Sleep paralysis anyone?

[cowboyup]

I've been having bouts of sleep paralysis on and off for several years but recently told my doctor about it and he said it sounds like I have what is known as sleep paralysis. It usually occurs when I first wake up in the morning, I find myself unable to move or talk. The first time it happened, it scared me so bad as I had no idea what was going on. I just swept it under the rug thinking it was probably just a bad dream that seemed real.

But it's been happening more and more often so the last time I went to my doctor I told him, describing my symptoms and how I felt, etc. He said, though not official, it sounds like sleep paralysis.

Nothing was prescribed for it but just told me to try and regulate my sleep habits better, get enough sleep, all that jazz....

Has anyone experienced this and if so, have you found anything that helps?

It's really quite scary to literally wake up and be paralyzed.

 

[dallasthekid]

yes this used to happen to me quite often. when it happens just try and relax and it will go away. sleep paralysis is also an invitation to astral projection. if you don't know what that is, you should look it up

 

[spider04]

I think I remember when I was a child I woke up but couldn't move. The most recent, I had a weird panic attack at the beginning of this year, about two weeks after that panic attack I was still feeling sick, one night I just couldn't sleep, I was hearing "load noises" and weird vibrations in my head. Finally in the morning I managed to sleep and then I woke some minutes later, I was under my blanket but could not move. When I got out of it I ran to my mom and told her I woke up but could not move, she probably thought I had a bad dream because she didn't take me serious. Since that panic attack I had many weird things happen to me like sometimes i feel like there's cold water drops on my skin or I feel something cold in my head, doctors don't help with anything when you tell them this. The seep paralysis still happens now and then, I noticed there's always some weird vibration/noise in my head.

 

[laure15]

Sounds like muscle paralysis:
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I also experiencing some muscle paralysis during sleep, like I can't move my body parts temporarily. It's normal.

 

[theoutsider]

I haven't had that happen to me in a few years. I used to hate it. I'm hoping I'm done with for life.

 

[JuiceB]

Had to google it to find out what it was and read about it in wikipedia. That sounds like some scary stuff. Come to think of it, when I was young I used to hear my mom mention to my uncle something about a "witch riding his back" but I thought she was talking about one of his many women. Who knew? :idontknow:

 

[alwayssunnyinphiladelphia]

I used to get this quite a lot not much anymore it is scary at the start the first time I thought I had had a stroke or something, but I think its kind of funny sometimes, like the only part of my body that i can move is my tongue for like 20 seconds haha

Do you have funny sleeping patterns I noticed it happens less when you have a normal routine

 

[GirLIntroverted]

OMG I know exactly what you're talking about. This has happened to me at least 3 times in my life. The first time was the scariest, the paralysis was so real, and the dark figure that supposedly sits on your chest so you can't breathe, some call it the Hag, that was eerie as hell. I felt the pressure increasing every time I tried to get up. I was freaking out and I couldn't tell anyone about it because they'd think I was crazy, I did too at first. I decided to look into this strange occurrence and found out that it was real and people experienced it often, I felt a little better knowing I wasn't crazy but still scared that it would happen again, I didn't sleep for 3 straight days. Anyway someone once told me that it helps if you sleep on your side since the paralysis usually happens when you're on your back. Curious to read other people's stories about this. The Astral Projection is very interesting too.

 

[GirLIntroverted]

I used to get this quite a lot not much anymore it is scary at the start the first time I thought I had had a stroke or something, but I think its kind of funny sometimes, like the only part of my body that i can move is my tongue for like 20 seconds haha

Do you have funny sleeping patterns I noticed it happens less when you have a normal routine

^^^^^ Yea it happens more frequently when you have irregular sleeping schedules. I used to be a shift worker and worked 12 hour shifts 3 days a week. The first time it happened was during this time when I stayed up all night and slept during the day. My circadian rhythms were all jacked up -_-

 

[Asphyxiatedragoon]

Yeah I've done it on accident and purposely, first of all oh my gosh that is so cool how you could do it without trying! I have literally been awake with my eyes closed but I could see my room as if my eyes were open. I've experienced this at least three times now. I one time could kind of move but the two times before the last one I was paralyzed completely. The ones before those three times I felt as if my body and my soul were separating.. the fear I felt was because I thought I was going to be possessed. You should look into Astral Projection. I know you could astral project awesome!

 

[tonicobastos]

I had something very similar while taking desvenlafaxine in november last year. My doctor said it couldn't be caused by the medication but it only happened while I was taking it.

 

[spider04]

I had something very similar while taking desvenlafaxine in november last year. My doctor said it couldn't be caused by the medication but it only happened while I was taking it.

I used Valium for panic attacks around the time I had sleep paralysis, I thought it was the medication but it still happens months after not using it.

 

[S_Spartan]

Yes, I have experienced SP for many years now. I have found a correlation between room temperature and having it happen. If the room becomes hot and stuffy then it is more likely to happen. I also found that it is more likely to happen if I'm sleeping "on and off" rather than steadily.

 

[Froggy246]

yes this used to happen to me quite often. when it happens just try and relax and it will go away. sleep paralysis is also an invitation to astral projection. if you don't know what that is, you should look it up

nice way to put it. An invitation I sometimes don't take up because of the fear..... I guess you could apply that to many things in life.

I noticed there's always some weird vibration/noise in my head.

Yea the vibration part is just before you project I've found - if you let things unfold that is, I have in the past also heard a high pitched noise. SP is very scary, especially if you are prone to panic, and some pretty terrifying things present themselves when in that state. Sometimes I force myself awake to come out of it, but sometimes I'll remember that it is an invitation to go on a bit of an adventure and try to relax, think of something benevolent and see where it takes me.

Had to google it to find out what it was and read about it in wikipedia. That sounds like some scary stuff. Come to think of it, when I was young I used to hear my mom mention to my uncle something about a "witch riding his back" but I thought she was talking about one of his many women. Who knew? :idontknow:

:lol:

 

[ForeverTheWeirdKid]

Doctrine and spirituality don't mash within this age. You need to meditate.

 

[Quietguy11]

Sleep paralysis has everything to do with your sleeping architecture of your body. But I don't know much about it, the only theory I have is that it's caused by your mind being too active while your body is in a state of paralysis, which it goes into when you are sleeping (which is why you don't roll off your bed by mistake). I had sleep paralysis more than once, and the only solution to the problem was to take Ativan (but any medication for sleep and anxiety will help). Ever since I started sleeping better (because of medication) I have never once experienced sleep paralysis.