Sleep paralysis - Empty Closets - A safe online community for gay, lesbian, bisexual, transgendered people coming out

heatqueen · 23rd Jun 2011, 05:37 AM

Does anyone else get sleep paralysis?

It puts me in that state whereby my body is asleep but my mind is aware that it is sleeping, hence giving me the feeling that I can't move while I'm technically asleep but feel awake. I also get really weird dreams when this happens. Does anyone else get anything similar?

ArcaneVerse · 23rd Jun 2011, 05:59 AM

Yeah happens to me all the time. Freaks me out. I always feel like if I don't wake up I'm going to die or something and I sort of struggle to wake myself up like dragging myself through quicksand.

I think it has something to do with my Anxiety Disorders but that's only a guess.

TriBi · 23rd Jun 2011, 06:35 AM

Not sure. I've had situations where I feel as if I am 'paralysed' during sleep - usually after someone has died - and I feel their presence. Not sure if this is real or imaginary - but it certainly feels as if I genuinely have some sort of psychic connection....

heatqueen · 23rd Jun 2011, 06:41 AM

Well, I don't have any anxiety disorders, but I think I inherited sleep paralysis as my mum gets it too. Once she woke up and got out of bed four times before actually waking up for real. The strange thing is, each time it happens it feels so real even though it isn't.

Occasionally it happens so that I am aware that I am sleeping but that's it, so I just lie there and wait to wake up which is a tad boring but usually it doesn't last too long.

bookworm43 · 23rd Jun 2011, 06:36 PM

wow i can't even imagine that...it sounds really terrifying, but i'm so curious about it right now i wouldn't mind experiencing it at least once...but sorry i don't know nothing abou that

Super Trouper · 23rd Jun 2011, 06:49 PM

Yeah, it happens to me all the time... It's such a horrifying feeling.
The first time it happened to me I actually thought I was dying. From what I've read, it happens when you wake up during a REM (Rapid eye movement) cycle, which is when you dream; The brain paralyzes the body during REM cycles so you can't hurt yourself while you dream. When you wake up abruptly, the brain thinks you're still asleep, and the paralysis continues, but only for a few seconds. It can also happen when you're falling asleep.

UnAmourFatal · 24th Jun 2011, 03:18 AM

Nowadays it's not that common for me, although there was a time when I got it almost every night.
It happens either when I'm tired enough to fall asleep on my back, or when I wake up from a bad dream. Usually the dream starts out as neutral, then it turns into a nightmare, and then I get sleep paralysis. Most of the time I try to turn on the lights, realize they don't work and creep out -> SP

Never had any hallucinations though, I mean like imagery, only voices, like a deep, demonic voice speaking a weird language, or the sound of the wind howling. Kinda creepy but interesting.
I sometimes try to turn it into a lucid dream, but I haven't ever succeded, sadly.

Zontar · 24th Jun 2011, 03:27 AM

As a lucid dreamer, I often go out of the way to try and induce sleep paralysis! When you're aware of what happens and why it happens, it's not a terrifying experience at all. In fact, it's all rather interesting.

If you want to try and induce sleep paralysis, the trick is to lay down and set a firm intention that you will notice when you begin to fall asleep. It's very hard; nine times out of ten you will fail. But once you know you're in it, you can sort of "roll" into a lucid dream easily at that point.

heatqueen · 24th Jun 2011, 04:43 AM

Eh. I had another sleep paralysis dream last night. Except I was sort of *dreaming* that I was aware that I was sleep-paralyzed. Geez, this is getting a bit like inception. Also it's not often that it happens twice in a row, but this time it did for some reason. -.-

Z3ni · 24th Jun 2011, 06:24 AM

I read, its like an out of body exprience, like astral projection!

I would love to exprience it

A lot of the pictures of sleep paralysis, theres a "demon" sorta thing sitting on top of the bed.

GuardianKitten · 24th Jun 2011, 06:58 AM

yes, but honestly for me it's not 'scary'.

Taylor · 24th Jun 2011, 07:04 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Z3ni

I read, its like an out of body exprience, like astral projection!

I would love to exprience it

A lot of the pictures of sleep paralysis, theres a "demon" sorta thing sitting on top of the bed.

Image

that demon isn't sitting on the bed, it's sitting on her. Also, it's nothing like an astral projection. It's like being completely paralized and having someone scary do thigns to you. It makes you feel extremely vulnerable.

