It’s not unusual to hear your name being called while you’re about to fall asleep or when you are already sleeping.
The voice calling your name can sound far away or can be quite strong and clear.
People’s reaction to this incident varies. Some may become more alert once they hear their name, seemingly forgetting their sleepiness.
Others try to find out who called their name, thinking it was someone from their bedroom.
Many also spend the entire night wondering what this means.
In this post, we’ll discuss what it means to hear your name being called as you fall asleep or while you’re sleeping.
Specifically, we’ll tackle what this phenomenon means and the best way to handle should something like this happen to you.
What does it mean when you hear someone call your name while sleeping?
Hearing your name being called while sleeping may have various meanings.
For one, it could be that you are simply sleeping lightly and any disturbance may sound as if someone’s calling your name.
You could also be suffering from an undiagnosed sleeping disorder, causing you to hear things such as your name being said or whispered.
Many also believe that there is a spiritual meaning when you hear your name being called while you’re asleep.
The higher beings are calling on to you and sending you a message that you should not ignore.
There may be several reasons why you can hear your name being called while you’re sleeping.
What’s important is to take the time to remember the incident and reflect if there is something meaningful about this phenomenon.
Read about the biblical meaning of waking up at 3am.
What does it mean when someone calls your name in a dream and you wake up?
Many people wake up after hearing their name being called in a dream.
I’ve had this experience where I was dreaming so vividly and someone was calling my name so loudly. I woke up and checked my clock. It was past 3 am.
It took a while before I could finally go back to sleep. I must have spent more than an hour trying to figure out what my dream was trying to tell me.
When you dream that someone is calling your name and then you end up waking up, then it could mean these things:
- You need to face your fears;
- Reflect on where you are in your life now;
- Be careful with your next steps.
When you dream that you are hearing your voice and you wake up, then it could be the universe’s way of telling you it’s about time to face your fears.
Be courageous enough to overcome your fears as your life will be so much better if you can let go of these things.
Your dream could also represent the need to reflect on your life.
- Are you happy with where you are right now?
- Is this where you want to be or do you feel like you are not getting where you want to be?
- What can you do about it if you are feeling stuck?
These are some of the questions you should be asking yourself.
The dream is a message to take stock of your life and examine whether there are things that you can improve so you can live life to the fullest.
Someone calling your name in a dream may also be a warning to be cautious of your next steps.
The universe is essentially calling you to remind you to be mindful of people, relationships, and circumstances.
5 Spiritual meanings of hearing your name called in a dream
Dreams can be mysterious and sometimes leave us feeling perplexed. Especially when we hear our name called out in a dream! But did you know that this could have a spiritual meaning?
Here are five spiritual meanings of hearing your name called out in a dream.
1) You have a visitor! Probably a dead relative
Many believe that the dead don’t leave us.
Our loved ones, even if they have already departed this life, are still around to either watch us from afar or to protect us.
In many cultures, they believe that the dead sometimes would come back to our world to visit us.
When your name is being called in a dream, it could be because you have a special visitor, namely a relative or someone who used to be close to us but has already passed away.
A dead relative visiting us isn’t necessarily a bad or scary thing. This visitor probably knows how much we miss him or her, and that’s why this dead person visited us.
We often hear people who have lost a loved one say “I hope the departed person visits”.
These people would give anything to have the departed loved one visit them. This dream could be it.
Likewise, the dead person could also be missing us and want us to know that they are just around. They may not be physically around but spiritually they are with us.
This idea stems from a spiritual belief that the deceased can communicate with us in our dreams.
2) You are in another “world” talking to someone
Our dreams transport us to a different world. It’s a place we cannot reach on earth.
As we dream, we are already transported to a different world and when we hear our name being called it’s because we are in conversation with someone from this world.
We could be talking to someone whom we once knew but could have left us already.
Or we could be conversing with someone we will never meet in this lifetime but likely we’ll be within the afterlife.
We could be in serious discussion with someone who we will end up being close to in the near future.
There are several possibilities but when you dream of being called by your name, it could also mean that we are in another world and in deep conversation.
3) Your Guardian Angel is calling for you
The person who could be calling our name in our dream is not an ordinary person. In fact, it could be our guardian angel who wants to talk to us.
It is widely believed that our guardian angels show up in our dreams. Sometimes, they are being themselves, meaning we can easily identify who they are.
