sleep paralysis?

[drunkenmaxx]

has anyone else experienced this? it happens to me all the time, to the point that i actually know it's happening. it happened last night; i was dreaming, when all of a sudden, my eyes opened, but i couldnt move them, or any of the rest of my body. i tried and tried to wake myself, because it's kind of creepy! i could see the door, and i kept trying to yell or move my body to wake myself up, to no avail. very very wierd. i finally snapped out of it, caused by a violent shake! this has happened to me as long as i can remember, but it hasnt been to long since i actually knew what it was, and tried to stop it. can anyone else relate?

[Mase]

I thought I had that problem too. Turned out that I was just dreaming about being awake in bed. If that makes sense...

[drunkenmaxx]

Quote, originally posted by desert_dweller »I know this sounds stupid but...This is usually caused by the physical body waking up while the spirtual body is gone. Like during an out of body experience.yeah, i knew what caused it, i have done some reading/watched various programs on TV about it. your body is asleep, but your conscience, is half assed awake. it is the cause of many people thinking they were abducted by aliens!!!-edit to reflect on mase's comment: dreaming that you are awake is a totally different experience. do a google search on sleep paralysis, it is very real.

[damronjr]

Not really on topic, but what I thought of when I saw the title:I was asleep one day back in high school and I woke up to my phone ringing. I tried and tried to move my arms to answer the phone, but b/c of the way I was sleeping, both my arms were asleep! My phone was on the floor next to the bed, so I managed to flop my arm closest to the edge onto the floor, hooked the phone with my fingers, and knocked it off the hook so I could tell the person on the other end to hold on while I waited for my arms to wake up enough to move them and grab and use the phone! Never heard of the rest of this besides both my sister and brother-in-law both telling me stories of them waking up with what they thought was a ghost holding them down while they tried to move and scream and stuff, but nothing worked. I didn't buy it, but who knows I guess.

[drunkenmaxx]

Quote, originally posted by damronjr » my sister and brother-in-law both telling me stories of them waking up with what they thought was a ghost holding them down while they tried to move and scream and stuff, but nothing worked. I didn't buy it, but who knows I guess.that is exaclty what this is! many people percieve it as different things, aliens, ghosts, etc...

[damronjr]

Quote, originally posted by drunkenvibe »that is exaclty what this is! many people percieve it as different things, aliens, ghosts, etc...They said it b/c many of my wife's family claim the house I have been living in on and off for many years now is haunted, and when my brother-in-law had this happen to him he said he saw a white cloud above his wife and kid, and when he tried to move to get it away and wake them up, he couldn't move or make any noise. My sister-in-law said she woke up to what seemed like a person sitting on her and holding her down. When she tried to move and yell to her mom in the next room she said she could do neither. (Not to crap in your pie, but)I have never seen or heard anything nor do I believe in ghosts, but they are adament. That's why I didn't buy it, along with out-of-body experiences or any of that, but TO EACH HIS OWN!!!

[drunkenmaxx]

ah, see, you misunderstand me. i dont see it as anything more than something similar to sleep walking. whether you like it or not, it is a real occurence, read about it.

[drunkenmaxx]

from stanford.edu:What is sleep paralysis? Sleep paralysis consists of a period of inability to perform voluntary movements either at sleep onset (called hypnogogic or predormital form) or upon awakening (called hypnopompic or postdormtal form). Sleep paralysis may also be referred to as isolated sleep paralysis, familial sleep paralysis, hynogogic or hypnopompic paralysis, predormital or postdormital paralysis What are the symptoms? *A complaint of inability to move the trunk or limbs at sleep onset or upon awakening *Presence of brief episodes of partial or complete skeletal muscle paralysis *Episodes can be associated with hypnagogic hallucinations or dream-like mentation (act or use of the brain) Polysomnography (a sleep recording) shows at least one of the following: *suppression of skeletal muscle tone *a sleep onset REM period *dissociated REM sleep Is it harmful? Sleep paralysis is most often associated with narcolepsy, a neurological condition in which the person has uncontrollable naps. However, there are many people who experience sleep paralysis without having signs of narcolepsy. Sometimes it runs in families. There is no known explanation why some people experience this paralysis. It is not harmful, although most people report feeling very afraid because they do not know what is happening, and within minutes they gradually or abruptly are able to move again; the episode is often terminated by a sound or a touch on the body. In some cases, when hypnogogic hallucinations are present, people feel that someone is in the room with them, some experience the feeling that someone or something is sitting on their chest and they feel impending death and suffocation. That has been called the “Hag Phenomena” and has been happening to people over the centuries. These things cause people much anxiety and terror, but there is no physical harm. What else can you tell me about sleep paralysis? *Some people with disrupted sleep schedules or circadian rhythm disturbances experience sleep paralysis *A study found that 35% of subjects with isolated sleep paralysis also reported a history of wake panic attacks unrelated to the experience of paralysis *Sixteen percent of these persons with isolated sleep paralysis met the criteria for panic disorder How can I stop the sleep paralysis? In severe cases, where episodes take place at least once a week for 6 months, medication may be used. You may be able to minimize the episodes by following good sleep hygiene: *getting enough sleep *reduce stress *exercise regularly (but not too close to bedtime) *keep a regular sleep schedule

[damronjr]

Thanks for posting that. I can show it to her family now and maybe they'll get over there little ghost paranoia!

