Hypnagogic Hallucinations: Are They Normal Before Sleep?
Health ConditionsSleep

Is It Normal to Hallucinate Before Sleep?

Is It Normal to Hallucinate Before Sleep?
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Published on March 18, 2026
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Hallucinations while falling asleep are a fairly common experience — up to 70 percent of people experience it at least once. Known as hypnagogic hallucinations, they're typically brief, fleeting, and nothing to worry about.

Here are some facts on why they occur and the symptoms that aren’t normal, so you’ll know when it’s time to talk to your doctor.

What Are Hypnagogic Hallucinations?

Hypnagogic hallucinations are false experiences involving your senses that happen during the transition period between waking and sleep (hypnagogia).

Like other types of hallucinations, they may feel real, but are not. They can occur in anyone, though they’re more common in people who have certain health conditions, like narcolepsy.

Another type of hallucination that happens in the periods between being awake and asleep is hypnopompic hallucinations. They’re similar to hypnagogic hallucinations, but happen as you’re waking up.

Neither is typically a cause for concern.

They are also not dreams. Unlike hypnagogic and hypnopompic hallucinations, which involve brief sounds or images, dreams typically follow a storyline. It’s also usually clearer when you wake up from a dream. A hypnagogic or hypnopompic hallucination can blur with reality because they occur when you’re partly awake.

But there is some controversy over whether these experiences actually qualify as “hallucinations.” By definition, hallucinations occur when someone is fully awake and alert. They also typically affect someone’s sense of self or personal narrative, whereas hypnagogic hallucinations do not.

What Do Hypnagogic Hallucinations Feel Like?

Hypnagogic hallucinations vary from person to person, but most are brief.

The most common types are:

  • Visual Most hypnagogic hallucinations are visual, typically involving changing geometric patterns, shapes, or flashes of light. They can also include images, such as animals or people.
  • Tactile and Kinetic Sensations Many hypnagogic hallucinations involve feelings of weightlessness, falling, or even sensing someone else in the room.
  • Auditory Hypnagogic hallucinations can include sounds like people talking or animal noises.

What Causes Hypnagogic Hallucinations?

Hypnagogic hallucinations often occur in healthy people. Unlike daytime hallucinations (which can interfere with daily life and signal an underlying medical condition like schizophrenia or Parkinson’s disease), they don’t typically make someone question reality or the sense of who they are.

 In other words, people don’t usually act upon or dwell on these experiences.

Women, younger adults, and those with sleep issues like insomnia are more likely to report hypnagogic hallucinations, according to some research.

 Sleep deprivation may contribute to hypnagogic hallucinations because it causes the borders between ‘wake’ and ‘sleep’ to begin to break down, says Jamie Zeitzer, PhD, a researcher and professor of sleep medicine at Stanford University in Palo Alto, California.

 “Different parts of the brain can be signaling for wake and sleep simultaneously,” Dr. Zeitzer notes.

Potential triggers for hypnagogic hallucinations may include the following factors, most of which are connected in some way to too little sleep.

Treatment and Management

If hypnagogic hallucinations aren’t causing distress or excessive daytime sleepiness, they don’t require intervention, says Jocelyn Y. Cheng, MD, the vice chair of the American Academy of Sleep Medicine public safety committee.

Even then, lifestyle changes are typically the first line of defense, Dr. Cheng says. Hypnagogic hallucinations may diminish if you get enough high-quality sleep, follow a regular sleep schedule, and avoid alcohol. If you’re taking certain medications associated with hypnagogic hallucinations, talk to your doctor about changing your dose or switching.

Best practices for quality sleep include:

“If anxiety or stress interferes with sleep, mitigations may include implementing relaxation strategies like deep breathing before sleep, mindfulness and meditation, or cognitive behavioral therapy-based techniques,” Cheng says.

