I am a little bit mad in a nice way ;) )
Hi Alice
Thank you for your comment and your very kind words about the site. It’s always great to hear that readers find it useful and provides some reassurance.
I think we’re all a little (or a lot) different in our own way. That’s what makes us individuals and special. In my opinion, there’s no such thing as ‘normal’. Just billions of people who are one side or other of an imaginary ‘normal’ line, and our sense of what ‘normal’ should be is based on that imaginary line created by all our idiosyncrasies. But I very much doubt any one person actually lies exactly on that center line. And if they did, they would probably be so unusually ‘normal’ that that in itself would be a bit mad!
Regards
Ethan
Exactly the same thing happens to me. Its usually when im hungover or sleep deprived. Its awful because it is very hard to sleep well after that
Hi I’m a 16 year old female. I often have these hypnagogic hallucinations. For example, last night I had one that all these really big spiders were on my bed so I flung my covers off and ran to my light to turn it on but there was nothing there. Then Its hard for me to fall back asleep. Another time I had one where a shadowy figure of a man who I had never seen before was standing in my doorway. I tried to scream but I couldn’t and I couldn’t move or get up. I hate having these. It’s very scary and it sometimes gets to the point where I don’t want to sleep so I try to stay up as long as I can but I eventually fall asleep anyways. What should I do? Sleep is supposed to be refreshing and relaxing but it’s not for me it’s scary and I always wonder if I’m going to have a hallucination tonight. Please help. Thank you
Hi Alanna
Thanks for your comment, and I’m sorry to hear your sleep has become such a battle. You’re totally right in that it’s supposed to be a positive and relaxing thing, but it’s hard to feel that way about it when you don’t know when the next weird thing is going to come along and scare you.
I think in your comment you describe two different sleep disturbances. The spiders sounds very much like hpnagogic hallucinations. Have you tried sleeping with a night-light on? Or some music maybe also to help you relax and keep your mind occupied?
The second, with the shadowy man and the not being able to move sounds like sleep paralysis. If you haven’t already seen it, have a look at my extensive article about sleep paralysis. There are many practical tips you can use for dealing with it which were submitted by the hundreds of readers who have also been through it and shared their techniques for coping with it.
I also recommend talking to someone about it. Have you spoken to your family about it? Or a close friend? I know it can be worrying, wondering if they’ll think you’re crazy. But these things are so common, you might find they’ll also have been through it at some point in their lives. And if they do call you crazy, you can show them this article:-)
And perhaps most importantly, it’s a good idea to try and find a way to not allow yourself to worry about going to sleep. I know that’s easier said than done, but maybe try and do some nice relaxing things before going to bed, or some relaxation techniques in bed. This might help distract you and keep you calm.
Regards
Ethan
I am a 40 year old female and I have trouble sleeping…period. I have never been through a sleep study but I am guessing I probably should. When I do fall asleep, I must not sleep well because I am tired all day, everyday.
I have sleep paralysis and it always feels like my chest is even paralyzed. I feel like I’m suffocating. I have had this sensation often and have ever since I can remember. Vestibular senses have always occurred such as a “bobbing” up and down and the feeling that I’m flying. Recently, I have been experiencing a vibrating sensation. It feels like my whole bed is vibrating and I hear sounds like things are falling over, near me. Is it normal to begin to feel different sensory things? They occur with nightmares and have gotten very scary. When I finally can move, I have to get up and check my house thinking what I just experienced was real.
Hi Brooke
Thank you for your comment, and sorry to hear you’ve been having difficulty with this. Have you looked at the article here about sleep paralysis and also the one about nightmares? There are lots of really helpful suggestions from myself and readers about dealing with it. You might find something useful there. I think that many people do experience different sensory hallucinations – you’re not alone with that experience.
If your sleep problems are interfering with your daily life, then it might be helpful to speak to a sleep specialist. Whether they recommend a sleep study or not, they still might be able to help you.
Regards
Ethan
Ascension.. These are all symptoms they say…I have also been told after researching, they could be signs of possession. I found these posts to be fascinating in the area that most of these posts I read started approx 2-4 yrs ago. This all started for me 2014. Almost 2 yrs ago. I am still researching this as I feel there is something more to this that so many are reporting this since 2012. I do know by saying Jesus Christ’s name that they do leave. Spiders,beings, energy swirling around.I will let you all know what I find
I have had hallucinations, in the beginning throws of sleep, since I was a teenager. I’m 40 now. I find that they occur when I’m sleeping alone and on my back. I wake up to see objects floating in the air: ribbons, vacuum, unrecognizable and harmless faces, objects. Everytime it happens I think “This times these are real.”. That’s how vivid they are. Occasionally I have sat up and tried to grab them. I watch them float and then they disappear. I’m not sure why they happen when I’m alone. Maybe because I’m more likely to sleep on my back when alone. They always happen when I’m on my back which leads me to think that this position puts my brain in a lighter sleep. Not sure. It’s also interesting that I will wake up, eyes wide open, to these images. Rather than waking up groggy and eyes half shut when a real disturbance occurs.
I use to sleep walk as a child. Mostly when I needed to go to the bathroom in the middle of the night. I dont sleep walk as an adult.
