Why Do We Sometimes Dream Of Falling Into The Void?

Dreaming that we fall into the void is something so common that it is said that at least 95% of the population has experienced it at some time. It creates sudden anxiety in us and sometimes makes us wake up suddenly. There are several factors that can cause it, such as excessive caffeine consumption or physical and emotional stress.

You may be trying to find the meaning of this dream. However, keep in mind that dream analysis is very subjective. In this article we will try to shed some light on this matter. Why do we dream that we fall?

Dreaming that we fall into the void: possible explanations

Dreaming that we fall into the void is very common. We have just fallen asleep, we dream that we walk in complete tranquility and, suddenly, we fall into a deep abyss.

• The ground disappears under the feet or we rush to a slope where our body is suspended.
• We feel that brutal sensation of fall.
• Our hearts race and we wake up scared and with restlessness glued to our body and mind.

It is also common to have the feeling that, without knowing how, we are falling out of bed. What’s more, many people actually fall for it. Why does this phenomenon occur?

1. It occurs in the early stages of sleep

If you think a bit about the times when you have had these dreams, you will surely realize that it usually happens within a few minutes of going to bed.

It is believed that it can occur due to a small decompensation between the so-called vestibular system, present in our ears; and the kinesthetic system that makes us aware of movements.

The body has not yet adapted to our horizontal position, so there is a small processing error that forces us to suddenly wake up with the clear sensation that we are falling. Some people even actually fall out of bed.

2. The stress component is also important

This sensation is called hypnic myoclonus and is categorized as a transitional sleep-wake disorder. It is a very common jerk of the muscle or group of muscles, which can occur in any healthy individual.

Try to relate how your personal and emotional state was each time you have experienced this phenomenon. Dreaming of falling into the void is believed to be related to stress and anxiety.

We subject our brains to great activity, cortisol speeds up our basic functions, worry increases, brain waves go to the maximum of their limits. However, when we go to bed our body relaxes, but the brain is still too active, much more than normal.

It is then when a new decompensation occurs: the high brain activity plus a relaxed body, causes a sensation of fall that translates into this type of dreams and that, in a few moments, forces us to wake up alarmed.

It can also be due to the use of some medications. Hypnotic spasms have been reported with the use of some serotonin inhibitor antidepressant drugs such as escitalopram.

3. The phenomenon of sleep paralysis

We already talked about sleep paralysis in our article on sleep-related nocturnal disorders. It usually happens when we are aware that we are having a nightmare, however, we cannot wake up.

• The sensation is very vivid and intense, sometimes even terrifying, since everything is very real.

In the same way, dreaming that we fall into the void can become an unpleasant experience. It also forces us to want to wake up before feeling the pain of the fall.

Dreaming that we fall into the void: curiosities

We could conclude by saying that this phenomenon has as its main cause stress. Our brain is overexcited, and with it, the first stages of sleep lead to this mind-body decompensation. Consequently, the brain reacts with these anxiety-filled dreams.

However, as a curiosity, we must also talk to you about the version that ethology gives us, explaining that it may be due to an inherited instinct, from when our hominid ancestors slept in the trees and were forced to wake up suddenly so as not to fall. Curious right?