Have you ever been convinced that you have just woken up, but in reality you are still dreaming? If so, you may have experienced a false awakening.

A false awakening occurs when a dreamer awakens during a dream only to realize that he or she is still dreaming and later wakes up. While the dreamer thinks he or she is awake, he or she may make the motions of turning off the alarm, getting out of bed, and eating breakfast. However, they would suddenly find themselves truly awake, still in bed.

How do false awakenings occur in regular, lucid dreams?
False awakening is a combination of sleep and wakefulness states of consciousness. Our brains are in a semi-conscious state; Not completely awake but not completely asleep either. In fact, many sleep disorders occur during this mixed brain state, including lucid dreams and sleep paralysis.

During lucid dreams, the dreamer is aware that he or she is dreaming. They can even influence the outcome of the dream. In sleep paralysis, the dreamer wakes up, but his body freezes as if paralyzed. However, false awakening is not the same as sleep paralysis or lucid dreaming. The dreamer may become paralyzed, but only within the dream. Once they are actually awake, they can move around as usual.

False awakenings occur during regular dreams and lucid dreams. Sometimes, during a false awakening in a dream, the dreamer can become aware that something is a little “off” in the dream. They have a feeling that everything is not as it should be.

It can also occur multiple times in one dream. The dreamer may think that he woke up several times during his dream. Then they wake up properly, only to discover that they were asleep all the time before. False awakenings that occur over and over in the same dream are “intersecting” dreams.

2 types of false awakening
There are two types of false awakening:

Type I
The first type is the most common type of false awakening. The first type of false awakening occurs once or twice a year. Here the dreamer does his natural work of waking up. For example, they may get out of bed, turn on the shower, prepare breakfast, wake up their children, etc.

During this type of awakening, the dreamer may or may not notice that his or her surroundings are a bit strange. The environment may not be realistic for them. For example, they may wake up in a place other than their bedroom.

False awakenings of the first type occur when the dreamer believes that he or she has overslept and is late for work. They “wake up” in their dream but are actually still asleep in bed. Only when they wake up properly do they understand what happened. It is a surprise to the dreamer but not overly worrying.

Type 2
The second type is a rare type of false awakening. False awakenings of the second type can occur several times per night. Here the dreamer realizes the feeling of panic. They know something is wrong but can’t put their finger on it.

In this type of false awakening, the dreamer wakes up to an atmosphere of stress or tension. They feel fear immediately when they wake up. They feel suspicious and uncomfortable. The environment seems strange although the dreamer cannot explain what is wrong. They just know something isn’t right.

Causes of false awakening in dreams

False awakenings in dreams are associated with interrupted or disturbed sleep patterns.

For example:

insomnia
Snoring
Frequently getting up to use the toilet
Teeth grinding
Fatigue during the day
Environmental noise
Restless leg syndrome
False daydreaming is associated with mixed brain states and/or underlying anxiety. Mixed brain states are more associated with type 1 arousal, while anxiety is associated with type 2 arousal.

Mixed brain states

There is still a lot we don’t know about the brain and its different levels of consciousness. In particular, the possibility that our brains can experience several states of consciousness simultaneously.

So, in reality, we can be asleep and dreaming but also awake at the same time. During this mixed brain state we feel disoriented. Are we awake or still asleep? If our brain is in that gray area between two states of consciousness, it is not surprising that we are not sure whether we are dreaming or whether we are awake.

Most people experience false daydreaming once or twice a year. In these cases, a specific event will lead to awakening. For example, you may have an important job interview the next day and dream that you overslept and missed the interview.

Anxiety or worry

On the other hand, some people experience frequent and recurring false awakenings in their dreams. This is related to underlying anxiety or real-life anxiety that has not been addressed.

These awakenings are related to type 2 dreams where you feel uncomfortable upon waking up. You wake up to an extreme feeling of panic. Experts believe that your subconscious mind is trying to tell you that you need to confront the problem or anxiety in your life. In a sense, this is your subconscious giving you a wake-up call. Your brain literally wakes you up twice.

False awakening in lucid dreams

False awakening occurs in lucid dreaming. The lucid dreamer realizes that he is in a dream. As such, to some extent, they can control what happens and what they do.

There are two separate components to controlling lucid dreaming;

Manipulating the environment or the characters within it
Controlling one’s actions within the dream
False awakenings appear to be related to the dreamer exercising self-control, rather than manipulating his or her dream environment. In fact, lucid dreamers are more prone to false awakenings.

Symptoms of false awakening in dreams

In the first and second types of false daydreams, there are clues that can indicate that you are not awake. This is usually one thing that appears out of place. For example, someone you don’t expect to see, or something in your home that shouldn’t be there.

You usually have a feeling that something is wrong. But there are ways you can test yourself. Look at your environment carefully; Are the windows and doors straight and the right size? Does the clock face have the correct numbers?

It is important to realize what is misplaced. This is for two reasons:

It is evidence that makes you realize that you are still dreaming.
It can lead to the underlying problem that worries you.
Dream analyst Kari Hoehn reminds us:

“We dream about what we do not encounter during the day. If we block something from awareness, it can appear in our dreams.

Dreaming allows us to process the thoughts and experiences of the day. Even the unconscious ones.

Is there a cure for false awakening?

In general, there is no cure for this type of sleep disorder. However, if you are experiencing frequent and disturbing false awakenings that affect you, it may be a sign of underlying anxiety or generalized anxiety.

In this case, talk therapy may be enough to get to the root of your anxiety. Once you deal with the anxiety or stress, your sleep should return to normal. Only if awakenings cause you serious distress will some type of sleep therapy or dream therapy be offered. Medications can be used to control the symptoms of a sleep disorder.