Sleep Paralysis was one of the factors that played into the Salem Witch Trials. When people experienced Sleep Paralysis, they often dreamed of witches coming and sitting on them, or putting holding them down in some way. People thought it was a witch trying to hurt you or something.

I used to get sleep paralysis all the time when I lived in the dorms. It's since stopped, thankfully. That stuff is scary! You always feel like you're dieing right before you wake up. it's like you can't move at all and almost can't even feel yourself breathe. I used to always dream of some shrouded figure coming into my room and pulling me off my bed by the ankles. When I hit the ground, I would wake up. It's so scary because It feels so absolutely real.

PickAName4Me · 24th Jun 2011, 12:48 PM

I know what you mean when I actually fall asleep. Weird thing is I wake right up. Its like my body only needs 2 hours sleep.

biisme · 24th Jun 2011, 04:26 PM

I have sleep paralysis on a semi-regular basis. It tends to occur more when I'm napping or when I sleep on my back. Basically, I wake up from sleep and can't move anything except my eyes. I've had it last as long as half an hour and as short as a couple minutes. I've also had some "hallucinations"/dreams while I'm trying to move. I've researched many ways to break free of it, but they tend to work randomly and not with any regularity. Also, if I don't physically get out of bed as soon as I am able to move, then I will quickly fall back into sleep paralysis.

Basically it annoys me a lot and I'm worried I'm gonna be late for class one day.

**Chandra** · 24th Jun 2011, 11:25 PM

This used to happen to me quite frequently, but not as much lately. There's a term for the state between sleep and wakefulness - hypnagogia - which is when the brain can still be creating dreams (and hence releasing a paralyzing hormone so you don't flail about in your sleep), but you are awake enough to be aware of your surroundings. For me, it used to manifest as very realistic sensory hallucinations - I could clearly hear music or people talking, feel hands touching me, etc. It used to scare the piss out of me but I've gotten used to it.

Noahroxursox · 27th Jun 2011, 07:53 PM

A lot of what you all are mentioning has happened to me before, for example, sometimes i'll be trying to fall asleep, and right when I'm finally about to, someone comes and jolts me awake, and I cant move for a few seconds right away, which is terrifying. Also, ivhave really vivid dreams, sometimes they're so realistic that I get them so ingrained into my brain that i think they are memories. I have some things that may or may not have happened in reality permanently etched into my brain, and the said thing is that I don't think that i'll ever be able to find out if those things ever happened :P

Just Passing · 27th Jun 2011, 11:33 PM

I think I had a bit of this a while back.

I would be awake, but I felt like I couldn't move my leg or sometimes my whole body to get comfortable. It would require forcing myself to violently shake to get rid of the immobility and return to normal.

It's very strange and definitely freaky. Haven't had it in a long time though thankfully.

23rd Jun 2011, 05:37 AM	#1
heatqueen Official #1 fan of Celine Dion Full Member Gender: Female Orientation: Pansexual/Homoromantic bisexual Out Status: Generally whoever asks Location: I travel a lot Age: 20 Posts: 5,707 Join Date: Jan 2008	Sleep paralysis Does anyone else get sleep paralysis? It puts me in that state whereby my body is asleep but my mind is aware that it is sleeping, hence giving me the feeling that I can't move while I'm technically asleep but feel awake. I also get really weird dreams when this happens. Does anyone else get anything similar? __________________ Don't drink and drive. You might hit a bump and spill your drink. Co-founder of the 'Sailor Moon Made Me Gay' club...and the lesbians.

23rd Jun 2011, 05:59 AM	#2
ArcaneVerse Fear of the Market Place Full Member Gender: Male Orientation: absent Location: Melbourne, Australia Age: 22 Posts: 760 Join Date: Sep 2008	Re: Sleep paralysis Yeah happens to me all the time. Freaks me out. I always feel like if I don't wake up I'm going to die or something and I sort of struggle to wake myself up like dragging myself through quicksand. I think it has something to do with my Anxiety Disorders but that's only a guess.

23rd Jun 2011, 06:35 AM	#3
TriBi Cheers! Full Member Gender: Male Orientation: Bisexual Location: DownUnder Posts: 3,899 Join Date: Dec 2004	Re: Sleep paralysis Not sure. I've had situations where I feel as if I am 'paralysed' during sleep - usually after someone has died - and I feel their presence. Not sure if this is real or imaginary - but it certainly feels as if I genuinely have some sort of psychic connection....

