The falling feeling is HH. The visuals are hypnagogic illusions, or HI
It vary with everyone, and even varies within the person. Sometimes I have HI for a bit before falling asleep, or sometimes I don't get any HI before falling asleep
I really can't tell if I'm in SP because I don't get that "hag" feeling, I do feel a turning over feeling, but that's just HH. I never know when I'm in SP, so I assume that I just don't get that sensation of heaviness/ falling through my bed (Which is what happens when your brain disconnects from your body). I've heard some people, don't experiance HH/HI and can go right into SP
The only thing I do is I try to slightly move my index finger (just barely so I don't come out of SP) and many times I can feel it's very hard to move, so I assume I'm in SP and stop so I don't ruin it
Also, I've experianced the falling/ turning over feeling the second I get comfy. I just attribute it to moving a lot and then you're not moving but still feels like you are (like after playing Guitar Hero and you look at a wall and the wall appears to be moving... same concept I think)
As for your topic title. It sounds like you may have been close to SP. I would recommend that next time you try this, wait for the falling to stop and any HI stop as well, and try to slowly move your index finger slowly. It should feel more like you're flexing it when you try to move. If it seems difficult to move, then you're in SP

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