First-Known Hypnopompic Hallucination Occurring In-Hospital: Case Report
January 1, 2006 Pauline Do
Hypnopompic hallucinations (upon waking) and hypnagogic hallucinations (before sleep) are common in the general population, yet no English-language reports describe hospital staff observing them. These hallucinations are normal phenomena but also characteristic of narcolepsy and can be triggered by certain medications. They occur more often in people with psychiatric conditions: those with anxiety, depression, or bipolar disorder have a twofold increase in weekly episodes, and those with adjustment disorders a 1.5-fold increase. Lifetime incidence varies widely in the literature (hypnopompic 6–13%, hypnagogic 25–38%). Over half of people who experience them have no associated disorder. The authors recommend careful interviewing when hallucinations first appear in someone unaware of them, to screen for sleep disorders.