Question
I have been having some hypnogogic auditory and visual hallucinations. I am not sure if they're just normal and other people get them too or if there's something I'm doing before sleep that I should stop because sometimes they are fairly frightening. For instance, I hear different voices talking and saying things sometimes to each other and sometimes to me, and I see faces coming and going like I am just a passive observer. I'm not fully asleep because I am conscious that these are strange things and I have my eyes open to see a mixture of them and the real things around me (i.e. my bedside clock). This has happened to me on two different nights. Last night I took an Ambien to help me sleep but the time before, I did not. I have been under a lot of stress so that might factor into this as well.
Is this just normal or some type of disorder or a mental illness?
Answer
usually hypnagognic hallucinations is a symptom of narcolepsy and occurs either immediately falling asleep or before awakening.now sometimes when you take ambien one night and then not the next for me it makes me vary ancy..usually a narcoleptic having hallucination is of bugs or people chasing them.If you dont have a diagnosed sleep disorder, i suggest if this persists you go to a sleep center and be evaluated.Perhaps you are on other meds that is giving you this effect.although im not a medical doctor,i strongly suggest you discus this with your doctor,or nuerologist.i wish i could be of more help,feel free to write again,and good luck,karel
