Sleep, Actually
Dream-like experiences around sleep
Vivid, sometimes unsettling images or sensations while falling asleep (hypnagogic) or waking (hypnopompic).
These are vivid dream-like experiences at the boundary of sleep. Clinicians call the ones occurring while falling asleep hypnagogic, and those on waking hypnopompic.
They can involve seeing, hearing, or feeling things that are not there, and they can feel extremely real — which is exactly why people often do not mention them.
They are recognised and documented in the literature on narcolepsy. Describing them to a clinician is useful information, not an admission of anything.
Definitions on this page
- Hypnagogic
- Occurring while falling asleep.
- Hypnopompic
- Occurring while waking up.
Related journal prompts
Optional. Recording what you notice may help you prepare questions for a qualified healthcare professional. NAP never infers a cause from what you write.
- Anything to note about the edges of sleep today — falling asleep or waking?
Related practical tools
Nearby
More in this part of the hub
Excessive daytime sleepiness
Persistent, overwhelming daytime sleep pressure that a normal night's sleep does not reliably resolve.
Cataplexy
A sudden, brief loss of muscle tone while awake, often triggered by strong emotion such as laughter.
Sleep paralysis
A temporary inability to move or speak while falling asleep or waking, usually lasting seconds to a couple of minutes.
Dreaming, Nightmares, and Narcolepsy
Nightmares, dream-like experiences around sleep, sleep paralysis, and dream enactment are related but distinct experiences.
Fragmented nighttime sleep
Frequently broken nights — a common and often surprising part of a condition associated with daytime sleepiness.
Automatic behaviour
Continuing a familiar activity while partly asleep, with little or no memory of it afterwards.