Nonsensical Thoughts While Falling Asleep

[JeffL]

Maybe a little of topic, but I was wondering how many people notice that they have nonsensical thoughts while falling asleep. It happens to me on a regular basis. I'll suddenly realize that what I'm thinking about is illogical and makes no sense whatsoever. I'd like to sight an example, but these thoughts just rapidly dissolve while I'm trying to make sense of them. Then they are just gone, never to be remembered. I though it might just be me, but I Googled Nonsensical Thoughts While Falling Asleep and got a lot of hits. I also sometimes seem to start dreaming before a fall asleep (Hypnagogia?). Maybe the two are related.

[Rainmom17]

That's actually how I know I'm about to fall asleep! On the rare occasion I have trouble falling asleep,I look forward to the moment when my thoughts start getting very far fetched and not realistic. Then I relax, knowing that means sleep's about to come. I think it's actually the first stage of sleeping and may be a form of lucid dreaming.

[kteague]

Back when my sleep deprivation was long standing and severe, the lines between sleep and wake were blurred for me. I first noticed this during a time of taking a dopamine agonist and having issues with the med. I would see full blown dream scenes while awake and at times would hear myself speak my lines out loud and that would snap me out of it because I knew enough to know what was in my mind was not supposed to be a part of the real life conversation. A couple times this happened during a period of collapsing on my desk at work and being awake but dreaming. Once my sleep improved the confusion and speaking out loud stopped, but I continue to see detailed storied dreamlike scenes before I go to sleep. Like you, they are nonsensical. This can be going on while at the same time hearing real life conversations around me, and I see them even when napping in my recliner. They are pretty much a "normal" part of my life after years of this. I was tested for narcolepsy but needed to hit REM one more time during the naps to be diagnostic. However, I have a limb movement issue and it was acting up when I was tested and I'm convinced I would easily have met the diagnostic criteria if my legs would have been calm. I am curious to see how many forum readers find this to be a common experience. I feel like it's unusual, but have nothing to back that up.

[Arlene1963]

Maybe a little of topic, but I was wondering how many people notice that they have nonsensical thoughts while falling asleep. It happens to me on a regular basis. I'll suddenly realize that what I'm thinking about is illogical and makes no sense whatsoever. I'd like to sight an example, but these thoughts just rapidly dissolve while I'm trying to make sense of them. Then they are just gone, never to be remembered. I though it might just be me, but I Googled Nonsensical Thoughts While Falling Asleep and got a lot of hits. I also sometimes seem to start dreaming before a fall asleep (Hypnagogia?). Maybe the two are related.

This happens to me sometimes as well and I love the feeling, it means I am about to fall asleep. Once I remember thinking I was an ear, just a big ear, and then thinking "I'm not an ear, I must be falling asleep, because this makes no sense."

Since I started CPAP I almost never remember my dreams, so these absurd thoughts during the minutes preceding sleep onset are all I have left of the crazy upside world of "dreams". Not that I miss a lot of them, they were often not very pleasant. But the one I do miss, and sometimes "think" I still have (I can half recall it upon waking and then forget, I think?) is when I dream that I'm flying.

[Sleeping Ugly]

I am glad I am not alone! Before CPAP therapy, when I was sleep deprived, this happened to be almost on a nightly basis. My train of thought would go off the rails. I had very limited and fitful sleep and I could NOT get my mind to stop. I would have bizarre images race in my head. This all stopped when I started my CPAP therapy (2 .5 months ago)...until two nights ago. At 2 am--BING! It was like someone woke me up and gave me a hallucinogenic drug. I felt awake, in fact, I am pretty sure I was totally awake, but I was having these weird images and thoughts that were waaaaaaaaaaaaaay "out there." It continued for HOURS. I felt like I never went back to sleep. When I told my husband about it the next morning he told me I must have been dreaming, but I said, "How could I dream when I was awake?"

