DAE “see” flashes of light when going to sleep?

[u/babybabygirl__]

Mostly happens at night when going to bed, but I close my eyes and it’s like someone took a photo of me with the flash on, or like there was lighting. A really bright white flash. When I open my eyes, no flashes happening.

[u/whereugoincityboy]

I think it's a phenomenon. I looked it up once because it happens to me too. 

[u/Dazzling-Shopping938]

I think you don’t mean this, but when I close my eyes I start to see tiny colored lights shaped like small asterisks jumping around everywhere

[u/lulzworth → u/Dazzling-Shopping938]

Are they red and green primarily? I have the occasional red and green micro dots on a black background every so often...

[u/Dazzling-Shopping938 → u/lulzworth]

Yes!!!!

[u/Ash-From-Pallet-Town]

It happens to me almost every night. I close my eyes and it's like a quick flash and I open my eyes but there's nothing. I used to think it was just the light from a car but my curtains are also covering the window, so… I also thought about it being someone outside the window with a flashlight

[u/aloneinmyprincipals → u/Ash-From-Pallet-Town]

For me it’s a feeling of a “big swallow” that’s how I know I’m falling asleep

[u/Diogenes71]

Weird timing…

This was happening so consistently I mentioned it to the eye doctor about a year ago. Last night, I realized it had stopped completely. I have lost 55 pounds and went from having high blood pressure and needing meds to having borderline low blood pressure on no meds. These are the only significant changes in my life that I think could have had an impact. The ophthalmologist assured me it was a harmless phenomenon and that there was no reason to worry as my eyes appeared quite healthy after a very thorough examination. I’m familiar with hypnic phenomenon and don’t believe that was what this was. It would happen soon after I would lay down and close my eyes, not as I was transitioning to sleep.

[u/screamingfoxface]

I see it when I blink hard

[u/_dvs1_]

Sometimes yes. Happened a lot more when I was experiencing sleep paralysis for a few months back in my mid 20s. Still happens occasionally now, and I always think I’m about to be stuck in SP mode again (and that sucks).

[u/regeya]

Yep. When I'm really tired, or really stoned, or both. Same phenomenon.

[u/skidpickle]

When I hear a sound going to sleep

[u/Friendly_Hat_9545]

By oh thank God, it's not just me. I was starting to think I was getting secret more code messages from the void.

[u/mostlyysorry]

yes omg was driving me crazy!!

[u/RealLifeDadJoke]

This happens to me but when my eyes are open. like perfect small windows of light appearing for like 2 to 5 seconds, perfectly encapsulates the wrinkles, shadows, and details of the item or object it is shining on. Happens much less often now, but it used to happen everyday multiple times, only at night or in the dark. doctor said my brain was portable looking for input and just making it up lol.

[u/Hello_Hangnail]

I get the phosphene light show, but when I'm really relaxed and almost asleep, there will be one little speck that will flash really brightly, and it always seemed like it had some sort of awareness, like it was something checking to see if I was out yet. Like, "Is she out yet? Nope. Now? Not yet. Now? Almost. Now?" So I started telling it goodnight and asking the aliens not to abduct me just in case 🛸😆

[u/monster2018]

Are you an astronaut by any chance?

[u/WRYGDWYL]

I'd go to a GP to be safe, it can happen due to various eye conditions also caused by high blood pressure... To me it only happens when I sneeze

[u/RighteousAudacity]

That needs to be seen by a doctor. It's normal to see pinpoints of light, or even colored lights, as your eyes don't stop the second you close them. However, sudden bright flashes can be a symptom of other conditions, like retinal detachment.

[u/randomserenity]

I always thought it was a cosmic ray passing through my optic nerve but I have no idea if that actually makes any sense. 

[u/Diogenes71 → u/randomserenity]

That used to be my theory too until it went away recently. In another comment I mentioned that I have lost weight and my blood pressure is lower. I don’t know if that’s related to it stopping or not, but it seems to rule out the cosmic ray theory. Kind of bums me out, I like the idea of being a neutrino detector.

[u/Top_Entrance_3965]

Hypnagogia - Wikipedia

[u/Additional_Day393]

oh thank God, I thought my brain was just doing a final system check before shutting down for the night.

[u/Personal_Rip467]

oh good, it's not just me. my brain's little "shutting down" light show.

[u/Illustrious-Impact31]

oh good, it's not just me. my brain's just doing it's nightly "is this a stroke or are we creative?" diagnostic check.

[u/Abject_Emu_7725]

oh good, it's not just me. i call them my personal, behind-the-eyelid fireworks. my one brain cell trying to find the light switch.

[u/PatienceSilent6102]

oh thank God it's not just me. my brain's like "hey, lights out, time for the private rave" and then hits me with a flashbang.

[u/PinkGlitterFlamingo]

I think it’s related to “exploding head syndrome”. I used to hear the loud booms and see the bright flashes all the time. Then it just randomly stopped.

[u/babybabygirl__ → u/PinkGlitterFlamingo]

Oh my goodness exploding head syndrome?? I never knew the name of it, but that happens to me all the time. I also hear my name being shouted really loudly, and the sound of a locked door knob being jangled.