Sleep paralysis

[notfarnow]

Anyone else?

Hot damn, had a bout last night... it'd been about a year since the last one. Wide awake, could hear the dogs snoring and my wife breathing... couldn't move.

Used to really freak me out until I read that it's not uncommon. Years ago, my doctor told me it was just a recurring nightmare. It was only after a particularly bad bout that I started looking into it, and learned more about it.

When it happens now, I just lay there and try to stay calm. Usually last a minute or two, and either my body "wakes up" or I fall back asleep. I actually find that counting helps.

I've also learned the triggers. Stress, a break in my sleeping pattern, and certain herbal remedies will trigger it. I'll often have it 2-3 times over a couple weeks, then not have it again for months or years.

Anyone else deal with this?

[Moses]

Only a few times in my life. To me, it felt like I had been awakened from REM sleep, so I'm techically awake, but I have no motor control. I'm telling myself to move my arm but it ain't happening. It's been years since that has happened. I've always attributed it to deep sleep in an agitated state. For me, no apparent relationship to specific dreams.

[oldE]

Jake,

Scary *****. If I understand correctly, it is sort of the flip-side of sleepwalking. In that case, your physical systems get going, but you're still asleep. In your case, your conscious mind wakes up, but there's nothing going on in engineering. "Come in, Mr. Scott. Scottie!"

As you say, once you know what is happening and why, I would rather be doing that than suddenly waking up to find I was watering my lawn or something!

Good luck
Les

[Tervuren]

I've had it happen a few times in my life, Its freaky scary, you try to move, can't do anything, try to call for help, can't say anything. Just frozen

Nice to know what it is. I think I've had it happen twice for about 30 seconds.

[IROC]

I lived in a fraternity house in college that was supposedly haunted (lots of stories, but another subject entirely). But anyway, a considerable number of people who lived in the house experienced this "sleep payalysis" phenomenon. At the time, it was attributed to the ghost, but I now think it was the sleep paralysis.

The interesting thing was that it happened to so many people...who slept in a particular room in the house...

Mike

[notfarnow]

Originally posted by Moses
To me, it felt like I had been awakened from REM sleep, so I'm techically awake, but I have no motor control. I'm telling myself to move my arm but it ain't happening.

Exactly. I used to react really badly... would try to yell. My wife witnessed this once. Pretty wacky. I get physical control back quite slowly, so I'll be murmering and moaning when I'm trying to shout.

Originally posted by oldE

I would rather be doing that than suddenly waking up to find I was watering my lawn or something!

Or waking up from a dream where you're taking a leak, only to find that you're watering yer wife!

[Moses]

Hey! I was right. It's a REM thing;

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sleep_paralysis

[bigchillcar]

wow..i 've slept on an arm and been unable to move it..but i have a different sleep problem associated with my ptsd (fun stuff, career killer, etc.) i have a 'dream phobia'. i don't like to dream. when i do..it's like i'm extremely anxious the whole time and am in places/circumstances that i have no control over until i awaken. it sucks. nothing i can do about it. it's every friggin' night. the dreams don't even have to be 'bad'..i'm just very uncomfortable in my dreams and thinking about them after i wake up. anyone else ever feel like that..or should i start a new thread. only been in the last year..
ryan

[legion]

I sometimes experience something different.

Basically, while in REM sleep, my mind will try to move my body (in real life), and it will not work. I experience the same sort of panic, but it is in the context of a dream. (Usually happens when some impending danger is about to happen to me in a dream.) My dream usually "pauses" while I try to figure out why my body isn't working, and I realize I am dreaming and wake up instantly. Then I sit bolt upright in bed.

Had a dream about a week ago that I was sleeping and heard a noise downstairs. In my dream, I woke up and went downstairs only to confront an intruder (all this talk of the incident in Wilmington must be getting to me). When I wanted to run back upstairs in my dream, my body froze. I then realized I was dreaming and woke up--wondering if I had heard any noise downstairs...

[gchappel]

This is actually where the word haggard comes from- from hag ridden. Around the time of the salem dunkings when sleep paralysis, nightmares happened they blamed it on witches- which woke their victims and sat on them- which prevented them from moving. So they were hag ridden, looked like ***** the next day- haggard. So we know the phenomenon has been discussed since the 1500's and is described in almost every culture.
Another useless fact- but I'm good on Jeopardy
Ga;ry

[notfarnow]

Originally posted by gchappel
This is actually where the word haggard comes from- from hag ridden. Around the time of the salem dunkings when sleep paralysis, nightmares happened they blamed it on witches- which woke their victims and sat on them- which prevented them from moving. So they were hag ridden, looked like ***** the next day- haggard. So we know the phenomenon has been discussed since the 1500's and is described in almost every culture.
Another useless fact- but I'm good on Jeopardy
Ga;ry

Yes, in reading up on it I've read a lot of references to "the hag" or "the old hag". Many feel that there is a weight on their chest, and because of the semi-sleep state, many dream/imagine/sense that there is an entity sitting on them ,or there in the room... "the hag".

I was describing this to a friend of mine, who exclaimed "Oh the hag visits you too!"

As someone else mentioned, many believe that sleep paralysis is the root of imagined alien abductions and assorted paranormal phenomenon too.

[widebody911]

Sometimes I'll wake up and be unable to roll over, but it's more of a 'kickstand' issue which means I have to get up and take a whiz...

[Usmellgass2?]

Ive experienced this to a varying degree several times over the years. The first time was in my early 20's. Fully aware of my surroundings and struggling to move, scream, anything. I thought I was dead or had a stroke or something. I had no idea that it was common. Oh ya, seems to happen when I have NASCAR on the TV to

[Wrecked944]

Happens to me a lot - so much that it rarely bothers me anymore. When it happens, I tend to think, "Oh, sleep paralysis again." Unless I have some compelling reason to move (like needing to pee), I don't even bother trying anymore. Fact is that all of my dreams are nightmares. So if being unable to move is the worst thing I am experiencing, then that is a "good" dream. The only times it really bothers me are when I perceive that a stranger is in my room or in my apartment. Then it slips over into the full blown nightmare side.

[motion]

"Coyote Ugly" is another term for this affliction.

[Mr_Wizard]

I have this happen to me every couple of months. The first time it freaked me out. Was wide awake looking at the ceiling, but could not move a damn muscle. I was trying to yell but nothing was coming out. I was finally able to wake myself up and of course I was yelling. Scared the crap out of my wife at the time.

[svandamme]

Originally posted by notfarnow



Or waking up from a dream where you're taking a leak, only to find that you're watering yer wife!

had those when i was like 7, no wife then though...

pretty stupid, you're having a dream, suddenly go , let's take a leak, you take a leak, and feel something warm , and wake up going .... Timmmaaayeeuh

[pmajka]

Happened once 12yrs ago to me...but i think it was CO2 poisoning ....chimney was clogged.

[notfarnow]

Originally posted by pmajka
Happened once 12yrs ago to me...but i think it was CO2 poisoning ....chimney was clogged.

i yi yi

Lucky you woke up at all.

That is scary!

[Flatbutt1]

yes I have experienced it and yep i felt like I was being pushed down into the mattress. Freaking wierd!