Sleep Paralysis

I've experienced it once, for a few seconds after waking up, it was awful... Sorry this is happening to you.

What I experience almost weekly is needing a few seconds to know where I am, and sometimes (once on a moth or so) who I am.

Have you asked a neurologist?

 

I haven't had it in some time, but during periods of stress in college I had it every few weeks. Sometimes it was accompanied by night terrors and I'd have that typical "succubus" dream where it felt like something was on my chest, or I'd even "see" it there. Pretty terrifying. For the sleep paralysis alone I learned that if I could nudge my head to the side slightly that would sometimes snap me out of it. It's really difficult because you feel you can't move, but if you can manage it it may help you wake yourself up fully. If you get it that frequently it might be a good idea to get a sleep study done, where they will observe you while you sleep to see if there is a physical problem causing this.

 

My mother has a several and chronic form of sleep paralysis, she had twice a week or even more with hallucinations, confusion, panic. She went to a neurologist, a sleep-disorder specialized, who gave her some drugs. She hadn't had any attack since then

Personally I got sleep paralysis three times, only one with hallucination and true panic, the others I couldn't move and I was scared.

 

I get them every once in a great while. I don't hallucinate, thank god. I'm just unable to move and that in itself makes me a little panicky.

 

Also termed "Nocturnal Paralysis" and in the mid-1900's "Catalepsy". Both myself and my sister experience this but I don't let it worry me now. I have even just drifted back to sleep, and other times I have tried to slowly roll off the bed, hoping I'd hit the floor and become awake again. Though it felt like I was rolling, I actually wasn't moving at all. It's like your conscious mind is stuck in the dream state.

There are a few books out there on this, but I read one by Sylvan Muldoon from Wisconsin, who wrote about this and other phenomenons such as Out-Of-Body experiences in his book "The Projection of the Astral Body" (co-written by Hereward Carrington). It's well worth the read. This book also teaches you how to "dream true". Very interesting experience.

 

Yep, I've experienced it. The body naturally becomes paralyzed during REM sleep, so you don't "act out" your dreams. People who don't become paralyzed sleepwalk. When things happen normally, you wake up at the same time the paralysis ends, so you don't even notice it. But sometimes your mind wakes up before your body, so you're still in the paralyzed state, which sorta means you're "half asleep" in a way. Whenever it happens to me, it always happens in the late morning, often after I've already woken up once and now I'm sorta dozing. It usually only lasts for a few seconds and sometimes it happens with hallucinations (like I'm still dreaming, but my eyes are open and I'm conscious).

 

If I'm understand your post, about sleep paralysis correctly. My cousin who is a psychologist tells me: a) eat right, b) exercise a little each day (even a walk will do - 30 minutes) c) meditate, d) get a good night sleep. Now the latter can be a little problematic at times. So I "mindful meditate" before going to bed - internet search the subject on how to to this. There is also YouTube videos on how to meditate. Better yet find a group in your town and meditate with others. Now if that does not work I get up and do 5 - 15 minutes of yoga. The yoga does it for me every time. Take care man.

 

Yes. This is despite doing everything to prevent these damn episodes. I couldn't tell you how often it is because it's so terrifying that my mind tries to forget it. I've literally had visions of Hell. I estimate it happens at least once per month and less than twice times per week. I might have several 'attacks' when it does happen. Even although last time it was only one attack. In that one I got up and left the room and was back in my bed within when I really woke up. Oh, well, now you know why I can hold my breath for over 2 minutes! I try to get up but I'm often pulled down into another 'attack' within seconds. Plus sometimes I hallucinate like 'crazy.' I think it's been a while since I imagined anything other (unless you count out of body experiences) than just voices and noises but that's scary enough!

I'm afraid of talking to a doctor about it because I think they'll just tell me to grow up. Although recently I'm thinking about saying something because I don't earn any prizes from suffering in silence. I know the science behind this problem but I usually can't access that information when I'm in the middle of an episode and it usually doesn't help even when I understand what's going on.

This might sound crazy but try to relax when it happens. I've broken out by sheer force a few times but fighting it usually just makes my head spin and prolong the episode. If you can still breathe then focus on that and if you must move something then start with toes.

 

I've had this, or at least something like it. It only occurs if I fall asleep during daylight then continue sleeping after darkness falls. Someone mentioned on another thread that this happened with tramadol and funnily enough I stopped taking tramadol a few months ago and it hasn't happened since.

 

I have it sometimes. Very rare. I have gotten some creepy hallucinations with it too.

But the worst is when my face is down on my pillow, and I can barely breathe.

 

It hasn't happened to me in awhile, but it's pretty bad when it does happen. I panic every time.

 

Yep. I've had it quite a few times, I'm used to it now.

 

I've had it happen a couple times. I'm more prone to anxiety attacks halfway through dreams...

 

Only ever had it once. I had the feeling that I couldn't move, but by this time I already understood what it was so the experience was short and more interesting than horrifying.

I felt completely frozen and got the feeling of a vague presence in the room, but figured if it would manifest as something crazy I would go at it like a crazy person first. I tried to yell and attack it, but naturally I was paralyzed and remained still. What was curious was that I got the sensation of sitting up anyway for a second or so until I began to fully wake up. As I did, I felt a distinct shuddering like I was being jostled left and right.

I think that last sensation is included in attempts at astral travel. I looked over at my gf and she was completely asleep, hadn't noticed any commotion. I was hesitant to go back to sleep, creeped out enough that I didn't want it to happen again, but that was almost a year ago now and it was the only occurrence.

 

I get my attacks when I'm stressed out. The sad thing was that I had to figure out what I had through a documentary on sleep paralysis vs finding out through my doctor. I had made special appointments just for my sleep paralysis, I didn't know what was going on and it was hard to explain. He never gave me a diagnosis and I would leave without a clue. I thought that I was having a stress induced seizure of some sort until I watched the documentary.

I also want to add something that's helped me get through it and it could possibly help someone else. When I wake up and I can't move, I'll try to move my leg (laying on my side) or moving any other part of my body (if I'm laying on my back). My limbs are my best bet. I won't actually be moving, but the more I try to move, the quicker my body wakes up. The next time this happens to any of you, please give it a try.

If you're successful in doing this, don't go back to sleep. You will wake up paralyzed again.

 

Once.

I was at a relative's house.

For a few seconds, I was analyzing what had happened, and realized that I couldn't move anything from the neck down; even anything above it, felt off and delayed. It didn't help that, for those few seconds, I had forgotten where I was, so this added to the building panic.

I wound up biting my tongue, and the pain "washed" over me, allowing me to move again. So now, I have a fair idea of what to do, if this ever happens again. If I had to guess why this worked, the pain woke my body up.

 

I think when I was younger but not now