When I'm just about to fall into sleep I hear noises like someone knocking on the front door or ringing the door bell... there is never anyone there as I have to check, even though I know it's probably in my head. It's so real. Does anyone else get things like this?

[Yoda]

Yes I do. Not only when I am trying to sleep but when I am awake. I will think I hear a car stopped in front of my house (nearest neighbor is 1/8 mile away so I feel vulnerable). I often go looking for people and usually it is nothing. It is disturbing, isn't it?

Yes I find it very disturbing and it's annoying too, and a little scary

[Victoria'smom]

I do a lot both a sleep and awake. I ended up getting a dog from the shelter so I know which to ignore and which most likely are real.

[LacunaCoiler]

I hear noises often and during the night time is when they scare me the most. My Pdoc had to give me an anti-psychotic for them this last time I went and saw her. I have two beagles that sleep in our room that way I know which noises are real and which ones are in my head. Even though I know my dogs will bark like mad when the noise is a real noise I still freak out if I'm not expecting it.

[BipolaRNurse]

Is this a bipolar thing? The same thing happens to me, too. Good thing I have a dog or I wouldn't be able to distinguish what's real from what's my imagination. Weird.

[Skittles56]

Hallucinations aren't directly a symptom of bipolar. They are a symptom of psychosis. Bipolar psychosis is usually associated with bipolar I.

Twilight sleep hallucinations are not all that uncommon and don't have anything to do with psychosis. I would relate my experiences, but I'm bipolar I with psychotic features, so it would kind of defeat the purpose.

Hallucinations right before entering a state of sleep are called hypnogogic hallucinations -- like hearing something that shakes you up just as you were drifting off? That's typically thought to be some kind of preemptive dream activity. Similar to hypnopompic hallucinations which happen just as someone has awakened. Those are experienced by plenty of people without mental disorders, though the "hallucination" part is typically thought of as a mental symptom. I'm quite sure this would be classified as a sleep disorder & might be corrected by a sleep medication.