Hypnogogic Hallucinations

[VikingGnome]

I've been on CPAP over 13 years. I've been on BiPap for 4 months. The past couple of weeks I've been experiencing Hypnogogic Hallucinations just as I'm falling asleep. I hear men talking in my living room. At first it was really frightening as I live alone. I can't understand what is being said. I just hear deep voices "chatting". They aren't yelling, screaming, or angry. My dog didn't bark so I didn't get up to investigate and finally calmed down and went to sleep. This happens almost every night. I am also talking in my sleep during the night that wakes me up.

I'm already on Klonopin at night. No med changes for a long time so really can't say it's medication related.
It can't be sleep deprivation because I'm finally sleeping well on BiPap and having normal sleep cycles with REM sleep.

Has anyone else experienced hypnogogic hallucinations? Did they go away on their own?

[Kate M]

A few years ago, after I came home from the hospital after having surgery, I was having central sleep apnea for awhile, as I believe I often do after anesthesia. I was also taking high dose steroids at the time. Every time I tried to sleep, there were groups of people having meetings in my living room (I was sleeping a recliner) and occasionally one of the people would come right up and stare me right in the face as if "What are you doing here sleeping in our meeting?" They were LOUD too! I realized they were hallucinations when I started to yell at them, "Will you shut the hell up I'm trying to sleep!" As I started to yell, I realized I was yelling at hallucinations and they disappeared. They stayed with me for the week. I needed to have another surgery 7 days after the previous one. They did not occur after the next surgery.

I wonder what has changed in your case that they would suddenly start after all this time? Any setting change, new meds, lifestyle changes, sleep schedule changes or new stress?

Blessings,

Kate

[jamesalanray]

and i thought i was getting nuttier than i already am.......i recently changed masks, not sure that has anything to do with it and i also take the colnapin, but i hear people talking sounds like kids outside, i had this problem before i went on the cpap i used to hear a radio playing i would get out of bed start in the basment work my way up to the top floor then go outside and could not find a thing but i could still hear it, and now this..........freaky

[Kate M]

and i thought i was getting nuttier than i already am......(snip) i used to hear a radio playing i would get out of bed start in the basment work my way up to the top floor then go outside and could not find a thing but i could still hear it, and now this..........freaky

Hmmm... if the sounds continue when you wake up, get out of bed and hunt for them, then they are not "hypnagogic" hallucinations. I hate to say that maybe you ARE getting nuttier than you already are but.... Maybe you really WERE hearing a radio somewhere!

Blessings,

Kate

[VikingGnome]

and i thought i was getting nuttier than i already am.......i recently changed masks, not sure that has anything to do with it and i also take the colnapin, but i hear people talking sounds like kids outside, i had this problem before i went on the cpap i used to hear a radio playing i would get out of bed start in the basment work my way up to the top floor then go outside and could not find a thing but i could still hear it, and now this..........freaky

How many fillings in your teeth do you have?

[jamesalanray]

to many fillings.....i have heard these called audio hullicnations or acoustic shadows, i will be the first to admit i have issues, i asked my wife if she ever sees' the fluffy white cat going up our staircase.....or the little girl in the easter dress that peeks at you from behind that tree in the backyard. i am 52 and have never had a drop of alcohol maybe it's time to start.

[chunkyfrog]

Once you have determined that the hallucination is, indeed a figment, it may go away on its own.
This discussion reminded me of one of my favorite gems of literature:
http://english.glendale.cc.ca.us/unicorn1.html
Not all such visions are as easily resolved; but some find talking back to them quiets them down.

[Kate M]

Once you have determined that the hallucination is, indeed a figment, it may go away on its own.
This discussion reminded me of one of my favorite gems of literature:
http://english.glendale.cc.ca.us/unicorn1.html
Not all such visions are as easily resolved; but some find talking back to them quiets them down.

The story you link to contains one of my favorite lines in literature! LOL

"The man, who had never liked the words "booby" and "booby-hatch," and who liked them even less on a shining morning when there was a unicorn in the garden..."

Thanks for that trip down memory lane. I have not thought of that story in many years.

Blessings,

Kate

[Stanley56]

See if you can get the voices to give you some lottery numbers.

[JohnBFisher]

Yup. Before being diagnosed with OSA many, many, many moons ago, I reached the point of such severe sleep deprivation that I started to dream as I would blink. Talk about rather startling!! They cleared as soon as I started CPAP therapy. I can always tell if I'm having bad problems with my sleep when they resurface.

[VikingGnome]

New thoughts about it. As all OSA sufferers know, we consume lots of caffeine to stay awake during the day. When I started BiPAP 4 months ago, I really didn't see major improvements in my EDS for about 6-8 weeks. I was afraid if I quit caffeine during the day, I'd be sleepy again.

I stopped all caffeine two weeks ago (about the time these parasomnias started). Could this be caffeine withdrawal?

[chunkyfrog]

Abstinence is not moderation.
I still enjoy a cup at work, (and chocolate when I "need" it)

[Deenie-deen]

I have both hypnagogic and hynopompic hallucinations. They are in the form of loud bangs or bells ringing. My sleep doctor did tell me of the voice hallucinations. I have to say I am glad I don't hear voices. I have not had a either kind of hallucinations in the 2-3 months I have been on cpap. That doesn't mean much though, I don't get them often.

[Kate M]

I have both hypnagogic and hynopompic hallucinations.

I just learned a new word! I love learning new things

[SleepingUgly]

I stopped all caffeine two weeks ago (about the time these parasomnias started). Could this be caffeine withdrawal?

Never heard of that as a symptom of caffeine withdrawal. Have you had hallucinations in other contexts before or just as you're falling asleep?