Have You Fallen Asleep in Session?

Have you fallen asleep in session? What did T do? Leave you? Wake you up? Etc.

I cannot imagine a less safe place to sleep than the therapist's office. If I thought staying awake would be a concern for some reason (medication for example) - I would simply cancel.

I put yes, but I didn't totally fall asleep, just kinda started to nod off. It was due entirely to a medication I was on and T knew that. I was struggling to stay awake, so she suggested that we have our session while walking around outside. The movement and being outside helped and was able to stay awake. Honestly, though, my T has told me that the hour is mine - if I wanted to just sleep on her couch, she'd be okay with that. I wouldn't be okay with it...it would feel like a waste of money for me.

I almost did once. I was like, wow i am so relaxed, i can even lie down on the couch today, this feels so good! Then i went to my GP afterwards and it turned out i had like pneumonia. Nowadays, if i close my eyes, i would fall asleep.

I almost have. I have fallen asleep in the waiting room. It's a dissociative response for me sometimes.

OMG! Thanks for posting this. I often struggle to stay awake around my parents, and it has always bothered me. But, it could very well be a dissociative response and I never considered that. I've never mentioned it to my T because it's "normal" for me. Now I'm going to talk to T about it.

my T used to let me sleep on his couch. one time i was sick. another time i was psychotic and wasnt sleeping at home. this was when his office was in a residential treatment facility and i lived off campus.

edit: it wasnt during a session

I find myself feeling super comfy when it's raining outside. Haven't fallen asleep, but have come close.

I work so much and get so very little sleep that I doze off in bizarre situation. I dozed off in dentist chair with my mouth open and no I am not kidding. In t office no , not yet at least

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No never have I fallen asleep in therapy.

Yes, but it was just for a brief moment and it was because of medication I was on.

No , I've never fallen asleep , although I've been tired a few times.

I came close once when I was getting sick. T decided I just needed to go home and put myself to bed that day. He was so right.

I used to fall asleep regularly in the waiting room and he'd wake me up for my session; darn that comfy couch.

I can't even imagine falling asleep while someone was staring at me, haha. I also am not one to sleep while in a car or waiting at an airport or things like that, no matter how exhausted I am. Plus the anxiety of therapy is enough to keep me awake even if I did feel like a zombie.

I almost fell asleep during a DBT group watching a video of Marsha Linehan.

I haven't, but my T did tell me he's had people fall asleep before. He says he just lets them sleep.

I have insomnia something fierce at times, and yes, just once, I have fallen asleep in my T's office. I hadn't slept the night before, and it was an emotional session. She sat by me on the couch and put her arm around me. I laid my head on her, and pretty quickly cried myself to sleep. She woke me up after a short amount of time as my session was coming to an end. I know I have to feel safe to sleep...and I have also fallen asleep during reiki sessions (she says that's not uncommon), and in one of my recent hour and a half long meditation classes I caught myself doze off a couple of times. But it was after a couple of nights of no sleep. So yeah, I fell asleep during session once, and she just let me be until it was time to go.

I get this once in a while during hard sessions; my body just kind drains all the energy and it feels like I could just melt away. I never really thought of it as dissociative, but maybe you're right. I just figured my brain was saying "I've had enough now." Never fallen asleep, but I've felt bad for yawning. I, too, will bring it up......I'd be interested to hear what your T says about it, if you'd be willing to share, and I'll do the same.

I do get the crushing exhaustion sometimes in the last 15 minutes of therapy or right after I leave. I honestly can't do anything but sleep, I've never slept in therapy though just after.

I can relate to your reaction!! I stumbled across this concept in some book not too long ago. It blew my mind. It had not ever crossed my mind. I am one to fall asleep repeatedly during family gatherings, during turbulence on a plane, and as a passenger during frightening driving conditions - situations where I am so scared that you'd assume the raging anxiety would certainly keep me awake. But if I have no option to "rescue" myself, my next defense is to become unconscious. I even did it one night when I was upset and T unexpectedly responded to my late night message, asking me trying to call him. I emailed him that i was fine (not true) and then INSTANTLY transitioned from nyuncontrollable anxious shaking crying to 100% completely asleep. Seriously, it was about a minute and a half later. Confused the hell out of my husband.

I have never fallen asleep during session. My T's office is one of my most safest places so I bet I could fall asleep on her couch but not with her staring at me.

I have--twice. The first time was done consciously. I became ill and really needed to lie down, and for a while I could minimally respond. But then my T said it was OK if I just wanted to let myself drift off, and we agreed that I wanted him to stay with me. He was fine with it. The other time was just after a session while still in his office pulling myself together. I had been up all night with a toothache, but I think that time was dissociative in nature. He was in the outer office doing paperwork, and came back to get me and woke me up.

No, never. I have occasionally felt very sleepy in session but never fell asleep.

I can't keep my eyes closed for relaxation exercises, I always have to peep to make sure he doesn't move or is doing "things"

I haven't fallen asleep in session but boy have I dazed off. Sometimes ill be talking without even knowing and then realize that im in the office. It's the worst because the night before a session I barely get any sleep and I get so anxious beforehand that when i get there and it's all quiet my mind literally sleeps yet somehow im still functioning. So weird.