23rd Jun 2011, 06:41 AM	#4
heatqueen Official #1 fan of Celine Dion Full Member Gender: Female Orientation: Pansexual/Homoromantic bisexual Out Status: Generally whoever asks Location: I travel a lot Age: 20 Posts: 5,707 Join Date: Jan 2008	Re: Sleep paralysis Well, I don't have any anxiety disorders, but I think I inherited sleep paralysis as my mum gets it too. Once she woke up and got out of bed four times before actually waking up for real. The strange thing is, each time it happens it feels so real even though it isn't. Occasionally it happens so that I am aware that I am sleeping but that's it, so I just lie there and wait to wake up which is a tad boring but usually it doesn't last too long. __________________ Don't drink and drive. You might hit a bump and spill your drink. Co-founder of the 'Sailor Moon Made Me Gay' club...and the lesbians.

23rd Jun 2011, 06:36 PM	#5
bookworm43 Ketchup Addict Full Member Gender: Female Orientation: Lesbian Out Status: My Immediate Family, 4 friends, 1 stranger Location: NY Age: 15 Posts: 585 Join Date: Jun 2011	Re: Sleep paralysis wow i can't even imagine that...it sounds really terrifying, but i'm so curious about it right now i wouldn't mind experiencing it at least once...but sorry i don't know nothing abou that __________________ "A question that sometimes drives me hazy: am I or the others crazy?" - Albert Einstein

23rd Jun 2011, 06:49 PM	#6
Super Trouper ABBA & Eurovision <3 Full Member Gender: Female Orientation: Bi-Winning Out Status: Everyone that matters. Location: Portugal Age: 18 Posts: 1,168 Join Date: Jul 2010	Re: Sleep paralysis Yeah, it happens to me all the time... It's such a horrifying feeling. The first time it happened to me I actually thought I was dying. From what I've read, it happens when you wake up during a REM (Rapid eye movement) cycle, which is when you dream; The brain paralyzes the body during REM cycles so you can't hurt yourself while you dream. When you wake up abruptly, the brain thinks you're still asleep, and the paralysis continues, but only for a few seconds. It can also happen when you're falling asleep. __________________ Yaoi is my oxygen... Last edited by Super Trouper; 23rd Jun 2011 at 06:59 PM..

24th Jun 2011, 03:18 AM	#7
UnAmourFatal Well Known Full Member Gender: boyish Orientation: gay and love it Out Status: Mum and some others (20 or so) Location: Hungary Age: 18 Posts: 176 Join Date: Jun 2010	Re: Sleep paralysis Nowadays it's not that common for me, although there was a time when I got it almost every night. It happens either when I'm tired enough to fall asleep on my back, or when I wake up from a bad dream. Usually the dream starts out as neutral, then it turns into a nightmare, and then I get sleep paralysis. Most of the time I try to turn on the lights, realize they don't work and creep out -> SP Never had any hallucinations though, I mean like imagery, only voices, like a deep, demonic voice speaking a weird language, or the sound of the wind howling. Kinda creepy but interesting. I sometimes try to turn it into a lucid dream, but I haven't ever succeded, sadly.

24th Jun 2011, 03:27 AM	#8
Zontar Mister Funny Man Full Member Gender: Male Location: Binghampton, NY Posts: 1,537 Join Date: Oct 2010	Re: Sleep paralysis As a lucid dreamer, I often go out of the way to try and induce sleep paralysis! When you're aware of what happens and why it happens, it's not a terrifying experience at all. In fact, it's all rather interesting. If you want to try and induce sleep paralysis, the trick is to lay down and set a firm intention that you will notice when you begin to fall asleep. It's very hard; nine times out of ten you will fail. But once you know you're in it, you can sort of "roll" into a lucid dream easily at that point. __________________ Get up and open your eyes...Don't ever let yourself ever fall down... Get through it and learn how to fly...I know you'll find a way...today. -Days of the New, "Dirty Road"

24th Jun 2011, 04:43 AM	#9
heatqueen Official #1 fan of Celine Dion Full Member Gender: Female Orientation: Pansexual/Homoromantic bisexual Out Status: Generally whoever asks Location: I travel a lot Age: 20 Posts: 5,707 Join Date: Jan 2008	Re: Sleep paralysis Eh. I had another sleep paralysis dream last night. Except I was sort of dreaming that I was aware that I was sleep-paralyzed. Geez, this is getting a bit like inception. Also it's not often that it happens twice in a row, but this time it did for some reason. -.- __________________ Don't drink and drive. You might hit a bump and spill your drink. Co-founder of the 'Sailor Moon Made Me Gay' club...and the lesbians.

