What type of hallucination occurs while falling asleep?

Hypnagogic hallucinations occur as a person transitions from wakefulness to sleep. These hallucinations can involve visual, auditory, or even tactile sensations and typically happen during the early stages of sleep. They are relatively common and can result in vivid and sometimes frightening experiences, which can be mistaken for reality.

Understanding hypnagogic hallucinations is important in psychiatry and sleep medicine because they are often benign and can occur in healthy individuals, especially when sleep deprivation is present. They can sometimes be confused with other sleep disorders, but their timing—associated with the onset of sleep—distinguishes them from other types of hallucinations that may occur during wakefulness or arise from sleep disruptions.