What to do when the line between reality and semi-sleep is blurred

Awake Between Worlds: Understanding Hypnagogia and the Threshold Between Sleep and Wakefulness by Katerina Silin is a brief, concise, clear, and easy to understand book about the psychological state of hypnagogia which she has personally experienced. She also mentions well known creative minds, including writer Charles Dickens who have literally imagined solutions or material for their work while in a state of hypnagogia, and acknowledges, “hypnagogia can become an inexhaustible creative resource.”

Silin describes the hypnagogic state as, “…a very brief and specific moment that scientists describe as the boundary between wakefulness and sleep…Many people spoke about the sensation of falling at the moment of falling asleep—often accompanied by sudden muscle jerks. This, too, is part of hypnagogia…I see shadows—vivid images of strangers and animals—at the very moment I should be falling asleep…My brain, trained for logic, could not cope with the fact that these visions felt absolutely real…Every night, my brain seemed to get stuck between wakefulness and sleep.” These visual images can also be accompanied by auditory experiences. 

Silin reassures readers, “You are not alone. And you are capable of handling this…Hypnagogic images are not a problem…Your brain is simply signaling a need for care, rest, and calm.” She continues, “Based on my understanding and experience, several factors most often provoke this malfunction.” She describes a number of conditions that can trigger hypnagogic episodes, and more importantly, provides a series of responses that have proven effective for her, and can be used to manage the condition. She states, “I have not learned how to completely eliminate fear, but I have learned how to let it pass through me. This was the key step in my acceptance.” 

When it comes to proactively managing conditions that can lead to an episode, Silin provides a Self Care Plan, “After analyzing your Observation Journal, you begin to notice patterns. Your images are not random—they are a response. Now it is time to turn this understanding into an active strategy for caring for your highly sensitive nervous system.” She encourages, “Every time you choose a walk over anxiety, use earplugs to create silence, or say no to stimulants, you are doing more than following the rules of sleep hygiene.”

Although I was familiar with the expression “hypnagogic state,” I never really understood exactly what it meant, what causes it, and how it might be managed. Author Silin answers these questions, describes her “slowing down” ritual for relaxing before bedtime, and shares a specific action plan for how to effectively manage symptoms that works well for her.