24th Jun 2011, 06:24 AM	#10
Z3ni Ec's ADD Full Member Gender: Male Orientation: Gayish Out Status: My Twin Location: England, Manchester Posts: 3,083 Join Date: Oct 2008	Re: Sleep paralysis I read, its like an out of body exprience, like astral projection! I would love to exprience it A lot of the pictures of sleep paralysis, theres a "demon" sorta thing sitting on top of the bed. __________________ Through pain, lies success. Last edited by Z3ni; 24th Jun 2011 at 06:26 AM..

24th Jun 2011, 06:58 AM	#11
GuardianKitten Well Known Full Member Gender: Boy Orientation: 80% gay Out Status: People guessed. Location: Greater Philadelphia Area Age: 17 Posts: 200 Join Date: May 2011	Re: Sleep paralysis yes, but honestly for me it's not 'scary'. __________________ Hold on to the world we all remember fighting for. There's some strenght left in us yet Hold on to the world we all remember dying for. Theres some hope left in it yet Arise and be all that you dreamed. All that you dreamed

24th Jun 2011, 12:48 PM	#13
PickAName4Me Member Regular Member Gender: Male Orientation: Not sure (still trying to figure it out) Posts: 11 Join Date: Jun 2011	Re: Sleep paralysis I know what you mean when I actually fall asleep. Weird thing is I wake right up. Its like my body only needs 2 hours sleep.

24th Jun 2011, 04:26 PM	#14
biisme Call me Katie Full Member Gender: Female Orientation: Bisexual Out Status: Ask me and I'll tell you. Location: Lincoln, Rhode Island Age: 20 Posts: 8,119 Join Date: Oct 2007	Re: Sleep paralysis I have sleep paralysis on a semi-regular basis. It tends to occur more when I'm napping or when I sleep on my back. Basically, I wake up from sleep and can't move anything except my eyes. I've had it last as long as half an hour and as short as a couple minutes. I've also had some "hallucinations"/dreams while I'm trying to move. I've researched many ways to break free of it, but they tend to work randomly and not with any regularity. Also, if I don't physically get out of bed as soon as I am able to move, then I will quickly fall back into sleep paralysis. Basically it annoys me a lot and I'm worried I'm gonna be late for class one day. __________________ From BIG problems to little problems, from broken hearts to broken shoelaces, I really do care. Feel free to PM me anytime about anything. I want to know.

24th Jun 2011, 11:25 PM	#15
Chandra Empty Closets Advisor EC Advisor Gender: Female Orientation: somewhere over the rainbow Out Status: Out to most people Posts: 782 Join Date: Jan 2010	Re: Sleep paralysis This used to happen to me quite frequently, but not as much lately. There's a term for the state between sleep and wakefulness - hypnagogia - which is when the brain can still be creating dreams (and hence releasing a paralyzing hormone so you don't flail about in your sleep), but you are awake enough to be aware of your surroundings. For me, it used to manifest as very realistic sensory hallucinations - I could clearly hear music or people talking, feel hands touching me, etc. It used to scare the piss out of me but I've gotten used to it.

27th Jun 2011, 07:53 PM	#16
Noahroxursox EC Addict Full Member Gender: Male Orientation: I can haz teh guys? Out Status: All but my extended family and the odd walrus Location: Maryland Age: 15 Posts: 338 Join Date: Jun 2011	Re: Sleep paralysis A lot of what you all are mentioning has happened to me before, for example, sometimes i'll be trying to fall asleep, and right when I'm finally about to, someone comes and jolts me awake, and I cant move for a few seconds right away, which is terrifying. Also, ivhave really vivid dreams, sometimes they're so realistic that I get them so ingrained into my brain that i think they are memories. I have some things that may or may not have happened in reality permanently etched into my brain, and the said thing is that I don't think that i'll ever be able to find out if those things ever happened :P __________________ RAINBOWS

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27th Jun 2011, 11:33 PM	#17
Just Passing EC Addict Full Member Gender: Male Orientation: Gay Out Status: Almost there Location: West Midlands Age: 20 Posts: 513 Join Date: May 2011	Re: Sleep paralysis I think I had a bit of this a while back. I would be awake, but I felt like I couldn't move my leg or sometimes my whole body to get comfortable. It would require forcing myself to violently shake to get rid of the immobility and return to normal. It's very strange and definitely freaky. Haven't had it in a long time though thankfully. __________________ Meh.