Other times, they are disguised, which means we are unable to recognize them as our guardian angels.
They could be calling us to impart an important message.
The dream could be heaven’s way of telling us through our guardian angel that something good is on its way and that we should be prepared for this blessing.
It is also possible that our guardian angel is being sent to us in our dream to warn us of harder times ahead.
The visit could also be a reminder that the heavens are not blind to our suffering and we should be strong despite difficult times.
4) God is calling your attention
When your name is being called in your dream, it could be because God is trying to get your attention.
It’s actually Him who is saying your name in the hope that you would listen to Him.
Perhaps God has the following message for us:
- Trust Him even in trying times;
- Don’t defy Him;
- He is watching;
- Come back to your faith.
Perhaps you are at one of the lowest points in your life when you dream of this.
And this is why God is calling your name to remind you of his promise that you will not be alone.
He will carry you when your burdens just seem too much to handle.
God could also be calling your attention because you have been defying him at every single turn. Or perhaps you are backsliding on your faith.
The dream is a reminder to not forget that God is watching over us and He knows if we have been committing sin.
He might be calling you to get your attention so that you would have faith in Him again.
God knows that you have gone cold on your faith, and the dream is His way of nudging you to come back to him and trust Him again.
Read about the spiritual meaning of ringing in right ear.
5) The universe is talking to you. Pay attention!
If God can call you to your dream, so can the universe.
The universe wants to tell you something of great importance and so you must pay attention carefully.
Perhaps the universe has been trying to get your attention for some time now, but you just aren’t paying attention.
This is why it has to finally call you by your name so that this time you would give your undivided attention.
Many times the universe gives us many signs. We ignore them and just go about our usual ways.
Many of us are just so engrossed in our daily lives and events that we forget to listen to what the world around us has to say.
Sometimes the universe has to give us a strong nudge like saying our names in our dreams so we become mindful of what the universe wants us to do.
I hear a voice that woke me up in real life! It’s a dangerous sign?
Technology has given us many distractions such as
These distractions are causing us to compromise on rest and relaxation.
Many times, we simply forgo our sleep as we watch our movies, play our games or scroll endlessly on our social media feeds.
Our lack of rest can cause fatigue, and even disrupt our sleep. It is unheard of for many to hear people calling them in real life so they would wake up.
People in our home may be calling us because it’s time to get up.
We, however, don’t notice that time has passed by so quickly because we spent most of our time being distracted rather than sleeping.
Our lack of rest may be causing us to hear sounds.
We may be getting confused about whether someone is indeed calling our name or we are hearing other things.
Our senses, after all, are usually dulled when we don’t get enough rest or when we are just too distracted.
Many times, hearing our names in real life that woke us up isn’t necessarily dangerous. It’s because someone is calling us or we are mistaking sounds.
Is hearing my name called at night a sign of a ghost?
No, when you hear your name being called at night time it doesn’t mean that there is a ghost.
There could be several reasons to explain this phenomenon other than having a ghost around.
We might be hearing our name being called at night because we are feeling lonely.
Perhaps you are currently feeling such strong emotions, and we wish that there is someone who could hear your feelings out.
Sometimes, our strong emotions can make us hear sounds that are not really there.
It is also possible that we are confusing the sounds since it has become noisy in our surroundings.
Perhaps what we are hearing are sounds coming from other rooms at home or from our neighbors or the street.
Read about what it means when God sends cardinals.
Should I protect myself?
You don’t have to panic or worry so much. Hearing your name in a dream or even in real person while you are sleeping isn’t necessarily a negative thing.
You might, after all, be hearing your name because you are feeling strong emotions and wish for someone to be with you.
You could also be lacking sleep and rest since you have been spending so much time on distractions.
The universe or even God could be sending you a message when your name is being said in a dream.
The point is there are various reasons why you could be hearing your name but none of them is because you need protection.
Final Words
Hearing your name being called while you’re about to fall asleep or already asleep could mean different things.
For one, it can be a warning to spend less time on distractions so you get enough rest and sleep.
It could also be a response to our overwhelming emotions. The phenomena could also be the heavens’ way of sending you a spiritual message, which you should not ignore.
Passionate about spirituality, numerology and spiritual accounts. I write about my spiritual experiences to help all those who go through the same.
