Imagined falling in a dream is not a sign that something is wrong, and most people will experience it from time to time. It’s so common, in fact, that sleep experts have a specific name for it: hypnagogic hallucinations.
What are hypnagogic hallucinations, exactly? The sensation of falling is one type of hypnagogic hallucination or a brief sensory perception that occurs as you fall asleep. For many people, hypnagogic hallucinations involve feelings of falling, flying, or weightlessness.
Many others have visual hallucinations – often seeing kaleidoscope-like flickering patterns or shapes. Occasionally, hallucinations may even involve sounds that don’t exist, such as people speaking or animal noises.
The sensation is fleeting, usually lasting only a second or two, and incredibly common: around 70 percent of people will have at least one hypnagogic hallucination in their lifetime, according to the Cleveland Clinic. It’s a normal experience and not a cause for concern if it happens occasionally.
Hypnagogic hallucinations specifically refer to hallucinations that occur as you fall asleep, but you can have similar experiences as you wake up. These are called hypnopompic hallucinations.
Experts don’t fully understand why they occur. Like other types of hallucinations, they seem to happen when the brain is in an altered state of consciousness – such as transitioning from wakefulness to sleep.
Anyone can have a hypnagogic hallucination, but certain factors seem to make it more likely, including anxiety or mood disorders, insomnia, narcolepsy, or the use of drugs or alcohol, according to the American Academy of Sleep Medicine (AASM).
Teenagers, young adults, and women also tend to be more prone to hypnagogic experiences.
You should inform your doctor if dream hallucinations significantly impact your ability to get a good night’s sleep or leave you feeling tired during the day. In some cases, frequent dream hallucinations could be a symptom of an underlying sleep disorder like narcolepsy.
Also, notify your doctor if you have issues with stress or anxiety management that you believe could contribute to your dream hallucinations.
