Every so often, a story pops up about mobile phones that just makes me go, “Yeeeeeeeeeeah, I have to blog that.” Usually, it’s something stupidly hilarious, or something that could be a massively big deal in the mobile world. Every once in a while, though, it’s something that’s both, just like a story from TheStar.com. Apparently, mobile phones aren’t just everywhere in our waking lives, but they’re even taking us over while we sleep.
Well, that is, if you believe the claims of people who say that they have found they actually send text messages, from their mobile phones, while they’re asleep.
Now, at first, this does indeed look like it’s come out of one of the loony papers, and should share the page with stories about buses on the moon, and aliens abducting people to play ‘hide the implant’. Surely these stories of people using mobile phones in their sleep are the same, urban legends or made up to make fun out of (or make money from) gullible people?
Those are the things you’re all expecting me to say. I know you’re all thinking I’m going to say that, I can practically smell it.
Well, you’re wrong.
Because, believe it or not, there is a vast amount of evidence that suggests it is actually possible and plausible, and let’s face it, sleep disorders are a lot more plausible than ‘Redneck gets a probin’ from aliens’ stories. After all, sleepwalking is a recognised phenomenon, and you might not realise that sleepwalking can frequently involve acts much more complicated than using mobile phones. Cleaning the house is a common one, or sleep eating, or binge drinking in your sleep. It’s a recognised phenomenon, and has even been used as a defence in the case of Kenneth Parks, where he drove to and killed his in-laws, all whilst asleep, and having no conscious memory of it.
When you look at it like that, sending a message from your mobile phone, mimicking your dream, saying, “Wofbah, I’m running the sheepy bicycle shining on my knees,” is not such an unlikely thing.
So, in conclusion, yes I think it’s entirely plausible that people can grab their mobile phones, send a text, then roll over and go back to whatever dream they were in, and do all that without waking up.
It’s just a mercy they don’t wake up with their Apple iPhone 3G rammed up their nose, I suppose. Still, it’d stop the aliens playing ‘hide the implant’ up there…
Have you ever sent a text message in your sleep? Do you think it’s all a load of rubbish, or are you a regular sleep-texter? Leave us a message and have your say!
June 25th, 2008 at 2:19 pm
I’ve never….ever! met anyone that’s texted someone while being asleep…maybe phoned the first person in our contact lists….but that’s about it.
July 16th, 2008 at 6:59 pm
I’d love to text my lover “can u plz wake me up at 7?” while sleeping. lol
August 6th, 2008 at 6:14 pm
Hi,
I woke up this morning, shocked and totally confused to find that I had sent a text message to my ex-boyfriend in the middle of the night!
I had been speaking to him during that evening and shortly after, fell asleep. I woke up this morning to find that I had texted him in the early hours of the morning saying “Hi Steven. Hope youre all ok. When will you be in wsm apain?x (Which should have read “again” and WSM is my home town!)
I felt totally embarrased and had no recollection of texting him the message and it didnt make sense anyway as I had only spoken to him a couple of hours before, so yes, I knew how he was and “hope youre all ok”…well, there is only him!
Embarrased, I texted him to apologise, maybe a ghost (haha) or just sleep texting (if that is possible?!)…I just couldnt understand it, other than my daughter sleepwalking, which she tends to do on occasions and maybe she did it?…who knows, but very strange and quite worrying!!
Thanks
August 11th, 2008 at 10:14 pm
Hello there.
Well it happened today. I didn’t sleep all night because I had some work to finish and in the morning came all the other worries so I stayed awake until 1 p.m. I set my phone to wake me up at 2:30 and, as it often happens, i woke up at 5:30. Probably kept snoozing for 20 minutes or so (as usually). Which I tought was ok, altough I was almost late for a meeting, because I needed some. I eventually sent a message to someone saying that I was going to be late and while doing that, I noticed the last message sent. The nokia phones have this setting, the text remains in the editor after you send the message. I didn’t think much about it. Erased it, then stopped. ‘What was that?’ I tought. Then looked up the sent messages and found I had sent a message to a friend at 2:56 with the content “sample:director, friend etc” . It makes no sense at all. I checked out the set wake up time. It’s 2:50. Not 2:30. So I must’ve reset it or something. But the text make no sense at all.
Later on, after the meeting I told this to someone and he said he’d read about his phenomena somwhere. So I googled it and got here and on many other websites. It seems we’re really victims of modern time.
Well, thanks for reading this.
Good luck with your sleep..
September 27th, 2008 at 3:43 pm
Hi,
I believe this whole thing. I normally wake up every morning, look at my phone, and realize that i had texted someone while i was sleeping. i never remeber dong it, but the messages all make sense. it’s really wierd for me becauae i’ve never been known to sleep walk or anything. Now experiencing this, it’s just kind of crazy.
September 29th, 2008 at 3:10 pm
Hi All,
It sounds different and unnatural, text messaging someone while asleep. Anyway I personally don’t experienced yet.