Bad Dream 197 -- The Voices in My Head

This isn't exactly a dream, but it borders on being such and I certainly want to document what is happening.  What I'm describing here has taken place 5 or 6 times in the last month or so -- or maybe more often than that.  But I've never had this happen before:

Almost immediately after I wake up, as I start to "get my bearings" on where I am, etc. I hear a voice.  It's fairly weak, as if it's on the other side of a wall from me.  The sounds of the voice are very articulate, but I can't understand the words.  Maybe it's unintelligible because it's on the other side of a wall, and maybe it's in a foreign language with which I'm not familiar, and maybe it's simply gobbledigook.  I certainly can't tell.  

Normally, the voice is a rich baritone and quite easy to listen to.  Like a news anchor on TV.  But on one or more occasions it's been a woman's voice -- equally pleasant to listen to.  

I hear the voice for something like 10 seconds or less and then it stops.  I think sometimes it tapers off towards the end of the "speech."  

There's nothing threatening about the voice -- and it's pleasant enough that I'd really like to hear the message... if there were one. 

It occurred to me this morning that I have started to wear a face mask when I sleep -- one that just covers my eyes, but does so completely and comfortably.  And I have been using ear plugs for sleep for many years.  So, is this voice connected to sensory deprivation?

I think the voice shows up on mornings when I have a late dream so that the voice might be a continuation of the dream -- while being isolated from the dream in terms of content.  Given that I have kept myself more "open" recently in terms of remembering my dreams, this may be a reason that the dreamworld leaks into my wakeworld via this path.

Ah, I've just Googled "Voices in My Head" which has this as a suggested site: 

https://www.mind.org.uk/information-support/types-of-mental-health-problems/hearing-voices/about-hearing-voices/

So maybe it's all okay.  But I have to feel there's a reason that it's just started after inhabiting the planet for over 70 years...