I also find myself shouting out my dreams, although slurred speech when I’m having a nightmare. Again this happens when im on my back. And it generally happens when I’m under stress.
Interesting. No?
Hi Blossom
Thanks for your comment. It is interesting indeed, especially as many people who suffer hallucinations with sleep paralysis say that they see things more when they sleep on their back. I’m not entirely sure why this is – just a guess might be that perhaps the brain sense the wide open space between your eyes and the ceiling and fills that void with images. Whereas if you sleep on your side or your front, perhaps the brain recognizes the pillow or bedding or bedside table nearby and doesn’t feel the need to fill the space.
It’s just a thought!
Regards
Ethan
I’ve been afraid of the dark since I was a little kid. I remember that I often woke up in the middle of the night and crying. When I was 11, 12 years old, I started to feel like something is crawling on my skin. Now I’m 21 and I found a name for this kind of hallucination only about 4 years ago. I felt somehow relieved, because I thought that I’m alone with it. About 3 months ago I have weird experience, I woke up in the middle of the night, and I clearly saw a crow in my room and it started angrily flying towards me and in the same moment I ran out of my room very scared. And I came back checking if it’s still there. Last night I experienced this again, I woke up, because I felt that something is crawling on my skin, and I saw one big spider in my bed. Then again it was in my pillow, and I throw it on the floor and fall back asleep, but I woke up again and there were 2 spiders next to my head. I was terrified, my heart was pounding so fast, I couldn’t move, I was staring at one spider and in the next second it disappeared, so that was when I realized that this maybe isn’t real and I fall back asleep.
Anyway, I’m glad I find this site and this article!
Hi there
Thanks for your comment. I can appreciate why that must have been scary – I think anyone waking up to see a crow flying at them, or spiders on their pillow would be freaked out! I know I would be…
I’m glad you found the article helpful, and you’re definitely not alone as you’ll have seen from the number of comments people have left describing the things they hallucinate.
Regards
Ethan
I am awakened by a voice either calling my name, saying ‘mom’ in an urgent tone (as my child does), saying ‘let’s go’, or speaking to me- most recently telling me to call it ‘Angel’. It always sounds like a voice whispering directly into my ear & I have the tactile sensation of it as well as the audible. Sometimes it’s a visual thing, like actually awakening, opening my eyes & seeing not my bedroom, but another’s- most recently a room with lovely wallpaper, concrete floors, & a chest of drawers- turning my head in bed to look out the adjacent paned window to a scene that made me think of Venice. I’m always aware of the discrepancy in what I’m seeing vs reality. As I ponder this dilemma, the scenes quickly fade away to be replaced by my own bedroom. Sometimes it’s just indiscernible conversations I hear or music. These events occur in that quasi-sleep period before & after true sleep. I attribute it all to sleep apnea & notice improvement (no hallucinations) when wearing a c-pap (I purchased/use myself without being seen/diagnosed). As an aside, I have very vivid dreams, speak & move my arms in my sleep (disturbing DH) such that it’s becoming bothersome to differentiate memories. Meaning I think I’ve become confused about what is real vs things dreamed. Therefore, I’m going to see a neurologist & have a sleep study with the aim of finding a way for all this to go away.
Hi Jamie
Thanks for your comment. It sounds like you really have a lot going on at night there. I think going to see a sleep specialist is definitely a good idea, especially if you think you may have apnea as that’s a potentially serious sleep disorder, and it’s good to get professional help for that. Hopefully they will be able to determine what’s going on with your dreams/waking moments and help you to sleep better without so many disturbances and confusion.
All the best
Ethan
How strange. I actually sometimes hear MY mother saying MY name urgently.
I’m relieved to see I’m not alone! Ever since I was about 14 I would wake up screaming most nights from seeing things like spiders hanging down from the ceiling or people standing in my room when they weren’t actually there. My family kept saying I was just imagining things but it’s different when you could’ve sworn you saw it with your own eyes, at the time I thought it had something to do with the fact I was so (and still am) scared of the dark. It does interrupt my sleep and I find it very difficult to get back to sleep with my heart pounding knowing that I’ve seen something in my room that isn’t actually there, but I’ve recently found it seems to happen a lot less when someone else sleeps in the same room as me, I’m not sure if it’s worse when I’m alone because I’m afraid of the dark but when I do hallucinate these things, it is honestly terrifying
Hi E,
Thanks for your comment. I’m glad that you’ve found some comfort in knowing that you’re not alone. And you definitely aren’t – many people experience these hallucinations at night.
Regards
Ethan
Hi I’m 29 and a female well I’ve been seeing spiders on walls since I was about 8/9yrs old at night only in the corners. When I do go to sleep I have nightmares almost every night since I was about 11/12. They have been more violent as an adult just more painful and worse in general. Yes my childhood was not the greatest with an alcoholic mother and no father. I was a very to myself person also with my feelings who took on adult responsibilities as a child and who endured a lot… With that being said should I see someone??
Hi CB
Thank you for your comment. To answer your question, if you have nightmares almost every night, and with the understandably difficult history you describe, then perhaps you might benefit from speaking to a counselor. My personal opinion is that everyone would benefit from speaking to a therapist at some point in their lives, and there’s nothing to be embarrassed about in doing so.