Thank you. Iam Save and Holy Ghost Filled. In February this year I lost an Aunt I was very close to her. I herad my Aunt called my name 2 times. I missed how I was able to call her on the telephone. She was an Evangelist of the Gospel and a Nurse. Her children don’t keep in contact with me like she did. Just weird this the first time, I heard my Aunt voice calling me from far away since God called her home.
I was sleeping in my bed as usual. I was completely asleep and heard my deceased mother call my name. Her voice was beautiful and peaceful. My health my heart are not doing well. I also was asleep two weeks prior and felt my bed sheets move and i saw my dad who is deceased and i asked him i know my time is coming and he repied yes. My dad is deceased as well.
That’s beautiful
This experience happened to me in one of the hardest times of my life . Angels are real
Wow. How are you doing Mary?
Wow are you still with us?
Yes It happens maybe once a month. While sleeping someone calls my name. Then i wake up. Normally i pray then fall back to sleep. But once im up in the later morning im having a short crying session. And its always a males voice that I here. Im not afraid just curious to what the spirit is trying to tell me
My grandmother and I talked every morning if not every morning, every other morning and talked a lot when I would get off work. I lived an hour away from where I was employed so at times she will talk to me till I was in the house. My grandmother recently passed and I miss her so so much. Last night/early morning as I was sleeping I jumped up out of my sleep twice because I heard my name being called and so clearly, and it was a women’s voice. The 1st time I jumped up and my heart was beating so fast, second time I jumped up and laid back down, looked around/tossed and turned but eventually I fell back asleep. I miss her so much, she was all I had…
I lost my my most beloved pet Daisy on Tuesday, 7/27/21 (my birthday). I have been in anguish and completely inconsolable for a week now. Yesterday, I began an audiobook called All Pets Go To Heaven, and I struggled to sleep from 3:20am on. I fell back asleep after moving to the other side of the bed glancing and at the time. But I was awaken at 5:40am by a mans voice saying my name. Please note that due to my husband’s snoring, I wear earplugs to bed. I heard this man’s voice clear as day not muffled, and it set me straight up in bed. I looked at my husband and he was snoring at the other end of the bed, so it was not him. My ears are constantly ringing 24 hours a day, but it was so clear that the ringing subsided. I ‘m not really scared, but I got up and looked around the house to make sure that I was being woken up to warn me of something in the house. Just really not sure what to think of this all. I still feel pretty lost without my girl and I’ve already cried twice today and it’s on 8am.
What an amazing story! Thanks for sharing.i had my name called last nite and I am searching for answers too.
My name is darshan last night I was sleeping and for the first night since my dad passed three years ago I heard him say darshan clear as day I woke up and answered yes am I crazy
Omg. Your story sounds like mine. My hair is standing up on my arms right now!
I have had my name called twice when I was asleep. Once while dreaming and once while just in a deep sleep. I can find no justification for both occurrences. It just doesn’t make any sense because why would a person called their own name out while sleeping? For those individuals that have had this happen to them, I am sure we are all in the dark as to their meaning!!
Absolutely. I was in the deepest sleep and I heard my name as plain as day by a girl in my ear. I looked at my phone and it was exactly 6 o’clock. Not 559 not 601, 6 o’clock on the dot. I was shocked at first but I was surprisingly calm. What shocked me the most was my husband passed away a year ago so I would’ve expected to hear a man’s voice but it was a girl or a young lady. I still don’t know the answer to it other than I’ve been doing Reiki sessions for therapy and I think I’m getting closer to the spiritual world in my own life. I hope everybody has the answers are looking for
I have also had a girl talk to me whilst I was learning reiki she said she wS in a accident. I had my maiden name called last night I have been married 44yrs so haven’t used my maiden name for that long. Interested to find out the reasons
I moved to Arkansas about a year and a half ago to live with an ex mother in law from 45 years ago to live with an ex mother in law. My ex husband lived here in the area also. We talked about our lives together long ago and he shared with me I was the love of his life. Oct last year he had a massive heart attack and past away. In Nov. Last year his mom had a massive stroke and past. About a month ago I was awaken by a male voice I did not know say my name and it woke me up. Earlier this week the same thing happened except it was his voice. I wish I knew what was going on.
