Do you do this?

[MrCynical]

I've never understood the term 'drifting off to sleep'. That doesn't happen to me. I am awake (usually for hours after I go to bed) and then I am asleep. I don't notice that I've fallen asleep until I wake up.

It's much the same for me. Unless it's something like three in the morning it usually takes me close to an hour to get to sleep. Strangely I have no trouble going back to sleep in a matter of seconds if I want to (or if I'm in a very boring lecture) for about an hour after I get up in the morning. Maybe I'm supposed to be nocturanal.

As to the suddenly jolting awake thing it does very occasionally happen to me, and seems to be invariably due to me dreaming that I'm falling.

 

[azzaman333]

Do any of you ever "anticipate" your alarm clock? Whatever time I set it for, I will almost always wake up a minute or two before it goes off. It's as if I "know" what time it is. It's very cool, because it's not a sudden awakening from REM like an alarm clock does, I'm just done sleeping right before my alarm goes off, like my body planned it all night long to wake up then.

I used to be able to do it, but no longer can.

Also, I used to be able to set a time in my head when I wanted to wake up, and wak up within 5 minutes of that time 99% of the time. Can't do that anymore either...

 

[ktsk]

I do experience almost all of the mentioned sleep "disorders" except sleep paralysis:
- hypnagogic sensations (falling, presence of "others" in the room, noises, involuntary movements)
- anticipating alarm clock
- nightmares
- lucid dreaming
- false awakenings (really annoying)

I also used to sleepwalk as a kid but no more, at least for a couple of years.

So, the night is an interesting time for me. I've noticed these "malfunctions", as well as sleeplessness, occur more the more stressed I am, but are not directly dependent on the stress level.

 

[Sidhe]

A friend told me it's a reflex, left from the time people used to sleep in trees to avoid being eaten by animals, to avoid falling down from the said trees.

Its when your body starts to shift and your suconcious, or whatever it is that's awake when youre out, takes over and stops you from rolling over too fast.

That same reflex is probably what keeps us from falling out of our beds, I roll around a lot in sleep, but I havent fallen out of my bed once.

It is a reflex action and it is instinctive thus most people will have experienced it at one time or another, including me.

Actually though what stops us falling out of our beds is something typically evolutionarily simple. We roll to our right and then left and then right then left then right, all night, thus we rarely ever move anywhere, simple. Babies don't have this ability at first they develop it later, which is the main reason cots have bars on them, otherwise your baby would learn to fly a lot.

 

[Cheezy the Wiz]

I used to be able to do it, but no longer can.

Also, I used to be able to set a time in my head when I wanted to wake up, and wak up within 5 minutes of that time 99% of the time. Can't do that anymore either...

I did that this morning. I only got five hours of sleep, but I had "decided" I was going to wake up just before my alarm, at an unusual 7 AM (for me, anyway). Sure enough, I roll out of bed at 6:54, more refreshed than if I had gotten ten hours of sleep and woken up to the alarm clock.

 

[raen]

Nope, but sometimes I wake up with the distinct impression that I'm falling. I think it has to do with walking on solid ground in my dream and then sudden having no pressure on my feet.

Used to happen to me when I was < 18 or something, after that no more, dreams decreased alot too, or at least i dont remember them.

 

[Mr. Dictator]

Do any of you ever "anticipate" your alarm clock? Whatever time I set it for, I will almost always wake up a minute or two before it goes off. It's as if I "know" what time it is. It's very cool, because it's not a sudden awakening from REM like an alarm clock does, I'm just done sleeping right before my alarm goes off, like my body planned it all night long to wake up then.

yeah, but my body took it a step further and i managed to reach over to the alarm clock, while sleeping, and turn it off before it went off.

that was fun on school days

 

[Cheezy the Wiz]

yeah, but my body took it a step further and i managed to reach over to the alarm clock, while sleeping, and turn it off before it went off.

that was fun on school days

I've done this.

A friend of mine managed to open her cell phone and turn the alarm off while asleep. Simply puzzling.

 

[Lord_Iggy]

Never happened to me, though I did have Sleep Paralysis once. I slept with my arm above my head, and when I woke up my cold arm fell on my face. It scared the carp out of me.

 

[Sophie 378]

yeah, but my body took it a step further and i managed to reach over to the alarm clock, while sleeping, and turn it off before it went off.

that was fun on school days

I've done this.

A friend of mine managed to open her cell phone and turn the alarm off while asleep. Simply puzzling.

That's not too bad. I have been known to get up, walk across the room, open the desk drawer to get the key out, use the key to unlock the metal filing box, unlock the metal filing box, turn the alarm off, and go back to bed, without apparently waking up or retaining any memory of this when i do actually wake.

I can also answer (correctly) questions about where things are while asleep, even if, when woken and asked again, I have no idea where they are.

 

[Kan' Sharuminar]

I've gotten the 'jerk awake' many a time. Damn annoying, I was just getting comfy.

Worst thing is putting limbs to sleep when resting on them for several hours. I was once a dozing on the couch when the phone rang. As I ran to get it I realised my legs weren't working, and fell flat on my face. This being unusual, I tried again, and once more landed belly-side down on the floor. Bloody annoying.

 

[Adamb0mb]

Happens to me, usually accompanied by a dream where I trip and in my dream I can't place my opposite foot to steady myself (the reflexed leg pushes right through the floor or something).

At least this is what I perceive. The exact moment upon bursting out of slumber is somewhat inexact.