[drunkenmaxx]

Quote, originally posted by damronjr »Thanks for posting that. I can show it to her family now and maybe they'll get over there little ghost paranoia!please do! that is just silly. i don't believe in ghosts, spirits, souls, and other things i would have to bring up in the political forum!

[damronjr]

Quote, originally posted by drunkenvibe »please do! that is just silly. i don't believe in ghosts, spirits, souls, and other things i would have to bring up in the political forum!Agreed, that's why my post was so short!

[millster]

Yes. For a number of years, I've had this problem. Though recently, it has occured far less. I hate it! There is no worse feeling in the world than laying in bed, knowing you're awake but not being able to move. I can vouch for the tips on reduction of the episodes. Now that I'm in a lower stress work environment and am sleeping more regularly, I've found I have issues far less often. That's not to say it's all gone, however.

[Kari]

Wonder if this is related to "waking up" under anesthesia and also being similarly paralyzed and unable to alert the doctor that you are awake? I know it's two totally different situations, but I do wonder if being prone to one would also make you prone to the other...

[drunkenmaxx]

Quote, originally posted by millster »Yes. For a number of years, I've had this problem. Though recently, it has occured far less. I hate it! There is no worse feeling in the world than laying in bed, knowing you're awake but not being able to move. I can vouch for the tips on reduction of the episodes. Now that I'm in a lower stress work environment and am sleeping more regularly, I've found I have issues far less often. That's not to say it's all gone, however.i dont really mind it so much, i find it very fascinating, especially when i know its happening! it is kind of scary though, it makes my heart rate go up a lot when i finally snap out of it. then, im a bit paranoid before i fall back asleep.and, technically, you are not fully awake!

[millster]

Not sure there. I'm sure it's much the same feeling though.This is kind of nice though, I've never really talked with anyone else who's had this experience. Everyone else thinks it's a joke.DV, yes, that's true. You're not quite fully awake. I'm usually kind of half-concious of what's happening too. But same as you, I panic terribly when it happens. My last episode, I jumped so much when I woke up that I kicked my poor dog out of bed.It is kind of fascinating, but I'd really rather it didn't happen.

[GMJAP]

This happened to me a lot as a kid, and sometimes as a teen, but not in a long while (thank goodness!)I often felt like there was some horrible, indescribable presence that was coming to crush me, and I'd totally panic, not being able to move or scream.Ugh, gives me the willies just thinking about it.....

[redlava]

This has happened to me once or twice. I will wake up to turn over or go to the bathroom and it will take at least five or six seconds for me to ba able to move. It freaked me out the first time it happened cause I had gotten very drunk the night before and it was a full ten seconds before I could even move my head. I could just move my eyes and I was trying desperately to just turn over. Somebody mentioned it in a previous post, but many experts think that sleep paralysis is the major cause in alien abduction stories.

[drunkenmaxx]

i forgot all about this thread! this happened to me again the other night several times. i kept falling back asleep after it happened and was having extremely weird dreams. i kept trying to yell to wake myself up, but all i could get out was a little groan (so i was told)

[rebbierae]

Jeez Millster--I hope you bought her flowers after that comment--"kicked my poor dog out of bed". Just kiddin!

[Vibe]

Drunkenvibe --------This is a good post .The same thing has happened to me on occasion,I wake up brain wise but CANNOT move any part of my body and the first time it happened I thought I was having a stroke.It scared me to the point of where I tried to mentally lose consiouness because I thought I was dying and wanted to let go. Then all of a sudden I snap to and everything is fine. But it scares me real bad. It usually last a minute.I will say this ------It happens when I really tie one on ,usually within a 24 hour period then with no alcohol -maybe it is a seizure (sp) I don't know but it is really frightening. I have since really slowed down my whiskey river to a trickle and have not experienced it as much.Or maybe it could be an insulin shock ----who knows but yes it is scary.If you find out more info or if anyone else experiences the same -PLEASE POST. I plan on asking my doctor about this.Also you mentioned stress ------For very personal reasons ---I might add that for the past 2 years --I have been under an enormous amount of personal stress. Good Point you mentioned !BTW -I love you signature cartoon ---I copied it to my files.James (Vibe)

[drunkenmaxx]

do a google of sleep paralysis. it's scary, but quite harmless. it is usually caused by improper sleep, lack of sleep, or too much stress. not really much to worry about

[hjwii]

But what about the shadow people? THey're not harmless... taking over your body and all while you can't move...hjwii

[Mr. Poopypants]

Quote, originally posted by damronjr »Never heard of the rest of this besides both my sister and brother-in-law both telling me stories of them waking up with what they thought was a ghost holding them down while they tried to move and scream and stuff, but nothing worked. I didn't buy it, but who knows I guess.Yep, I am wayyyy to late on this topic but I did have the whole ghost holding me down sleep paralysis experience which freaked me out because my house is haunted. I couldn't do anything and it felt like my body was expanding.