When to See a Doctor

If hypnagogic hallucinations cause anxiety or distress, or you have other symptoms (like sudden, overwhelming daytime sleepiness or muscle weakness), talk to a doctor rather than self-diagnosing.

 They can review your current medications and determine if you have an underlying condition, like narcolepsy, that may be contributing.

If your healthcare provider suspects you have narcolepsy or another sleep disorder, they may refer you to a sleep specialist (somnologist).

Also, see your doctor if you begin experiencing hallucinations during the day. This may be due to substance use, certain medications, or a temporary condition such as a high fever or urinary tract infection. Alternatively, it may indicate a neurological disorder, such as Parkinson’s disease or Alzheimer’s disease, or a mental health condition like schizophrenia.

The Takeaway

  • Hypnagogic hallucinations — perceptions of experiences that occur as you’re falling asleep — can be visual, auditory, or tactile.
  • They are common and typically harmless, unless they cause you distress or anxiety.
  • You can try to get better sleep and avoid certain medications to have fewer hypnagogic hallucinations, but it’s important to see a doctor if they’re affecting your well-being or daytime wakefulness.
EDITORIAL SOURCES
Everyday Health follows strict sourcing guidelines to ensure the accuracy of its content, outlined in our editorial policy. We use only trustworthy sources, including peer-reviewed studies, board-certified medical experts, patients with lived experience, and information from top institutions.
Resources
  1. Hypnagogic Hallucinations. Cleveland Clinic. June 10, 2022.
  2. Ghibellini R et al. Hypnagogic States Are Quite Common: Self-Reported Prevalence, Modalities, and Gender Differences. Consciousness and Cognition. October 7, 2023.
  3. Hallucinations. Cleveland Clinic. June 26, 2022.
  4. Ghibellini R et al. The Hypnagogic State: A Brief Update. Journal of Sleep Research. August 26, 2022.
  5. Punton G et al. The Effects of Acute Sleep Deprivation on Cognitive Control Mechanisms Associated With Hallucinatory Experiences. Journal of Sleep Research. December 9, 2025.
  6. Hanin C et al. Narcolepsy and Psychosis: A Systematic Review. Acta Psychiatrica Scandinavica. May 5, 2021.
  7. Can Insomnia Cause Hallucinations? Exploring the Link Between Sleep Deprivation, Mental Health, and Brain Function. Brain Health USA Center. October 17, 2025.
  8. Hernández A. Hypnagogic Hallucinations. Osmosis. March 4, 2025.
  9. Solodar J et al. Sleep Hygiene: Simple Practices for Better Rest. Harvard Medical School. January 31, 2025.
  10. Manage Stress to Flourish. Cornell University.
  11. Narcolepsy. Mayo Clinic. November 15, 2024.
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Abhinav Singh

Abhinav Singh, MD

Medical Reviewer

Abhinav Singh, MD, is a board-certified sleep medicine specialist and the medical director of the Indiana Sleep Center. He is also an associate clinical professor at Marian University College of Osteopathic Medicine in Indianapolis, where he developed and teaches a sleep medicine rotation.

Dr. Singh’s research and clinical practice focus on sleep disorders, including excessive daytime sleepiness, narcolepsy, sleep apnea, insomnia, and sleep education.

Singh is a peer reviewer for the Journal of Clinical Sleep Medicine, Sleep Health (from the National Sleep Foundation) and the Journal of Sleep Disorders: Treatment and Care, and is coauthor of the book Sleep to Heal: 7 Simple Steps to Better Sleep. He has received several Top Doctor recognitions and is the sleep specialist for the Indiana Pacers NBA team.

He lives in the Indianapolis area and enjoys music production and racquet sports.

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Kelsey Kloss

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Kelsey Kloss is a health and wellness journalist with over a decade of experience. She started her career as an in-house editor for brands including Reader’s Digest, Elle Decor, Good Housekeeping, Prevention, Woman's Day, and Redbook, and her work has been featured in over 50 publications.

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