[ChicagoGranny]

At 2 am--BING! It was like someone woke me up and gave me a hallucinogenic drug. I felt awake, in fact, I am pretty sure I was totally awake, but I was having these weird images and thoughts that were waaaaaaaaaaaaaay "out there."

Did you look at your Sleepyhead reports to see if anything happened with your breathing at 2:00 a.m.?

[ChicagoGranny]

I was falling in and out of sleep when it was time to get up this morning. I kept dreaming I was eating a Pop Tart. This was strange, because I never buy Pop Tarts.

I went down to the kitchen and started cooking breakfast. Then it came to me. I munched on a sample of Annie's pop tarts that they were giving out at Costco yesterday.

[Goofproof]

I was falling in and out of sleep when it was time to get up this morning. I kept dreaming I was eating a Pop Tart. This was strange, because I never buy Pop Tarts.

I went down to the kitchen and started cooking breakfast. Then it came to me. I munched on a sample of Annie's pop tarts that they were giving out at Costco yesterday.

The power of suggestion. Jim

[ChicagoGranny]

The power of suggestion. Jim

The power of sugar!

[Rainmom17]

I don't think this experience is exclusive to people with sleep apnea. From the book "Take a Nap; Change your Life":
"Stage 1 [sleep] lasts two to five minutes and is the least understood of all the components of sleep. It appears to be a quasi-REM state, involving nonlinear thoughts and associations, but it lacks REM's trademark eye movements. The technical term for this state is 'sleep-onset dreaming " and another part talks about mental associations loosening with this example: You're thinking about the tires on your car. Then "tires become rubber, rubber floats on the ocean, oceans have barges. Barge. Barge into a room. Space. Floating in outer space...".
That's totally what I experience. A very normal train of thought starts to twist and morph into something weird. Apparently this is completely normal! So, if this was what you were describing in your experience, there you go!

[SewTired]

JeffL, this is where yoga really helps. Practice clearing your mind. It's not easy because you aren't used to it. I found it helpful to simply visualize the landscape that most relaxes me (for me, it's a meadow leading into a forest, but for you it could be ocean beach waves, or palm trees waving in wind, etc.).

There are different routines. A simple google search will probably help you find something that works for you. My mom is a worrier, so this often kept her from falling asleep. After several YEARS of getting her to try this mind clearing thing, she found it does work for her although I have to remind her regularly to try it (she is distracted by neck pain these days due to failing disks).

[Arlene1963]

I don't think this experience is exclusive to people with sleep apnea. From the book "Take a Nap; Change your Life":
"Stage 1 [sleep] lasts two to five minutes and is the least understood of all the components of sleep. It appears to be a quasi-REM state, involving nonlinear thoughts and associations, but it lacks REM's trademark eye movements. The technical term for this state is 'sleep-onset dreaming " and another part talks about mental associations loosening with this example: You're thinking about the tires on your car. Then "tires become rubber, rubber floats on the ocean, oceans have barges. Barge. Barge into a room. Space. Floating in outer space...".
That's totally what I experience. A very normal train of thought starts to twist and morph into something weird. Apparently this is completely normal! So, if this was what you were describing in your experience, there you go!

That describes it perfectly. I love the state, an Alice in Wonderland experience, almost.

[DeadlySleep]

I took a yoga class. Started waking up with bad headaches and bad neck aches. Was dreaming about salamba sirsasana. Dropped out of class. Headaches and neck aches went away.

[WearyOne]

That's actually how I know I'm about to fall asleep! On the rare occasion I have trouble falling asleep,I look forward to the moment when my thoughts start getting very far fetched and not realistic. Then I relax, knowing that means sleep's about to come. I think it's actually the first stage of sleeping and may be a form of lucid dreaming.

Exactly the same for me! When that starts happening, I know I'm starting to fall asleep. Love it!

[chunkyfrog]

WHAT A RELIEF!
I long suspected that this was "normal", but sometimes you just don't really want to SHARE . . .