I hope you feel better. I love my dog so deeply and I have lost other pets before so I can imagine how you feel. Your loved one can never be replaced. With that being said I encourage you to go out and adopt another pet. Your new friend will most definitely help you to heal and bring love and comfort and even a smile to your life. I know your big soft heart has enough room and more than enough love in it to love another friend and you will also be rescuing your new friend who will forever appreciate and love you back. With Love, Christina
I lost my beloved mother a few days ago I asked her for sign of her well-being yesterday
This morning I heard her calling my name n woke me up.
That shows me she’s in a restfull place
I heard someone calling my name “Kitty, kitty can you hear me, kitty?!” I kept saying “Yes” until my boyfriend woke up and I realized it wasn’t him. It was close to 3am. What does that mean? What was that? It felt external to me, not my own voice in my head, it felt and sounded not from me, external but yet still in my head. Holy shit I can’t explain it right. I sound nuts..
Can be someone behind The Veil who want to talk to you. Try to recognise the voice and maybe you ll figure out who s spirit it is. Enjoy these experiences. No one wants to scare us, they only want to talk, to say unsaid feelings.
Experience a lot of stuff in my life and I’m not going to go into detail of that let’s just put it this way God walks with me even before my mother became sick I would hear her call my name and even after she died I hear her call my name and it’s always with a very sweet voice of urgency meaning she needs me to listen and one time when I was two states away I heard my sister Karen which is still alive call my name I know the meaning of all of it I don’t know have to ask anyone I just wanted to let you know not to put too much into it all of y’all that hear it other than it’s a loved one letting you know they love you 🤟
I fist woke up because I swore my daughter yelled mom please !! But my daughter was with headphones listening to her shows on YouTube. I looked around the house even called my other daughters to see if they were ok . Everything was fine so I went back to sleep then I heard what sounded to be my son say MOM!! I responded with my eyes closed and said yes what happened and no response so I got up to go look but he was asleep snoring . This happens a lot to me but it’s always me hearing my kids voices saying mom . Only once in a while I will hear my name being called . I never get scared I always calmly get up to check just in case my kids need me .
I was in bed last night, moving around and couldn’t get comfortable. I had my eyes closed but was awake. My eyes shot open when I heard my son loudly whisper “mom, mom” rather loudly. I sat up and looked over to the door, nobody was there. I went to his room and he was fast asleep. My husband asked if I was ok. I was so upset, because I know deep inside that I was truly awake hearing my son call out.
Three nights ago I was in a deep sleep when I was suddenly awakened in a gasp when I clearly heard my husband call my name into my left ear as I laid on my back. The tone of voice was clear and direct as if trying to get my attention. However when I woke up, my husband was laying next to me in a deep sleep. Time was around 3-4am
Hello , this always happens to me too. It literally just happened about an hour ago. I woke up to my son saying “mom” very clear like he was standing right next to me. I looked at the time and it was 6:19am which is also this same sons birthday. I jumped up an immediately checked on him and my other kids. I’ve heard my youngest daughter also say MOM twice before that woke me up.
thank you! This has happened to me so many times usually with a man’s voice. Recently it was a very very clear woman’s voice, peaceful. You’ve given some good guidance here. Blessings.
This is the reason why i found this article it because , I am wondering if i am insane or have a brain problem it because this is my 3rd time to heard my name calling ang i wokw up , 1st i heard my dad’s voice calling ne at past 3am, 2nd, i heard again man’s voice that is me about to wake up like 5:26am, 3rd when im not feeling well and i back to to sleep after my meditation at 7:30amand i woke up again it because a man’s voice calling my name. . Hope someone could explain this to me .i was living in a remote area of Palawan thank you .
This is the reason why i found this article it because , I am wondering if i am insane or have a brain problem it because this is my 3rd time to heard my name calling ang i woke up , 1st i heard my dad’s voice calling ne at past 3am, 2nd, i heard again man’s voice that is me about to wake up like 5:26am, 3rd when im not feeling well and i back to to sleep after my meditation at 7:30am. And i woke up again it because a man’s voice calling my name. . Hope someone could explain this to me .i was living in a remote area of Palawan thank you .
I have noticed this a lot over the past year. It always happens late at night when I am still awake but feel sleepy. It is usually a man’s voice but yesterday it was a woman’s voice who said my name twice in a row with more urgency than I normally hear.