You can also have a look at my article about dealing with nightmares, where you might find some useful advice. The spiders does sound like it could be hypnagogic hallucinations, especially if it only happens at night. Are they very clearly spiders, or is just a feeling you get from small movements in the corner of your eye?
Regards
Ethan
If you can help me, that would be great.
I have had sleep hallucinations off and on for years. I wake up and see a huge spider crawling in the bed or on the ceiling. I have seen figures in the dark and things moving. I have become so accustomed to it that I can know it isn’t real and stare and watch it go back to normal, but sometimes I am alarmed to still see the hallucinatiom when I know I am fully awake. This only happens when I have slept very little.
My boyfriend and I are separated at the moment and it is causing me great anxiety. I experience this hallucinating now several times a night. Along with it is this fear that I am going to die somehow. For at least a few minutes, I am incapable of understanding this fear is part of the hallucination.
I have found sleeping with an eye mask on helps somewhat, but at this point it is ruining my quality of life. If I sought professional help, are there medications that can stop it?
Hi K
Thank you for your comment, and I’m sorry to hear you’ve been having such a difficult time. I can understand why the separation much be causing you a lot of stress, and in turn making the sleep problems and hallucinations worse.
If you spoke to your doctor, they might prescribe you something to deal with it, yes. But I would also recommend trying to find way to cope without medication.
For example, on a practical level have you tried sleeping with a soft night light on? Or maybe some soft music or radio for example? Not everyone can sleep like that, but if you can it might help to make your bedroom seem familiar when you wake up.
I also think that it’s important to work on the anxiety and stress as much as possible. Something I’ve personally found helpful, and particularly during a break-up of my own, is mindfulness.
And if sleep deprivation is contributing to the hallucinations, which it certainly can, then I think it’s important to try and get that back on track. One of the best ways is through having a stable sleep schedule.
Of course, it’s a personal choice to speak to your doctor, and that’s what they are there for. But if you can tackle the problem yourself, it’s a positive thing to do.
Take care
Ethan
I was pleased to find this article as my mum was quite concerned when I told her what was happening. 1st time I saw and heard a moth fly and hit the pillow next to me and I jumped up, nothing was there no trace of it moments later I kept seeing it flying towards me. 2 Days later I started to close my eyes and saw a large spider in front of me start coming towards me fast. I tried to smash it with my fist, it was gone. I noticed if I squinted I could again see it and it would run at me. I would go on to have a rather awful vivid dream where my mother was killed. Never happened to me before.
Hi Luke
Thanks for your comment, and I’m glad the article was helpful. It sounds like it could well be hypnagogic hallucinations from what you describe. Hopefully you’ll find it less stressful now you have an idea of what might be causing it. You might also find it helpful to do some simple relaxation exercises to distract your mind from focusing on this stuff at night.
Regards
Ethan
I’ve had these hallucinations falling asleep since I was a little girl. Once I thought I saw a ghost because I woke up and there was a tall man and a little boy standing at the foot of my bed. I was so scared it was imprinted in my brain for years after. Mostly I see weird shapes, often I see strings or wires hanging from the ceiling. I go through phases where something hanging above my bed falls on me. Sometimes I think I’m in a different room, but I actually see a different room. Lately I’ve had a couple where I thought I could see someone on the other side of the wall looking through a hole. The only ones I kind of like is where Im able to move stuff telekinetically above my bed. It’s so bizarre and frightening, and definitely stress related. I went for years without having them until I got into a bad job situation. Now that I’m moving house and doing a lot of renovations, they’ve come back. It’s nice to see more on the web because I don’t think people take this seriously or realize how scary it can be because you’re awake but dreaming.
Hi Mia
Thanks for your comment. I do think that stress can indeed play a major part in the frequency and level of sleep problems people experience. And moving house and problems at work can both be very stressful.
It’s good that you recognize the fact that you have some stressful things going on – perhaps it’s a good idea then to try to do things which will help counteract that stress.
Regards
Ethan
I’m relieved to have found this article. Last night as I was sitting in bed watching tv, I suddenly thought I heard someone say something, like he or she was calling out but I couldn’t understand what they said. I perked up and tilted my head to see if I could hear anything more and just as I did this I saw a young man standing right inside my bedroom door about 3 feet away from me. I was so startled I yelled “what?” as if to ask him what he wanted and I think before that one syllable was fully said, he simply disappeared. I was so shocked it took me hours to fall asleep. I started researching it and found this article. Although I didn’t feel like I was falling asleep at all when it happened (I remember exactly what I was watching on tv and what was going on in the episode when I first heard the sound or voice)my brain must have still managed to enter this hypnagogic state. I don’t believe in ghosts so if this brain state doesn’t explain my experience then I must truly be losing my mind. I’m going with hypnagogic hallucination for the time being!
Hi Kira
Thanks for your comment, and I can understand why it must have freaked you out a little! I can also understand why you’d want to go with the hypnagogic hallucination explanation. I think sometimes we do experience some very strange things, especially during the period of falling asleep or waking up. This could just be a one-off which you’ll never maybe quite be able to explain.
Hopefully it won’t happen again, but if it does you should monitor yourself for whether it’s happening when you’re fully awake or falling asleep at the time.
