Jolted from REM sleep dangerous?

**Freestepper** · 09-30-2014 08:03 AM

I had a weird experience the other day, I was wondering if I could possible get some feedback. I had fallen asleep and dreamt, and in my dream almost the exact same scenario was taking place as was in the real world. There was nothing strange about the dream, and so I thought it was real. All of a sudden I am jolted awake by my dad who had called my name. I was disoriented, to say the least, and couldn't figure out what had happened. I had thought that I already was awake.
Now here's the weird part, I got a sharp pain in my head when I woke suddenly. It passed after a few seconds.

I had heard that waking someone from REM sleep is really dangerous. 1., was I actually in REM sleep? and 2., is it possible that the pain in my head was from being awoken too quickly from REM, if it was, in fact, REM?

**Schmaven** · 09-30-2014 11:57 AM

I think most people would agree that it would be best to wake up at the natural end of a sleep cycle. I don't think it's dangerous. Mostly because so many people wake up using alarm clocks, which often interrupt the REM stage. Waking up from a deep sleep too can be uncomfortable. It's painful to be awake compared to that state of sleep, but I wouldn't be concerned about it at all.

**Sivason** · 09-30-2014 12:29 PM

I agree about the alarm clock thing. I do not think waking suddenly is the least bit dangerous.

**Eddydpyl** · 09-30-2014 06:27 PM

I have a friend who decided to quit lucid dreaming due to the sharp pain in the head he felt every time he suddently woke up out of a (lucid) nightmare. He didn't really know a thing about lucid dreaming back then, it seems like if he had related being lucid in a dream with horrible things happening, within the dream. The point is, jolting out of the dream did cause him quite of a headacke.

**martakartus** · 09-30-2014 08:44 PM

I don't think it's dangerous either, but it's quite uncomfortable if you ask me. I hate being startled awake, I always try to make sure my alarm is gentle and wakes me up slowly. Also, being jolted awake makes my dream recall drop, and I don't think I'm the only one in this.

**Freestepper** · 10-01-2014 08:51 PM

Interesting...Thanks for your input, guys. I've never had it happen where it hurt before, so I was a bit worried.

**PercyLucid** · 10-10-2014 06:50 PM

I do not believe it is dangerous (the only "danger" you might face is that your entire dream can get obliterated on the spot, happened to me sometimes with the alarm clock)

This is normal actually, it happened to be once, being in trance in a meditation group and someone calling my name... I would jolt very hard, not a nice feeling, but not harmful

**MaskedMan** · 10-30-2014 03:06 AM

Originally Posted by martakartus

I don't think it's dangerous either, but it's quite uncomfortable if you ask me. I hate being startled awake, I always try to make sure my alarm is gentle and wakes me up slowly. Also, being jolted awake makes my dream recall drop, and I don't think I'm the only one in this.

Yeah for me it has always been that if i wake up and rush out of bed and get ready because i'm late for something or if someone wakes me up then i cannot remember the slightest detail of what i just dreamt about.

**Memm** · 10-30-2014 07:21 PM

It could be the sudden rush of blood to your head after you were so relaxed or something along those lines, I don't think it's normally dangerous, ask a doctor? =]