Seeing or Hearing Something as You Drift Off: Words for the Appointment

If you have started hesitating before bedtime because of something you saw or heard while drifting off, you may also be hesitating over how to explain it. You can start with what happened and when.

Get help before preparing a routine appointment

NHS¹ guidance advises urgent medical help for hallucinations. Seek emergency help for sudden confusion, speech that stops making sense, rapidly worsening hallucinations, severe agitation or aggression, wanting to harm yourself or someone else, or voices directing harm. Call your local emergency number; do not drive yourself. In the UK, urgent help is through a GP or NHS 111, and emergencies through 999 or A&E.¹

Explain the moment first

Hypnagogic hallucinations occur while falling asleep and can involve brief images, sounds or sensations. Hypnopompic hallucinations happen while waking. Timing matters: experiences while fully awake need assessment rather than being assumed to be part of a sleep transition.²

These are reusable example words. Replace the details with your own experience:

“As I was falling asleep, I saw or heard something that seemed real. I want to describe it without guessing the cause. Can we discuss what needs assessing?”

If you are unsure whether you were falling asleep, say that. Avoid making your account fit a label you found online.

Bring the details you remember

Write what you perceived, how long it seemed to last and whether you were falling asleep, waking or already fully awake. Note how often it happened and what you did afterward. If you cannot estimate the duration, write “not sure.”

You might add:

“I have started delaying bedtime because I am worried it will happen again. What should I record, and what changes should prompt another call?”

Cleveland Clinic² advises discussing distress or other symptoms with a healthcare professional. These experiences can occur with or without narcolepsy; they do not establish that diagnosis. Mention daytime sleepiness and other sleep concerns.²

Bring your current medicine list and any recent changes. Ask whether the clinician wants more details about your sleep schedule or anything you take before bed.

Clarify the plan before leaving

“What are you considering? Do I need further assessment? Who should I contact if this happens while I am fully awake, or if it gets worse?”

A clinician can assess whether an underlying condition needs treatment and whether current medicines need review. Let the prescriber direct any medicine changes.²

Write down the agreed next step and contact route. Use the instructions you receive for your circumstances.

Did I Do That in My Sleep? includes a Visit Brief and a 14-Night Lights-Out Record. They can organize your appointment questions and sleep observations alongside the clinician’s instructions. See the book.