Regards
Ethan
I am constantly hearing random people talking inside my head every time i fall asleep. it gets louder and louder every time i’m nearly sleeping, it would shout my name and i would immediately get up and refrain from sleeping which makes me unable to sleep well every night since i got so depressed and i thought i was just going insane or have mental illness or whatever because of it. There are times i would wake up at midnight or around 2am because i’m having those feeling of falling down in my dreams which has caused me to wake up immediately, i sweat like crazy with nervousness and my heart beat was fast. I’m not sure if its associated to hypnagogic hallucination. if it isn’t can you determine what kind of sleeping disorder this is? It would be a great help since its bothering me for years. thanks in advance.
Hi Iya
Thanks for your comment, and I’m sorry to hear that you’ve been bothered by this for so many years. I can understand why that must be distressing.
To be honest, it’s not really my place to give you any diagnosis in these comments, nor am I qualified to do so. All I can do is give my opinion or thoughts.
But really if something like this is interfering with your life and stopping you from living a normal life, then it’s always a good idea to have a chat with your doctor and get their opinion. I know it can be worrying to think that they might tell you things which you interpret as meaning you’re ‘insane’. But the way I see it is that mental illness (which I’m not saying it is!) should be seen the same way as a physical illness. If you’re not well, speak to the doctor, get some help, and hopefully get better.
Anyway, back to your comment. Do you hear voices during the daytime as well? That would be more of an indicator of possible mental illness. If it’s only happening when you go to bed, then it could well be hypnagogic hallucinations. But also, sometimes I think it’s possible to get confused between that and just listening to conversations in your head which we often have with ourselves.
Many people imagine or ‘rehearse’ conversations with people in their heads, and sometimes this can seem particularly loud or realistic. You could try doing some techniques to distract yourself from this. For example, have a look at this article about mindfulness techniques and try one or two of the exercises there when you’re lying in bed. You might find it helps quieten those voices.
And on another note. the feeling of falling down in a dream and then waking up immediately could be hypnic jerks. Have a look at that article too and see if it makes sense to you.
All the best
Ethan
I just had another “experience”. Took a nap this afternoon and as usual, while drifting off, the swooshing in my head began. This always happens before I have my paralysis and very real dreamlike sessions. This time, i was aware of things moving around under piles of clothes. I tried to sit up to see what was under them, but of course i could not move. Fighting out of this one was real hard. Tired of this. Any suggestions?
Hi Slim
Thanks for your comment. It sounds like the main thing you’re struggling there with is the paralysis. Have you looked at the article I wrote about sleep paralysis, in which there are lots of tips from readers for dealing with it which you may find useful.
Regards
Ethan
My son has done something strange 2 times. The first time was last year. And then again last night. He wakes up very early in the morning. And he will say there are these flashing things landing on him. He try’s to catch them. He even gets mad if he thinks they are going to land on me. He said last night that there was a man with a hood on, and he didn’t know where he went. He walked around the kitchen trying to catch them. The first time he did this I took him to the ER. They gave him mess thru IV to put him to sleep. This time I called his dr. She said make him go back to sleep. He has been very stressed out over school. And is fighting me about going. He even has had melt downs at school.
Hi Marie
Thanks for your comment, and I’m sorry to hear your son has been having difficulty sleeping, and at school. It could well be hypnagogic hallucinations causing the things he’s seeing. And stress can definitely be a trigger for sleep problems and an increase in hallucinations. It sounds like trying to find out the source of the stress and anxiety at school and dealing with that would be a good course of action. You can also try and establish a warm and happy bedtime routine which makes him feel secure and safe at night. I don’t know how old he is, but if he is younger, then spending time with him before bed and doing calming things together which he enjoys could help settle his mind before bed.
Regards
Ethan
Never mind, I just found it in the Encyclopedia of Psychology and Law. It’s (reportedly) one-third of adults, however, since that’s all they studied in that trial, and there’s no mention of a weekly basis, just that the experience itself had occurred. Thanks again, liked your article!
Hi Jimbo
Thanks for your comments. I’m glad you found that statistic! I’m not in the habit of linking to every piece of research I look up. It’s a long story why not, but it’s basically to do with the semi-blog nature of this website and trying not to overwhelm casual readers with too much scientific stuff. But I understand it can be a bit frustrating at times if you want to follow up on things I say.
Good luck with the piece you’re writing!
Regards
Ethan
Where did you find the statistic that one-third of people worldwide experience hypnagogic hallucinations every week? I’ve seen that stated in three different articles, but can’t find a source anywhere. (This isn’t me nitpicking, I’m writing something and don’t want anything in it that can’t be sourced.) Thanks!
I think I may have hypnagogic hallucinations amongst other sleep disorders. I have always talked in my sleep since I was a child but sleep behaviors had definitely become increasingly intense, by my late teens I began acting out my dreams, to the point where I opened up windows to shout out of them, or walked from room to room thinking I was skiing on a mountain. I’ve also maintained conversations with people in my sleep, got out of bed, walked over and joined in conversations, eyes fully open and close friends only could tell I was asleep because I would smack my lips together regularly. I always woke up, realised I had been asleep and went back to bed. However in the last 6 months I have been experiencing the hallucinations more so, in the first couple of hours of sleep I will open my eyes and see terrifying things such as vivid women staring at me, object floating or hearing voices. It’s becoming more of an issue as I regularly sit up having panic attacks and pushing my partner to wake him up for help. I really need to find a way to improve this as it is effecting many aspects of my life, at least looking at this website I know I’m not alone!
