Sleep Paralysis

Options
bitty1taz
bitty1taz Posts: 309 Member
in Chit-Chat
Has anyone had this happen to you? Ever sinse I started school for nursing back in September.(tomorrow is my last day of finals for my first simester), I have been suffering off and on with this since then. Although the night before last was the worst! I faught it with everything I had because the feeling is so overwhelming.
Every time I was able to wake up, my body felt so heavy and I just kept slipping back into that "sleep".

I was just wondering if anyone else has had this happen to them before and how did they either embrace it so it wasn't so scarry, or how did they get rid of it.
«1

Replies

  • MissO﹠A
    MissO﹠A Posts: 906 Member
    Options
    I have no clue what this is but I wish my husband would get it. Being clothes-lined to the chest "on accident" isn't very fun. Nor is being woken up by being kicked in the small of my back. On "accident" ... mmm hmm. That *kitten*. *shakes fist*

    Going to go to my source of all knowledge and Google sleep paralysis now. Sorry you've got whatever it is.

    Edit: Ah, that does sound a bit scary. Sorry. (Total body paralysis during sleep -- or a straight-jacket... that's what my guy needs. Not this.)
  • Nikki582
    Nikki582 Posts: 561 Member
    Options
    I hate it :( I find it terrifying but my sleep paralysis generally comes with hallucinations - like I'm awake in my room but I can see shadows or feel someone's breaking in. But I can't move and it feels like someone's sitting on my chest, I try to call out but I can't.. in the end I will myself to move one finger and I can generally snap myself out of it.
  • aspen1377
    aspen1377 Posts: 60 Member
    Options
    Oh my GOSH...YES this has happened to me....It is the scariest feeling ever...it's like your mind wakes up before your body wakes up....I CANNOT embrace it....it feels as though if I relax and go back to sleep that I am dying...I fight and fight and fight until I can force myself to wake up....and then I stay awake for a while because I am afraid if I fall back to sleep right away it will happen again...
  • bitty1taz
    bitty1taz Posts: 309 Member
    Options
    I don't really see anything but it feels like buzzy blackness crawling over my head and then the whispering kicks in. So I guess I do hallucinate...more of an auditory one though...lol!
    I just wished it would stop.
    I also stay awake for as long as I can so the feeling goes away, but wow...is that ever hard to do. I've almost dropped in the hallway and my poor boyfriend has to pick me up.
  • JacksMom12
    JacksMom12 Posts: 1,044 Member
    Options
    My husband gets it every once in a while and from how he describes it, it sounds ridiculously frightening! He too says that it's like something is sitting on his chest and he's trying so hard to move or say something but it's like he's dying and can't. He said it's what "pure terror" feels like. :::shudders::: sounds terrible to me.
  • Maryjaneshoes
    Maryjaneshoes Posts: 169 Member
    Options
    It scares me, too, happens more often when I'm stressed...I'm sorry, wish I had some advice. :(
  • Missjulesdid
    Missjulesdid Posts: 1,444 Member
    Options
    I get it occasionally and it is scary the first few times it happens, but after a while, I learned what it was and I don't try to fight it. The feeling is very very different than a dream. I have very realistic hallucinations both visual and auditory and I feel like I'm astral-projecting (I don't believe in astral-projection but I''m pretty sure that people who claim to have done it are actually suffering from sleep paralysis.)

    Hopefully if this continues to happen to you, you can find a way to just relax and not fight it.
  • bitty1taz
    bitty1taz Posts: 309 Member
    Options
    Hopefully I can learn to relax. It has happened enough that I was starting to, but the other nights was so bad that I freaked out again. I think if it didn't always have this "evil" feel to it, I wouldn't figt it so much.
    And I'm not one ot use that word often.
  • sunkisses
    sunkisses Posts: 2,365 Member
    Options
    Google some techniques for dealing with it. When I used to do paranormal investigation, many people thought what they were experiencing was "paranormal" so I had to look into it to help them. I forget what I found out though, sorry!
  • lizgreenhill
    lizgreenhill Posts: 185
    Options
    i had a dream i was paralized i couldnt talk move or barely breathe. I tried screaming for my husband for help and trying to move and i couldnt. when i woke up i was in a state of paralysis for min it was effin scary. I remember hearing about this topic in my psychology class at school my teacher said that your body doesnt fully wake up from the dream so it seems that your paralized because your body is in REM sleep ( rapid eye movement) and thats when you are in the deepest sleep and are the most relaxed. I have only had that happen to me twice in my whole life that i can think of and one time i was mad at my husband before bed and the other i was fighting with my ex. so i am assuming it is stress related. Hope this helps and good luck
  • shovav91
    shovav91 Posts: 2,335 Member
    Options
    The reason this is often associated with paranormal phenomena is because of the time in your sleep cycle in which it happens. Sleep paralysis occurs when you half wake up during your REM cycle. That is the time where your body is most relaxed (paralyzed, in fact) but your mind is most awake. People see things that aren't really there because they are still in a half-asleep state and are dreaming. Although it's very scary and disconcerting, it's nothing abnormal and not dangerous. I really hope it stops though; I can't imagine it's any fun :(
  • Missjulesdid
    Missjulesdid Posts: 1,444 Member
    Options
    Hopefully I can learn to relax. It has happened enough that I was starting to, but the other nights was so bad that I freaked out again. I think if it didn't always have this "evil" feel to it, I wouldn't figt it so much.
    And I'm not one ot use that word often.

