Amnesia upon waking. is it normal to not know who you are upon waking up?

44% Normal
7 Comments

Sometimes I wake up in the middle of the night and I have no idea who I am, where I am, my own personal history... anything.

And at the same time, I always seem to have this horrible feeling that all of consciousness is pointless and I will die eventually, my temporary consciousness fading into nothing.

It's a bit like waking up to a panic attack. It's a very horrible feeling and it takes a minute or so for all the jumbled pieces of information to come together clearly enough that things start to make sense again. The strangest part is the feeling of a lack of my own identity and autobiography.

Is this normal?

Voting Results
44% Normal
Based on 72 votes (32 yes)
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Comments ( 7 )
  • Faceless
    12 years ago

    You could tattoo your name and purpose on your body like that guy in Momento. And remember to eat.

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  • Chillpill
    12 years ago

    That happens to me once in a while. At first I'm not even aware that I'm human or what that even means. I find it quite blissful, though. For a moment it's a complete blank, no memories, no fears or worries, nothing, as if I could be anyone or anything.

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  • [Old Memory]
    12 years ago

    It's happened to me too, several times, but I don't think it's common because, up until this post, I've never known anyone else that also experiences it. It's confusing.

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    • casadejoey
      12 years ago

      Do you have sleep problems or a strange sleeping cycle?
      Also, I'm not sure why, it seems to happen more often if I sleep on my back. Wondering if it might be related to some form of sleep apnea, where you sort of stop breathing in your sleep. I thought maybe a lack of oxygen might have something to do with it.

      I'm not one for doctors though, so I've never been to a sleep clinic. I think if I explained my problem to them, they'd think I was nuts.

      Any of the above similar to you?

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      • [Old Memory]
        12 years ago

        No, I don't have sleep apnea. Actually, I'm very quiet when I sleep. I think it's what's going on in my mind that's the issue. I remember long sequences from my dreams upon waking and continue to remember them. My dreams are intense and vivid. If it was a particularly emotional dream, it takes me a few minutes to organize myself when I wake. If I dreamt that I was someone else, then it's more of an adjustment.

        I have suffered from bouts of insomnia, but since I started smoking marijuana (which I'm not recommending to you, by the way) I find it much easier to shut my mind off before it hits my pillow.

        A sleep clinic might be good for you. And I think you'd be dealing with more regular staff/assistants than you would doctors if you went. What's one or two nights of bizarreness if in the end you can get a decent sleep?

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  • dappled
    12 years ago

    I kind of know what you mean. I have sleeping problems and if I've gone long enough without sleep, I have waking dreams, where my brain thinks it is asleep but my body is awake. I get very confused and sometimes panicky because it's not possible to wake up from a bad dream when you're already awake.

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  • [Old Memory]
    12 years ago

    No that's definitely not normal. But on the upside it could be the premise for a great story :D

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