Hi Jessica
Thank you for your comment, and sorry your sleep problems are affecting your life so negatively. Have you been to a sleep clinic to be assessed for your sleep problems? With so many things going on, I think it could be beneficial for you. Depending on your country, you might be able to get a referral from a doctor or have to go private if you live somewhere like the US.
Regards
Ethan
I am 19 years old, and waking up to hallucinations is extremely common for me, almost on a daily basis. Even though some times the hallucinations should be terrifying (such as waking up to find a little boy lying next to me whispering “look around you” over and over and then look around to see numerous tall black figures shuffling about my room) I never feel scared. I actually enjoy having these hallucinations, and I am never paralyzed. I am free to speak out, which I do a lot, and even hop up to approach the hallucination or go over and turn on the light.
Usually I find when I wake up, I can “feel” the presence of someone in the room. The air will feel thicker and I can sense that space is being taken up, and I feel the sense of a friend is there. I actually feel so embarrassed about how messy my room is I start to pick things up apologizing the whole time for the state of my room until a couple minutes pass and I tell myself no one is there and I go back to sleep. For the last few weeks though, I’ve been waking up to a shadow somewhere in my room, and I get so excited to see it, like I’m about to have fun, but if I look away for even a second it disappears and I feel the sense of disappointment, like I just missed out. I seem to have vague memories of playing with whatever this shadow is. I also find myself to be exhausted during the day and try to take naps whenever I can.
Hi Courtney
Thank your for your comment and for sharing your experiences here. It sounds like you have some incredibly vivid hallucinations, and they sounds more like sleep paralysis types, except that you say there is no paralysis. It’s very interesting that you seem to enjoy having these hallucinations, which in many ways is a positive thing. But it also sounds like it’s disrupting your sleep, especially if it’s waking you up to the point that you get out of bed to explore what’s happening. That might explain why you feel tired a lot during the day.
If you’re in a state of exhaustion during the day, and having to sleep lots, that sounds like it’s interfering with normal life perhaps a bit too much. Have you talked to a doctor about this, or thought about doing so? I think it might be a good idea, as perhaps they can help you to get through the night and the day without so many interruptions.
Regards
Ethan
Hi,
quite recently, odd things have been happening while i switch from awake to about to pass out. This happens a couple times a week. I’m not sure if it has anything to do with the fact i look at a screen a lot of the day but i feel most everyone does to some extent. I frequently stay up late, (12 to 2 am) which i feel like may be the problem. Anyways, as i fall asleep closing my eyes, i see random things and sometimes hear random noises (Note that this happens while my eyes are closed within about 3 seconds after they shut). It jolts me awake and terrifies me to the point i just dont want to go back to sleep. Sometimes after being jolted awake i’ll see specs or wiggling lines that resemble a spider or tentacles or something. One particular time i was rudely awoken sticks in my mind. I was just about to fall asleep, and as i closed my eyes i saw like a dancing baby or midget or something. The noise that accompanied it was like the noise you hear when you clench jaw. I am afraid to fall asleep, i know its just my brain but its really unsettling and i just dont know what to do
thank you
Hi Trevor
Thanks for your comment, and it’s understandable that these kind of experiences would cause you some concern. The main thing thought is to try not to allow them to worry you to the point of the worry being the thing which makes it hard to sleep. I know it’s easier said than done, but I do think it’s important to try to stay calm when you go to bed.
If you do have what sounds very much like hypnagogic hallucinations, perhaps the best thing is to just accept that they are there, and are harmless, and try to re-focus your mind on something else. For example you could do some relaxation techniques while in bed, which can help distract you.
I think that staring at a screen can result in some issues with seeing things when you go to bed, depending on how late you are doing so. If you give yourself an hour’s break between using the screen and going to bed, then it should help. I also have the same problem if I use my computer too near to my bedtime! And staying up late isn’t a problem unless you get up early too. A good idea is to try to keep to a regular, stable pattern of going to bed and getting up. This can help enormously with many sleep problems.