When it happens I wonder if it is nothing or something spiritual. I would prefer it to be spiritual and this article gives me all the more confidence that it could be.
It happened early this morning (2:57am of December 24, 2021). I am in the middle of my sleep and I know I am dreaming. In my dreams, a woman’s’ voice is calling me twice. Then the third time, it was like I’m in a horror movie because my eyes went wide open. No sweats, no fast heartbeat but I swear I’m still sleepy. I checked my phone and saw that it was 2:57am. December 23rd is my stepmother’s death anniversary and we are actually close.
I was awaken this morning by someone calling my name and it was so real, but I did not recognize the voice. I had never heard it before. This has happen to me before at 3:00am in the morning before my alarm went off at 4:00am for my work.
This morning I am hoping my sister in Alabama and her family went through the bad weather without being touched by it.
This is my 5th Christmas since my husband passed away, and this year was not easy. You don’t know lonely until the one you love is gone.
I am sending prayers to all who wrote on this site and I wish you all a Happy New Year.
God bless you
I was sleeping last night and I was waking by somebody yelling my name loudly…I dream everything turned white in front of me it’s like I can hear my name from a distance but I wasn’t doing anything about it it then I heard it this loud voice very loud voice yelling my name then I woke up..I was thinking the voice was my oldest grand son,…he is 10 years old…
Yes, I heard my name just this morning! It woke me up with an urgency. It has been a year or so since that happened. Thank you for your insight.
Its my first time in a day i heard familiar voice had call my name but theres no one it happend 2x,,.. then second day i was asleep at noon its very clear in my ears and suddenly i woke up…whats that mean..
I was in a deep sleep and I heard someone calling my name, the person or spirit called my name 3 times then I woke up, it was about 7am in the morning, the voice sounded robotic to be honest but it was definitely saying my name, I’m not really a spiritual person at all but I know when someone is calling me. Love to hear If anyone can tell me what’s going on.
I woke up early hours this morning to my name being called ever so clearly and loud , I turned to my husband in shock who was sound asleep . my mother passed away exactly 3 weeks ago I am hoping this was some sort of a sign , i miss her so much .
Hi
I have had my mominlaw speak to me in my dream and due to divorce didn’t know she had passed months before. She was smiling and happy. My dad passed away a few years ago and a couple months later when I was in the grocery store we shopped at I heard him call me twice. It was my birthday this month and I heard a soft gentle voice say my full name and I woke up. I didn’t know the voice and I’m still wondering why ….
Hello. I have heard my name called in my sleep 6 times in the last 2 years. I’m sleeping. I hear my name called. It’s a man’s voice. I don’t recognize it, but it happens so fast. Then I wake up. Last time I answered “what?” and woke myself up. Before this all started I was visiting a friend in a small town a few hours away from my home. I was sound asleep. In the middle of the night I heard a man yelling HELP in my head. It woke me up. All was quiet in the house and my friend was asleep across the hall. No noise outside. I fell back asleep. I spoke of it to my girlfriend the next morning. She had not heard anything. I kind of think this incident awoke something spiritual in me.
Early this am was the second time I’ve heard my name being called. It was the voice of mother with dementia, and there was a sense of urgency. The first time I heard her voice call my name was in December 2021. I had come home from being in the hospital with my dad nonstop to get refreshed and swap out my clothing bag. Initially, I was very scared, searched my home, and tried calling my dad in the hospital. I was unable to reach him, but thought nothing of it because it was in the wee hours of the morning. I called the hospital and was informed by his nurse, everything was okay. I started feeling very uneasy and awakened my husband to share my experience. He suggested we go to the hospital immediately……only to find that my dad had apparently aspirated and was now on a breathing machine (definitely not okay like the nurse voiced). I never left his bedside after the episode and unfortunately my dad died a week later on 12 December 2021. As a result, this being the second time I have heard my mom’s voice while asleep, and with such urgency, I get this uneasy feeling and call my immediate family members to check in on them, and all is well. Thanks for this outlet and I wish you all wellness, health and safe being!
Anyone has this happen at a certain time? I meant to take a quick nap 3 days ago and awoke from a whisper of my name pronounced differently in a way that no one I know never pronounces. And in a tone that wanted me to wake-up now. I quickly checked the time. It was 11:11 pm! If I didn’t wake, I would have been late to take my dog out and get ready for bed.
