Sticklah Posted May 6, 2008 Share Posted May 6, 2008 This hasn't happened in at least a year or two but I can remember sometimes I would wake up and feel like I'm falling and them like half a second later I would stop and be all freaked out and in a cold sweat. Just wondering if this has happened to anyone else? Or if its a medical name for it or anything? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
neil#2 Posted May 7, 2008 Share Posted May 7, 2008 That happens to me sometimes. Sometimes it happens when I'm wide awake. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jack Aubrey Posted May 7, 2008 Share Posted May 7, 2008 QUOTE (Sticklah @ May 6 2008, 07:52 PM) This hasn't happened in at least a year or two but I can remember sometimes I would wake up and feel like I'm falling and them like half a second later I would stop and be all freaked out and in a cold sweat. Just wondering if this has happened to anyone else? Or if its a medical name for it or anything? I think the technical term is "dream". Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
snowdogged Posted May 7, 2008 Share Posted May 7, 2008 That's weird because it happened to me the other night and woke me up and that hadn't happened to me in over a dozen years. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alex Posted May 7, 2008 Share Posted May 7, 2008 It happens to everyone once and a while. Sometimes people have it more often than others. Most of the time this happens if some event happened that day that you aren't so sure about or you feel insecure in some way. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tortoise and Hare Posted May 7, 2008 Share Posted May 7, 2008 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alsgalpal Posted May 7, 2008 Share Posted May 7, 2008 I get them a lot now. Usually I see myself coming off the motorcycle again. It's flipping, and I am falling, and I wake up with a huge startle, and I am sweating and shaking. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Maddy Posted May 7, 2008 Share Posted May 7, 2008 QUOTE (Jack Aubrey @ May 6 2008, 08:00 PM) QUOTE (Sticklah @ May 6 2008, 07:52 PM) This hasn't happened in at least a year or two but I can remember sometimes I would wake up and feel like I'm falling and them like half a second later I would stop and be all freaked out and in a cold sweat. Just wondering if this has happened to anyone else? Or if its a medical name for it or anything? I think the technical term is "dream". Subcategory: Nightmare Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
izzy Posted May 7, 2008 Share Posted May 7, 2008 I haven't heard of a medical name for it... a bad dream. Once my friend had a dream she was falling and she moved like up and plunked down on the bed and I was like "WHAT ARE YOU DOING" and I woke her up and she told me that was her dream... I've felt that too and I'll wake myself up when I 'bounce up.' I don't know it always feels like I'm in one of those balloon bouncy-things... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
OriginalFan Posted May 7, 2008 Share Posted May 7, 2008 I think we're talking about two distinct things here, but they're related. There's actually a physiological basis for that falling sensation that is rooted in our evolutionary past. Early primates slept in trees and there was a part of the brain always just awake enough to make sure they kept holding on so as to not fall off the branch. And while we no longer sleep in trees (or at least not very often ), evolution has seen fit to simply build on the early brain structures - very little has ever been lost (think "appendix") so occasionally we have to subconsciously make sure we're still holding on! And it's dreadfully scary when we realize we AREN'T, but haven't yet realized we're LAYING DOWN... I don't recall the exact academic reference so I can't quote it precisely, but you get the drift. Kismet (taking off the anthropologist hat now ) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mazyyz Posted May 7, 2008 Share Posted May 7, 2008 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Merely Space Posted May 7, 2008 Share Posted May 7, 2008 I used to get it a lot. It always happened as I was drifting off. I'd be slipping gently into sleep, suddenly feel I was falling and jerk awake. Very annoying. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
missionman Posted May 7, 2008 Share Posted May 7, 2008 Has anybody ever hit the ground? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
different strings Posted May 7, 2008 Share Posted May 7, 2008 QUOTE (Merely Space @ May 7 2008, 03:29 PM) I used to get it a lot. It always happened as I was drifting off. I'd be slipping gently into sleep, suddenly feel I was falling and jerk awake. Very annoying. This is exactly the same thing that happens to me from time to time and YES it is very annoying. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alsgalpal Posted May 7, 2008 Share Posted May 7, 2008 QUOTE (OriginalFan @ May 6 2008, 07:22 PM) I think we're talking about two distinct things here, but they're related. There's actually a physiological basis for that falling sensation that is rooted in our evolutionary past. Early primates slept in trees and there was a part of the brain always just awake enough to make sure they kept holding on so as to not fall off the branch. And while we no longer sleep in trees (or at least not very often ), evolution has seen fit to simply build on the early brain structures - very little has ever been lost (think "appendix") so occasionally we have to subconsciously make sure we're still holding on! And it's dreadfully scary when we realize we AREN'T, but haven't yet realized we're LAYING DOWN... I don't recall the exact academic reference so I can't quote it precisely, but you get the drift. Kismet (taking off the anthropologist hat now ) Awesome! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mr. Mojo Risin' Posted May 8, 2008 Share Posted May 8, 2008 QUOTE (OriginalFan @ May 6 2008, 07:22 PM) I think we're talking about two distinct things here, but they're related. There's actually a physiological basis for that falling sensation that is rooted in our evolutionary past. Early primates slept in trees and there was a part of the brain always just awake enough to make sure they kept holding on so as to not fall off the branch. And while we no longer sleep in trees (or at least not very often ), evolution has seen fit to simply build on the early brain structures - very little has ever been lost (think "appendix") so occasionally we have to subconsciously make sure we're still holding on! And it's dreadfully scary when we realize we AREN'T, but haven't yet realized we're LAYING DOWN... I don't recall the exact academic reference so I can't quote it precisely, but you get the drift. Kismet (taking off the anthropologist hat now ) I was gonna say something about evolution from monkeys. Haha, nice hat. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mazyyz Posted May 8, 2008 Share Posted May 8, 2008 QUOTE (OriginalFan @ May 6 2008, 11:22 PM) I think we're talking about two distinct things here, but they're related. There's actually a physiological basis for that falling sensation that is rooted in our evolutionary past. Early primates slept in trees and there was a part of the brain always just awake enough to make sure they kept holding on so as to not fall off the branch. And while we no longer sleep in trees (or at least not very often ), evolution has seen fit to simply build on the early brain structures - very little has ever been lost (think "appendix") so occasionally we have to subconsciously make sure we're still holding on! And it's dreadfully scary when we realize we AREN'T, but haven't yet realized we're LAYING DOWN... I don't recall the exact academic reference so I can't quote it precisely, but you get the drift. Kismet (taking off the anthropologist hat now ) That is from Carl Jung's psychology. I want to say "archetypes" but not sure. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
owlswing Posted May 8, 2008 Share Posted May 8, 2008 QUOTE (mazyyz @ May 7 2008, 10:54 PM) QUOTE (OriginalFan @ May 6 2008, 11:22 PM) I think we're talking about two distinct things here, but they're related. There's actually a physiological basis for that falling sensation that is rooted in our evolutionary past. Early primates slept in trees and there was a part of the brain always just awake enough to make sure they kept holding on so as to not fall off the branch. And while we no longer sleep in trees (or at least not very often ), evolution has seen fit to simply build on the early brain structures - very little has ever been lost (think "appendix") so occasionally we have to subconsciously make sure we're still holding on! And it's dreadfully scary when we realize we AREN'T, but haven't yet realized we're LAYING DOWN... I don't recall the exact academic reference so I can't quote it precisely, but you get the drift. Kismet (taking off the anthropologist hat now ) That is from Carl Jung's psychology. I want to say "archetypes" but not sure. Wouldn't this mean it would also relate to falling out of bed and we "should" wake just before falling out Yet some still fall out of bed. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rushgoober Posted May 8, 2008 Share Posted May 8, 2008 My understanding is that it's some kind of psychic/spiritual phenomena that involves literally (or even metaphorically) "falling" back into your body from another/other levels of consciousness. Of course, this presupposes a belief that we're multi-dimensional beings. The more pragmatic among us surely won't accept such an explanataion, however, and will necessarily have to interpret that kind of experience in more prosaic terms. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PassTheAmmunition Posted May 8, 2008 Share Posted May 8, 2008 You might actually want to have youself evaluated for Sleep Apnea, or breathing disorders while asleep. One typical condition or side effect associated with a certain type of apnea involves a 'startle' sensation that wakes one out of light or deep sleep as the body's means of getting oxygen - a sensation that has been likened to a jerking or sudden body shake that may be quite similar to feeling as though one has been falling, and when finding oneself awake, a deep gasp of breath can occur, along with increased heartrate, sweating, etc. A lot of books on the subject suggest sleeping on your side or reclined to alleviate pressure on the airways. Does it happen when you side sleep? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
owlswing Posted May 9, 2008 Share Posted May 9, 2008 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
edie Posted May 10, 2008 Share Posted May 10, 2008 Happens to me several times a week. It's like when you get to the bottom of the stairs and you find there's another step. It doesn't seem to be linked to stress, and I have no trouble sleeping - in fact I'm very good at sleeping, even on aeroplanes. Anyone else had the sleep paralysis experience where you think you are awake and there's something heavy on your chest? Very scary. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TheRocinanteKid Posted May 10, 2008 Share Posted May 10, 2008 I haven't had it for a while but it used to be pretty regular, especially if I hadn't been in bed all that long. I think its pretty awesome actually... even if it doesn't feel like it at the time, afterwards there's a cool adrenaline rush. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gleamingalloyaircar81 Posted May 11, 2008 Share Posted May 11, 2008 Sometimes when I am lying down with my eyes closed my legs will just start shaking and kicking. Thats probably just my epilepsy though. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nimagraven Posted May 11, 2008 Share Posted May 11, 2008 QUOTE (edie @ May 10 2008, 03:25 PM) Happens to me several times a week. It's like when you get to the bottom of the stairs and you find there's another step. It doesn't seem to be linked to stress, and I have no trouble sleeping - in fact I'm very good at sleeping, even on aeroplanes. Anyone else had the sleep paralysis experience where you think you are awake and there's something heavy on your chest? Very scary. I've had sleep paralysis and "hallucinated" at the same time. Not good. Yes, very scary . Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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