    I have a relative who to this day insists that a spirit came to her room and paralyzed her and caused the room to get extra dark. I have tried so many times to convince her that it was sleep paralysis but she still insists that it was an evil spirit. I totally understand why she feels this way because it really does feel evil especially at first. Just look at the other night as a small setback and just try not to fear it in the future. Best of luck to you!
  • ILiftHeavyAcrylics
    ILiftHeavyAcrylics Posts: 27,732 Member
    Options
    I have horrible sleep paralysis episodes, but they're brought on by the medication I take at night so I'm afraid I can't help you. Have you talked to your doctor?
  • ajbeans
    ajbeans Posts: 2,857 Member
    Options
    Has anyone had this happen to you? Ever sinse I started school for nursing back in September.(tomorrow is my last day of finals for my first simester), I have been suffering off and on with this since then. Although the night before last was the worst! I faught it with everything I had because the feeling is so overwhelming.
    Every time I was able to wake up, my body felt so heavy and I just kept slipping back into that "sleep".

    I was just wondering if anyone else has had this happen to them before and how did they either embrace it so it wasn't so scarry, or how did they get rid of it.

    My sister and my mom deal with this frequently. For them, it's caused by a condition known as hypokalemic periodic paralysis. What happens is your blood potassium levels get slightly low, and then your cells overreact by pulling all the potassium out of your blood, and then your muscles can't work properly because it disrupts the ion channels (I don't know the whole science of it). It's difficult to test for because unless you're in the middle of an attack, your levels will be normal. But it's worth talking to your doctor about. Do some research and see if you think it might be the problem. It usually sets in during adolescence, but often it doesn't show up until you're older (my sister was 30 when she had her first episode). The treatment is simple, a prescription potassium supplement. Over-the-counter supplements don't have enough stuff.
  • honor82
    honor82 Posts: 23
    Options
    I usually get it when I'm sleep deprived or stressed out about something. Also, I found that alcohol played a major role in the occurrence of mine. I haven't had it happen to me in about a year.
  • runiechica
    runiechica Posts: 180 Member
    Options
    It's a normal thing that our brains do when we sleep. The purpose of it is so that we don't sleep walk or act out our dreams. Obviously it varies in strength from night to night and person to person. I take a breath and remind myself it's a natural part of life and focus on wiggling toes/fingers until it fades. It happens to me most when I wake up suddenly from a deep sleep.
  • DopeItUp
    DopeItUp Posts: 18,771 Member
    Options
    I've dealt with it for many years, myself. Have seen and heard some pretty amazing things.

    I find that it happens most when:

    1) I'm stressed
    2) Lacking sleep in general (usually goes with #1)
    3) Sleeping on my back

    I find I can get multiple episodes in a row if I keep sleeping on my back. Once I figured it out, I switched to my side or belly and it stops happening. I would say that not sleeping on my back has reduced my episodes by at least 95% in the past few years.
  • numberscolors
    numberscolors Posts: 254
    Options
    sleep paralysis happens to me in times of major stress (it happened a lot during finals week and when i used to work night shifts at a nursing home and my sleep schedule got all wacky). at first i thought i was being possessed or haunted by something! it was completely terrifying! but i researched it and found out that basically what's happening is your brain "wakes up" while your body remains asleep. it can often be accompanied by hallucinations. i often hear a strange buzzing/grating sound that gets louder and louder and i see flashing lights or moving shadows... oh and i this very strange tingling feeling. creepy, i know. but it's totally normal and not anything paranormal or supernatural. just your body telling you that it's stressed and needs regular sleep.
  • CrawlingChaos
    CrawlingChaos Posts: 87
    Options
    I get some good hypnagogic hallucinations when I am sleep deprived for several days in a row. I think they are pretty awesome. I love horror movies and it feels like living in one. I remember one time I fell asleep reading a short story about a guy going insane and had progressively crazier hallucinations every time he fell asleep. I woke up feeling like something was sitting on my back screaming in screaming in my ear. The human brain is one crazy machine!
  • Johnnyswife
    Johnnyswife Posts: 1,447 Member
    Options
    I've dealt with it for many years, myself. Have seen and heard some pretty amazing things.

    I find that it happens most when:

    1) I'm stressed
    2) Lacking sleep in general (usually goes with #1)
    3) Sleeping on my back

    I find I can get multiple episodes in a row if I keep sleeping on my back. Once I figured it out, I switched to my side or belly and it stops happening. I would say that not sleeping on my back has reduced my episodes by at least 95% in the past few years.
    This is when I suffer from paralysis. I have had a lot of sucess sleeping on my side, but sometimes I wind up on my back. Glad I'm not the only one. I hate that feeling of not being able to move!!

Categories