The key difference between hypnagogic and hypnopompic hallucinations is that hypnogogic hallucinations are sleep-related hallucinations that occur as people fall asleep. In contrast, hypnopompic hallucinations are a type of sleep-related hallucinations that occur as people awaken from sleep.
Hallucination is a false perception without an external stimulus like sight, sound, smell, touch, and taste. Hallucination seems like actual events, but they are not. Hypnagogic and hypnopompic hallucinations are both sleep-related hallucinations. Both are not usually a cause for concern.
CONTENTS
1. Overview and Key Difference
2. What are Hypnagogic Hallucinations
3. What are Hypnopompic Hallucinations
4. Similarities – Hypnagogic and Hypnopompic Hallucinations
5. Hypnagogic vs Hypnopompic Hallucinations in Tabular Form
6. Summary – Hypnagogic vs. Hypnopompic Hallucinations
What are Hypnagogic Hallucinations?
Hypnogogic hallucinations are a type of brief sleep-related hallucinations that happen as people fall asleep. Hypnogogic hallucinations are very common and usually are not a cause for concern. They are generally visual in nature and involve images of patterns, shapes, and lights. Moreover, up to 70% of people experience hypnogogic hallucinations at least once. Hypnogogic hallucinations can take different forms, including seeing something that is not there, feeling or sensing something that is not real, and hearing something that is not there. Hypnagogic hallucinations are a common symptom of narcolepsy. Still, they can present in people who do not have narcolepsy, such as those suffering from a mental health disorder or neurological condition.
Researchers are not sure what exactly causes hypnagogic hallucinations. But they are more common in people with certain sleep disorders and health conditions like narcolepsy, insomnia, excessive daytime sleepiness, and mental disorders. Hypnogogic hallucinations can be diagnosed through a sleep study. Furthermore, treatment options for hypnogogic hallucinations may include getting enough quality sleep, following a regular sleep schedule, avoiding alcohol and certain drugs and medications, and taking prescribed antipsychotic drugs (modafinil, fluoxetine, and amphetamines).
What are Hypnopompic Hallucinations?
Hypnopompic hallucinations commonly occur while a person is waking up. The typical symptoms of this condition may include seeing moving shapes and colours or images of animals or people, hearing sounds like the ringing of bells or the sound of talking voices, sounds that may be paired with images, and sensations of weightlessness, the sensation of flying, or a feeling of being in the same room as another person, even when alone.
Moreover, the causes of hypnopompic hallucinations include lack of sleep, certain sleep disorders (narcolepsy), a variety of substances, some mental and physical health conditions (delirium, dementia, fever, epilepsy, anxiety, schizophrenia, depression with psychosis, blindness or deafness, liver and kidney failure, HIV/AIDS, and Guillain-Barre syndrome). Hypnopompic hallucinations can be diagnosed through sleep studies and neurological examinations.
Meanwhile, treatment options for hypnopompic hallucinations may include therapies, relaxation techniques, lifestyle changes (getting the recommended hours of sleep, going to bed and waking up at the same time every day, creating a bedroom environment conducive to sleep, avoiding foods, drinks, and activities that trouble sleep, and getting enough daily exercises) and medications to reduce hallucinations (olanzapine, amisulpride, ziprasidone, and quetiapine).
What are the Similarities Between Hypnagogic and Hypnopompic Hallucinations?
- Hypnagogic and hypnopompic hallucinations are both sleep-related hallucinations.
- Both types can take different forms: visual, somatic, and auditory.
- Both types are usually not a cause for concern.
- They can be diagnosed through sleep studies.
- They can be treated through lifestyle changes and specific medications.
What is the Difference Between Hypnagogic and Hypnopompic Hallucinations?
Hypnogogic hallucinations are a type of sleep-related hallucinations that occur as people are falling asleep. In contrast, hypnopompic hallucinations are a type of sleep-related hallucinations that occur as people are waking. Thus, this is the key difference between hypnagogic and hypnopompic hallucinations. Furthermore, the causes of hypnogogic hallucinations can be certain sleep disorders and health conditions like narcolepsy, insomnia, excessive daytime sleepiness, and mental disorders. On the other hand, the causes of hypnopompic hallucinations include lack of sleep, certain sleep disorders (narcolepsy), a variety of substances, and some mental and physical health conditions.
The infographic below presents the differences between hypnagogic and hypnopompic hallucinations in tabular form for side-by-side comparison.
Summary – Hypnagogic vs. Hypnopompic Hallucinations
Sleep-related hallucinations are sleep disorders characterized by parasomnia. Parasomnia is the undesired events that come along the sleep. Sleep-related hallucinations involve imaging events that seem very real but they are unreal. They mainly involve visual forms but may also involve somatic and sound forms. Hypnagogic and hypnopompic hallucinations are both sleep-related hallucinations. Hypnogogic hallucinations happen as people fall asleep, while hypnopompic hallucinations occur as people awaken from sleep. So, this summarizes the difference between hypnagogic and hypnopompic hallucinations.
Reference:
1. “Hypnogogic Hallucinations: Causes, Symptoms & Treatment.” Cleveland Clinic.
2. “What Are Hypnopompic Hallucinations?” Sleep Foundation.
Image Courtesy:
1. “Effects of sleep deprivation” By Häggström, Mikael (2014).”Medical gallery of Mikael Häggström 2014″ WikiJournal of Medicine 1 (2). DOI:10.15347/wjm/2014.008. ISSN 2002-4436. (CC0) via Commons Wikimedia
2. “Abstraction, hallucination, illusion, multi Colored, spiral” (CC0) via Wallpaper Flare.