Regards
Ethan
First of all I would like to start by clearing up this whole demonic presence theory that everyone is talking about, most of your arguments that are pro-demons sound like what else could it be? Or I swear I saw and felt the demon or If everybody has the same demonic story then it must be demons. Let me tell you that is the most absurd, repulsive, and ignorant excuse I’ve ever heard. I’ve been having sleep paralysis over 5 times a month either because I purposely do it for lucid dreaming or because it involuntarily happens, I have experienced the presence of demonic beings but that doesn’t mean they exist. When your hallucinating in SP you need to understand that you brain is naturally releasing DMT this is the strongest hallucinogen known to man, DMT is also a drug that I have well experienced with and can tell you its very similar to sleep paralysis. When SP Occurs you instantly go into a state of shock there is no way to right off the bat tame yourself from being awake and having no control of your body. The brains first reaction is heavy fear for the instinct of any animal is fight or flight in death defying moment your experiencing the strongest possible hallucinations as they are rapid changing like a dream is, because your dreaming. The presence of a demonic figure is out of the question as that is your brain attempting to conceal the situation which is impossible since you cannot move your in constant panic, the hearing also plays a major role and your hearing become strongly impaired during sleep it can either be very sensitive or def, either way your inner voice will be amplified to screaming points and that can induce more fear. Please stop thinking that demons control this, it is simply lucid open eye dreaming (very very scary ) in fact, if you were to film your dream in some form of a brain memory playback mode and you were able to watch your dreams I can guarantee that every single person would be scared off their asses by the time the 5 minute dream burst is over, there’s a reason your brain goes unconscious while dreaming its too prevent you from heart attacks (lucid dreaming alters your dream into a peaceful realm).
Hi Houssam
Thank you for your comment. I understand that you don’t agree with people’s belief that there are real demons. I don’t believe they exist either, and that they are just very vivid and scary hallucinations. I’m not sure I would describe other people’s views as strongly as you do though!
Anyway, you seem to have quite a clear idea about what you think sleep paralysis really is, though to be honest I’m not sure I agree with all of that either.
It’s an interesting theory about lucid dreaming, and I know many other readers have talked about the relationship between sleep paralysis and lucid dreaming. But I don’t think sleep paralysis is open eye lucid dreaming due to the fact that people don’t generally have any control over what they are seeing. If anything it would be better described as open-eye nightmares I think.
Regards
Ethan
These hypnagogic hallucinations are completely harmless, and there is absolutely nothing to fear. They are purely a product of the brain in the process of forming dreams. People do not ordinarily experience them because they (people) become unconscious before the hypnagogic hallucinations occur. However, because of lack of sleep, stress, genetic conditions, etc., some people do not become unconscious early enough to avoid experiencing hypnagogic hallucinations. It turns out that they are influenced by your emotional state of mind. In other words, the more you fear them the more fearful they will become. There are people who would give their right arm (and their left one also) to experience what many posters have described in this thread. Such people try to induce hypnagogic hallucinations as an entry into lucid dreaming with a lot of effort. The method is called WILD (Wake Induced Lucid Dreaming). There is far more harm in worrying about experiencing hypnagogic hallucinations than the hallucinations themselves.
Hi velco
Thank you for your comment and the information about lucid dreaming. I’m sure there are lots of readers who will find that article very interesting. Whilst I’m not sure that it will provide what everyone wants (not everyone is interested in lucid dreaming and would prefer it to just stop), some readers might find it useful.
Regards
Ethan
I’m really glad I found this. I had one of these last night when I woke up abruptly from a fairly uneventful dream. I had sleep paralysis, which isn’t really common for me, but not rare. There was a shadowy person looking at me from the end of my bed, which naturally made me want to scream, but I couldn’t. Once I was able to move my arm I woke my partner up and continued seeing figures for another 20 minutes or so. Even as I was fully conscious and speaking to my partner they wouldn’t disappear. This usually happens about every month or two, but the duration is never that long. It’s always shadowy, human-like figures though, never anything cool like I’ve seen mentioned. I am not a superstitious person and I consider myself ‘sane’, I am beginning to get worried as these occurrences are becoming slightly more frequent (at least once a month if not two or three times for the last four months). Anyone else experiencing something similar?
Hi Ethan
Thanks for your comment. I can understand why you would be concerned, especially if it is increasing in frequency. Perhaps it’s a reaction to some change in your life, maybe something new, increased stress or anxiety, feeling more tired or sleep deprived? In terms of the sleep paralysis and the shadowy figures, I know mnany readers have experienced very similar things. But to find them you would have to trawl through the hundreds of lengthy comments in the article about sleep paralysis. But you’ll definitely find people with common experiences there.
Regards
Ethan
This sounds like something that is happening to me!
I just hear the words “Hello” very loudly in my ear. It almost sounds like my own voice? I have also heard tapping on the window and the front door unlocking, as well as footsteps. I am usually convinced it is real and turn the light on, then look all around to check nobody is in the room.
However, the interesting thing is that it only ever happens when I sleep on my own. It doesn’t happen when I sleep with my boyfriend or friend. But the result of this is that I am scared to sleep alone! Does anyone have any recommendations for getting over this?
Shona
Hi Shoneys
Thanks for your comment. I don’t think you’re the only one who finds that they experience strange things more when they sleep alone. I guess you have two options:
1) find ways to make your bedroom more comforting when you’re alone. Perhaps sleep with a night light on, music or the radio.
2) deal with the fear which has arisen. That could either be through counseling if you can access it through your doctor, or through self-help. You can find lots of resources online which help with dealing with anxiety, fear etc. You could also try doing something like mindfulness techniques while you are in bed. This can help take your attention off of the hallucinations, keep you calm and hopefully help you sleep.
