sleep paralysis

[bensmummy]

hi all, i suffer frequent bouts of this sleep problem and my dr said its not harmful although couldnt explain why it happens as such so i was wondering if its connected to anxiety, has anyone else experianced this?

[bensmummy]

thanx, thought i was the only 1 :doh:

[victoria_s]

hi can you please elaborate on this.. if its the same thing that happens to me then you will be the first person ive ever ever know this to happen to also!! is it when your mind is awake but your body is absolutely asleep and wont move even though im telling it to including opening my eyes? its so so so scary!! this happens so so rarely thank god (mainly when dozing in afternoon?) .

[bensmummy]

hi victoria, it is exactly as u discribed it and is an awful feeling and also it is also during afternoon nap with me but apparantly not harmful just frightning.

[victoria_s]

. this has happened to me since being a small kid. it is terrifying. i feel if i let my self go i will completely shut down so i have to use every little bit of energy to ''jump'' my body awake. i just cant believe it happens to other people! i have told people over the years and they were mortified. how strange it happens to you also if you try to have a snooze in the afternoon aswell :)

[ruthw]

Hi,

I also experience this, however when I get it I can feel a weight on my chest, so much so that I used to think that a cat or dog had somehow got in the house and was sleeping on me, but I could never move my head to check that there was nothing there!

[Carys]

How interesting ! This happened to me once in my life, when I was 19 years old. I recall it clearly as it was one of the most frightening things I've ever experienced. My brain was wide awake and I could hear things and even opened my eyes but my body would not move, I was 'telling' it to move but it was like I had gone into a kind of 'locked in' state. It felt like ages, but was probably seconds and never recurred.

[RLR]

Okay, sleep paralysis is a sort of a misnomer that contends it to be pathological in its own right and needs clarification.

When sleep ensues by effects upon the general cortices of the brain by the reticular avtivating system in the brain, which controls arousal and sleep functions, other activity also ensues. When the brain enters REM sleep, a physiological transformation occurs called REM atonia, meaning that the motor cortex is rendered somwhat inoperative to avoid dream activity from inducing corresponding physical movement to the greatest extent.

When a person is awakened from REM sleep rather than the normal ascending and descending scales of sleep pattern physiology, there is a conscious sensation of the represssed motor cortex and as the affected individual tries to move, they realize that they are unable to do so. This phenomenon can arise commonly in persons with narcolepsy, but just as commonly in normal healthy individuals that may experience a hypnogogic reaction due to exhaustion or otherwise lack of quality sleep.

In the absence of other qualifying criteria, this type of experience is not indicative of any underlying pathology.

Best regards,

Rutheford Rane, MD (ret.)

[B-gal]

Hi, Ive had sleep paralysis for years, but its not happened for about a year now. I remember the first time it happened I thought I was in a coma it was sooo scary. Found out what it was and a lot of the information on it says to just let it pass, but its really not that easy to do as you guys probably know. I always take the approach of trying to build up loads of energy and shaking myself out of it because I cant be calm when it happens lol. I always get it when going to sleep but I know you can get it when you waking up too. Its so strange to speak to lots of people who have it. The only other person Ive known to have it is my third cousin.


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[Lou 1]

i also experience this but when this happens to me i also get a loud vibratin sound in my ears and my whole body vibrates almost like im having a seizure - is this normal with sleep paralysis?

[PanchoGoz]

Yep. I understood that completely...hypnogogic?
But seriously, I'm glad it's not an underlying health thing or "pathology" as you say. I had this last night and I am now reassured. Thankyou.

[PanchoGoz]

Oh oops I didn't notice the thread was 2 pages that last post won't make sense at all sorry!

Lou 1 that is EXACTLY what happened to me last night. My ears were making a wierd noise like when you yawn and they vibrate. my whole body was fuzzing and any part I tried to move just...fuzzed! it lasted about twenty seconds...terrifying.