I’m from Kenya.This happens to me severally..It started with me hearing my dad’s voice calling me with a bit of urgency.The room I sleep when I’m home is a bit away from the main house.So,I used to hear his voice calling From the door to the main house.Like it was actually him standing there and calling me.
Yesterday,22 April 2022, around midnight,I was just falling asleep,I had my mom’s voice, same urgency voice,but it was from a different angle.Right outside my window.It was so clear.I realized I was sleeping facing upwards,so thought it could be some kind of sleep paralysis I have been reading on articles online.I switched position and slept sideways but I was so uneasy, couldn’t switch the light off.Once again just after falling asleep, fully asleep, the voice called my name.i woke up.but I was afraid.i had to pray.But as soon as I felt asleep again,slept very peacefully but I experienced weird dreams.
Okay, have just read everyone comment and I’m well Impressed, well mine started early December, when I got a touch on my forehead, then about April, I had a voice Said, I’m with you in the morning just before I woke up, and then a dancing angel and today being 22 Sunday I heard my name clearly 🙁
If I’m in a “more spiritual state”, THEN WHY WAKE ME UP?
I’m confused, this morning I woke up out of my sleep in a shock over hearing my name while sleeping, the confusing part is it wasn’t a familiar voice nor a females voice.
Good morning my name is Harriet Ray so early morning at 3:35 I was awakening by my name being called by a deep unfamiliar voice calling out to me I got very afraid this worry me and is looking for some Answers because this is my first time hearing my name being called in my sleep and it’s only my kids and I wow lives in my apartment but I’m not to far from my mother and my brother and his girlfriend and my kids godmother we all lives in the apartment complex so I got up looking around my house and all 3kids are asleep and know body was inside my house I’m very afraid and try to figure out some Answers to why my name was called by in unfamiliar voice in my sleep I would like to know if it could be because I’ve asked for my family to be prayer the day before at 4:30pm I’m looking for Answers can someone help me out please so I would be afraid anymore.
Yesterday night I heard a man call my name,I was just falling asleep.It didn’t sound like a manly voice but was soft but very mysterious,.I felt scared and woke up not feeling good.
Yes, After my mother passed if I remember correctly 2 days passed and I was sleeping and I heard her call me and yes it was beautiful and I jumped up and No Mother was their I wish I could hear again.
I woke up in the morning like 6am. It’s was little early for me. I went to sleep again. I heard my name 2 time. it sound like echo. It’s sound like someone it trying to wake me up. I thought my mom was calling me but no. It’s myself in my room and my dog. I realized it might be my cousin. She passed away 4 month ago. She had cancer. I know she is no longer pain anymore. I miss her a lot. It’s nice when she come to visit me in my dream and visit other family members dream too. We miss her a lot 🥺 it’s was my first time that I believe she called my name. I wasn’t dreaming but I heard the voice.
I hear a child, probably a granddaughter, call my name. It is the name she calls me Meme. I hear this during the day and now while I am asleep and it wakes me. My granddaughter is still alive. I don’t understand.
My wife passed 6 years ago.I was Awoken by hearing my name being called in a female voice. I heard it twice, not loud or aggressive but calmly. It sounded familiar but I Didn’t recognize 100%. As I laid awake thinking about it I had the strange sensation that a presence or energy was in my room. I looked at my digital clock to see what time it was And I couldn’t believe it when it said 3:33.
I was, I believe, towards the end of an extremely realistic, futuristic dream. I heard, clear as day, a female call my name. It seemed urgent. My eyes popped open thinking this person would be standing at the foot of my bed. So clear. This happened one other time when I was about to fall asleep some months back. Both times it was an unidentified woman. Kinda spooked. Not gonna lie.
My wife is a long term cancer survivor and had many emergency surgeries and treatments which have impacted her life significantly physically (and mentally) for a long period of time. This has ultimately affected me mentally. Over the past 10-12 years, I have heard her call out my name (in her voice) while I was sleeping about 25 times (sometimes I am wearing earplugs). I will get up look around and she is still sleeping. I think the stress of her health problems are hardwired into my subconscious. How do I lessen this internal stress ????
Had my name called by a boyfriend I don’t know if I can trust anymore lied and cheated I moved