All the best
Ethan
Hi guys n gals! I’m 18 and I’ve also had both auditory and visual hallucinations when going to sleep and waking up. But recently I lay in bed and at about 2:10 in the morning I had tremors. I was also listening to piano music by John Fluker, and a few of the keys went down a step like horror movie music. I naturally freaked out, contemplated screaming but decided not to. (Mainly because like you guys I figured I couldn’t anyway.) But now I’m awake and my heart is still racing and I’m seeing things. I can get up, but I swear before I went to bed it was as if something white floated past my doorway. I know it sounds crazy, and to reassure you I have no history of mental illness and I’ve neither drank or done drugs my whole life. But now I fear these hallucinations because I have had trouble with this most of my life, sometimes in visions of knife wielding serial killer types, to low pitch voices from nowhere, to music in other parts of the house or out my window. Could this be the byproduct of caffeine or stress, or am I going nuts?
Thanks in advance for any advice guys!
-E
P.s. To you “Astral Plane” theorists, I have had dreams about a week in advance of a death in my family. I have successfully predicted that someone is going to die 4 out of 5 deaths since my early childhood. The fifth was predicted to the exact person: about two days before my grandpa died and I knew because I had the feeling someone was going to die. His death was sudden and unexpected since he was in his 50’s and in near perfect shape. (Like being told by someone, “there is going to be a death.”) Again, I’m not an alcoholic, an addict, or a maniac but this has happened.
Hi Elijah
Thank you for your comment, and I’m sorry to hear you’re having difficulty with the extent of the hallucinations you’re experiencing. When you say you realize you can’t scream, do you mean you physically couldn’t do it? If so, and you are conscious mentally, but physically paralyzed, you might have experienced sleep paralysis.
Do these hallucinations only happen when you are in bed trying to go to sleep, or do they happen during the daytime too? If so, or if they are continuing to disrupt your sleep and cause you anxiety, then there’s no harm in talking to your doctor about it. They might have some advice for you.
Regards
Ethan
I’ve been trying to figure out what has been going on with me for a very long time… It started when I was little I would sleep walk, have night terrors, and see shadowy figures in my room. I remember not even being scream. Fast forward to now, I thought I was still having “night terrors” a few times a year I’d wake up screaming and having temporary hallucinations all within the first couple of hours of sleep. Last year I awoke to a demon looking thing like 2 feet from my face. I was obviously hallucinating and I literally flew out of bed screaming. Next thing I know I am on the floor with my arm mangled. To say the least I fractured my radius and ulna that needed surgery to repair. That’s when I got really worried about my parasomnias, I didn’t sleep for 5 days after that… I’ve had a few since then but no demons just people or floating colorful objects but no matter what it is, it is still frightening. I feel there is a strong genetic link here my dad has similar issues. I also do have excessive day time sleepiness and I work nights switching back to days on my days off. I’m also a full time nursing student so there is a lot of stress. I also have a history of mild anxiety. I just wish there was pill to take that would make it completely go away. I guess I just wanted to share my story and see if others have injured due to this.
Hi Liz
Thank you for your comment, and I’m sorry to hear about both your injury and the fact that you’ve been having such a difficult time with your sleep.
It seems that there could be several sleep disorders all happening in your case: night terrors or nightmares, hypnagogic or hypnopompic hallucinations, the excessive daytime sleepiness. The fact that you have such an unstable sleep pattern and anxiety I imagine will only make it more likely that you’ll experience sleep disturbances as well, as sleep deprivation, anxiety, stress etc are all known to be triggers for sleep problems, particularly parasomnias.
As for the injury, well I think that in one or two other articles, such as the one about sleep paralysis, a couple of people have talked about injuring themselves. And talking of which, when you see demonic faces or other images like that, are you ever paralyzed temporarily in bed? If so, then sleep paralysis could be an explanation.
In terms of a pill, well as you work in healthcare I’m sure you know that a doctor could prescribe various meds to deal with the hallucinations etc, or just to help you sleep. But that’s something you would need to talk to them about, and think about carefully before taking. With so much going on for you, it might be a good idea to talk to your doctor about all this anyway, if you haven’t already.
Beyond that I would recommend trying to deal with your anxiety, perhaps trying something like mindfulness if you have a moment during your busy day. It’s been known to be very useful for anxiety.
And if you can, try to keep as stable a sleep pattern as possible, though that might be hard with your job etc.
All the best
Ethan
Hi! This article is great, it was so interesting to read through this forum of people who experience this too. On Sunday night i experienced a hypnagogic hallucination. I could see a black woman about 30 maybe? sat on the end of my bed? I couldn’t move and i was terrified because i was talking to her and i couldn’t stop talking (even though I’m not aware of what i was saying) and i couldn’t move it was like i was hypnotized! as i slowly began to realize what was happening she got up smiled at me and disappeared. I snapped into being able to move again and i stopped talking. I was covered in sweat and i was shaking, i was so scared i thought id gone mad! After researching this I’ve realized i have this sort of thing often but not as extreme. I get auditory hallucinations like weekly but i can kinda control them because i say out loud ‘stop it your scaring me’ and they stop. One time i felt whispering right in my ear and i could feel the breath on my ear.I know when i was younger I’d seen an elderly black woman in an hallucination in the exact same way but my parents shunned it because obviously i was young. I think its very odd that its always a woman’s presence and so I’m really interested now. It is terrifying, but now i understand the science behind it I’m kinda thankful that I’m one of the people who gets to experience something like this. The brain is so complex!
