Strange Sleep Phenomena

THE LIMINAL SPACE BETWEEN SLEEP AND AWAKE

Have you ever seen shadows on your ceiling just as you drift off? Or felt frozen in bed, unable to move, while a heavy weight sits on your chest? Or maybe you’ve jolted awake with the terrifying sense that you were falling?

Then you’ve likely experienced the fascinating world of strange sleep states, where your brain dances on the thin line between dreams and waking reality.

Why Do These Happen?

Our brains don’t just switch off when we sleep. We go through a complex shifting cycle between different states of consciousness and sleep cycles. Sometimes, these states overlap or misfire, letting dreams slip into waking life, confusing our senses.

Stress, exhaustion or an irregular sleep routine can make these experiences more likely. But for most people, they’re harmless reminders of how powerful and unpredictable the sleeping mind can be.

Let’s dive into some specific phenomena including night terrors, nightmares, hypnogogic & hypnopompic hallucinations, sleep paralysis, lucid dreaming, sleepwalking, sleep starts and astral projection.

Sleep Paralysis

Imagine waking up but being unable to move. Your eyes are open, your mind is alert but your body feels pinned down. Some people also experience a weight on their chest or sense an ominous presence in the room. Terrifying right?

Many cultures around the world have written folklores about this phenomenon, from witches to demons to old hags sitting on your chest. But what’s really happening?

During REM sleep (Rapid Eye Movement) your body naturally paralyses itself so that you don’t act out your dreams physically and cause harm to yourself or others whilst dreaming. It’s a normal part of the sleep process but sometimes, your mind wakes up slightly before your body does, leaving you seemingly trapped in this state. The good news is this is completely harmless and it only takes about 20 to 30 seconds for the paralysis to wear off.

Sleep Starts / Hypnic Jerks

These are the sudden feelings of falling, dropping or your body jolting as you drift off to sleep. It is caused by your muscles relaxing before sleep which your brain interprets as falling. Again, perfectly normal and nothing to worry about.

Hypnagogic & Hypnopompic Hallucinations

These vivid visions or sounds happen just as you are falling asleep (hypnagogic) or waking up (hypnopompic). You might see shadowy figures, images, flashing lights or hear someone calling your name, yet when you focus your eyes, you find nothing is there. It can feel immensely frightening, but rest assured it’s nothing to be concerned about. Your dreaming brain is simply leaking into wakefulness; the border is so thin that for a split-second, dream imagery can pop up into consciousness.

Nightmares

Nightmares are vivid, disturbing dreams that wake us up, often at the most terrifying point. They can stay quite clearly in our memory for weeks or even years. Nightmares can occur more frequently when we are stressed or going through big life transitions and are actually a rich source of insight from the subconscious. In dream therapy we can work with nightmares to uncover the hidden messages which can provide the catalyst for deep healing and transformation. Recurring nightmares are even more potent and can lead to profound emotional shifts.

Night Terrors

In comparison, night terrors tend to be something that children experience more than adults, the main difference being that they do not wake us up and we have no memory of them in the morning. If you are a parent and your child has night terrors, it is probably more distressing for you to witness than it is for your child. The main advice is to not wake your child up during the night terror, they are a normal part of development and not anything to worry about.

Lucid Dreaming

A fascinating experience where you become aware that you are dreaming whilst still inside the dream, you become conscious of your dream state. Some people learn to control their dreams and can change or navigate their way around the dream. They are often not nightmares or scary but can be deeply mesmerising and wonderful dreams.

Astral Projection

This is the sense that your consciousness leaves your physical body and drifts elsewhere, similar in some ways to lucid dreaming. Many people describe floating above their bed, looking down at themselves or vividly travelling to faraway places. Science sees this as vivid dissociative state where your brain temporarily detaches from your physicality. But for thousands of years, spirituality and other traditions have viewed astral projection as soul travel to other realms and dimensions, it is a very important and profound experience for many.

When can it cause concern?

Occasional strange sleep experiences are normal, especially when you are stressed or sleep deprived. But if they are frequent, distressing, intense or causing you harm such as sleepwalking, REM disorder (where your body does not produce the temporary sleep paralysis chemical) or it is impacting your daily functioning, it may be worth talking to your doctor.

Dream Therapy

If you are interested in working with your nightmares or any other type of dream for healing, self-awareness or to gain insights into your true felt sense and access to implicit memory, book a session and let’s explore your dreamworld together.