Hi Polly
Thanks for your comment, and I’m pleased you found the article helpful. You are definitely not alone in experiencing these types of hallucinations.
What you describe sounds like it could be sleep paralysis. I recommend having a look at that article, if you haven’t already. And especially the comment, and I know for sure that in there you’ll find many other readers who have specifically seen a woman in their bedroom, and also heard whisperings in the ear.
Regards
Ethan
Hi, came across this page when trying to google some symptoms I get before/during/after sleep just wondering what I’m actually experiencing and if I need to speak to my GP (I live in Britain so do not like to make appointments over little things the NHS is very over-stretched at the moment)
Here are a few things that I noticed…
1) Before bed I looked up at the ceiling and saw two large, neon/lime green coloured geometric flower shapes bouncing around sortof like a screensaver, I looked back twice and they were still there this has happened a few times with the patterns or colours variating.
2) I will often see just one dot of blue/black/white in my vision no bigger than a full stop (sortof looks to me like the stars in the night but only one) this occurs in the day & night time as well as what I can only describe as an ‘orb’ floating past or zipping across my vision quickly.
3) When falling asleep I will start dreaming normally then often the dream will twist into a nervous/anxiety fuelled terror, everything will start going wrong for example Ive dreamnt of being mugged by men one pulls out a gun and shoots then I jolt awake in a panic. These jolts also happen as I’m just drifting off & even my boyfriend has been woken by me doing this.
4) Again when falling asleep I think I can hear people talking/saying my name/ tapping on my bedroom window when I’m in that half asleep half awake stage sometimes I will have a face to the voice but when I wake up it doesn’t instantly go an will stay for a few seconds.
5)When I have my eyes closed & trying to fall asleep I will start seeing simple colours or lines on my eyelids (if that makes sense?) they will start morphing and turning into different things such as actual objects or just creepy faces or I start getting anxious when I see them and it makes the weird things weirder.
Any advice on what these things may be would be a great help as they annoy me & sometimes prevent a good nights sleep as I have to wait for my eyes to ‘calm down’ I’m 18 & thought I would have grown out of the anxiety dreams/jolts by now!
Hi Emilie
Thanks for your comment. I can understand not wanting to bother the GP, but they are there for a reason! If you feel concerned about your health, there’s nothing wrong with talking to them.
It sounds like most of what you are describing is hypnagogic hallucinations, and also just bad dreams. Both of which are quite normal.
The eye thing sounds like it could be eye floaters. Again, very normal and I have it too.
I think sometimes the best thing to do when you start seeing the geometric stuff in the back of your eyelids is to find ways to re-focus your attention. Breathing and relaxation exercises, for example, can help take your attention away from the eyelid television to something calming.
Have a read of my recent article about mindfulness techniques. You may find some suggestions there which you can also apply to your situation.
All the best
Ethan
Hi Jessica
Thank you for your comment. I’m very sorry to hear you’ve had such a long history of dealing with these hallucinations. And I can also understand the difficulties you’ve had with psychiatric services. Unfortunately psychiatry and mental health care still isn’t perfect, and not everyone finds a solution for their problems quickly and which suits them well. Hopefully if they do come up with an official diagnosis, it will provide you with a little clarity, and also more specific avenues to research and explore in an attempt to find the best treatment for you.
Try not to get too stressed with the staff. They are doing a difficult job, and most in my experience also feel bad that they can’t find the right treatment for all their clients. But do maintain a dialogue with them. You have every right to determine your own treatment, and to voice your opinion about what you feel works or not.
Unfortunately I don’t know of any centers doing specific studies regarding hypnagogic hallucinations. If I do, I will post a link here on the article though.
If you have it so regularly, have you tried sleeping with a night-light on? And have you tried doing any relaxation exercises when you go to bed? It might help to take your mind off the hallucinations. Sometimes just be changing our mental focus, it can help a lot. I would recommend doing breathing exercises in bed for example. You can find some example of how to do them in this article about relaxation techniques for sleep.
Stay strong and hopefully in time you’ll be able to sleep in peace.
Regards
Ethan
Thank you Ethan for the suggestions. A light on makes it worse, I have found sleeping with an eye mask helps though. Breathing exercises do help, and trying to accept it helps the nature of what I see change from negative and dark to positive or friendly. It is mostly the lines and shapes that just confuse the heck out of me and leave me so tired in the morning. It is comforting to find your info and all the experiences of the others who are living with this, and your right the unknown is the scariest thing right now without having diagnosis of why I feel the way I do physically. Thank you for your insight and encouraging words to stand for what I believe in and to also keep an open mind toward the people I am asking for their help. I do feel better after reading your thoughtful reply, I appreciate your articles here and it has helped me to open a dialogue between my sons, my husband and I so I can feel more comfortable talking about it.
Hi again,
It’s good to hear back from you. I’m really glad you found the article, and our subsequent exchange of comments helpful. That is the greatest feedback I could ever hope for! It’s great that you’ve decided to communicate more with your family. Anyone in mental health will tell you (I hope!) that social support, be it family or friends, is one of the most powerful tools for managing and overcoming health problems. So I hope that you get what you need from your family following talking to them.
All the best
Ethan