Have you ever experienced Sleep Paralysis?

[djNickb]

Originally posted by: mcveigh

Originally posted by: djNickb

Originally posted by: mcveigh

Originally posted by: djNickb

Originally posted by: mcveigh

Originally posted by: aircooled
If it's in your limbs, it can be a vitamin B1 deficiency. I was having foot paralysis for a while before I knew about B1 and muscle paralysis...

true sleep paralysis is a sleeping disorder.
http://www.stanford.edu/~dement/paralysis.html
<---polysomnographic technologist (AKA a sleep tech)

I'm working at the lab reight now...ask yo slepp questions!

I had a sleep study done because I suspected I might be narcoleptic and also have experienced sleep paralysis, mostly when taking naps during the day. It is terrifying you almost feel as if you are dying. When I get them I feel as though my mind is awake, I can wiggle a toe or a finger tip and my eyes try to open, sometimes I can fight through it and wake up other times I just give in and fall back asleep. Haven't had one though in a few months.

what were the results?

Well they kept me overnight and the next day for daytime nap studies, I only registered 'sleep' on one of the naps so they said based on that I did not meet the criteria for narcolepsy. I'm lookin at the printout of the results.

Their comments were:
General EEG features were atypical for this patient. Overall arousal index was midly abnormal. Alpha intrusion including K-Alpha arousals were noted in sleep stages.

The diagnosis on the printout is:
-Inadequate sleep hygeine
-Insufficient sleep syndrome
-Delayed sleep-phase syndrome, possible
-Long sleeper, possible

where'd you have your study done? they threw a lot of stuff in there.
what is your sleep schedule like? do you work odd hours?
did you actually talk to a sleep specialist? a board certified sleep doctor?

can you tell me any meds you are on? PM if you want privacy.

I had it done at the Ingham Regional Medical Center in Lansing, MI. My sleep schedule varies since I'm on call for work, have gotten called as late as 2am and as early as 5am. Not currently on any meds, though my doctor wrote me a trial prescription for Ambien to try to help with my sleep hygiene and basically said that bad sleep hygiene was the likely culprit. I was supposed to go back in a month after that but never made it back.

 

[aceO07]

Originally posted by: ThePresence
I used to get it once in a while. It's terrifying. You wake up and you can't move, can't catch your breath, ugh. I haven't had it in a few years though...

Yup. It's the scariest thing in the world. I had it a few times many years ago. You're basically wake but can't move or yell. However, you can see.

You wake up (from a dream) and open your eyes. You try to move but you can't. Can't move your fingers, feet, or head. You're freaked out of your mind since the room is dark and it's night time. It's just dark and you see shadows of things in your room. Your sense of hearing is heightened. You think you hear noises. You want to yell to someone, anybody.. but you can't even make out a whisper. It's creepy!

It doesn't last for too long, but those seconds or minutes can seem like an eternity.

 

[mcveigh]

Originally posted by: djNickb


I had it done at the Ingham Regional Medical Center in Lansing, MI. My sleep schedule varies since I'm on call for work, have gotten called as late as 2am and as early as 5am. Not currently on any meds, though my doctor wrote me a trial prescription for Ambien to try to help with my sleep hygiene and basically said that bad sleep hygiene was the likely culprit. I was supposed to go back in a month after that but never made it back.

well duh, go back. I'm concerned that threw out a shotgun spray diagnosis..saying you may have this or that, etc.

was idiopathic hypersomnolence ever mentioned? translated that means really sleepy, usually the perscribe a mild stimulant to help keep you alert during the day.

from you work descrition i agree that poor sleep hygene is likely you really need to work on that, often in sleep you need to fix things one at a time to find the real cause.

 

[mcveigh]

Originally posted by: RossMAN

Originally posted by: mcveigh

Originally posted by: aircooled
If it's in your limbs, it can be a vitamin B1 deficiency. I was having foot paralysis for a while before I knew about B1 and muscle paralysis...

true sleep paralysis is a sleeping disorder.
http://www.stanford.edu/~dement/paralysis.html
<---polysomnographic technologist (AKA a sleep tech)

I'm working at the lab reight now...ask yo slepp questions!

Why do I wake up sometimes and Mr. Winky is at full attention?

it means your gay.:lips:

say 10 hail mary's and goto to a catholic preiest for "confession"

 

[mcveigh]

Originally posted by: MantisFistMonk
Yes, once.

It was an awful experience.

I've also had it mild since then. Subconscious suggestion so on and so forth, but those only last until I realize what's going on, about .5 seconds into it. Those aren't bad. They're rare and very mild.

But that one time, wow. It had to be one of the most terrible things I have ever experienced.

No institution of credit yet acknowledges this I don't think? Anyways, my theory is that it happens in between atonia in REM and waking. Kind of like a mental lag I guess.

The atonia in REM is there to keep you from acting out your dreams and hurting yourself etc. But you are not supposed to experience it awake. Blah blah glitch in the matrix, body REM muscle paralysis yadda yadda.

Anyways, like I said, it was awful.

you pretty much described it there, I don't know what you mean about "No institution of credit yet acknowledges this"

it's a known and classified sleeping disorder

 

[djNickb]

Originally posted by: mcveigh

Originally posted by: djNickb


I had it done at the Ingham Regional Medical Center in Lansing, MI. My sleep schedule varies since I'm on call for work, have gotten called as late as 2am and as early as 5am. Not currently on any meds, though my doctor wrote me a trial prescription for Ambien to try to help with my sleep hygiene and basically said that bad sleep hygiene was the likely culprit. I was supposed to go back in a month after that but never made it back.

well duh, go back. I'm concerned that threw out a shotgun spray diagnosis..saying you may have this or that, etc.

was idiopathic hypersomnolence ever mentioned? translated that means really sleepy, usually the perscribe a mild stimulant to help keep you alert during the day.

from you work descrition i agree that poor sleep hygene is likely you really need to work on that, often in sleep you need to fix things one at a time to find the real cause.

Yeah I've been trying to work in the sleep hygiene to the best of my ability, usually on weekdays I try to get to bed around 12-1 and get up around 8-9am depending on when/if my phone or pager goes off. Ironically I had the sleep study because I drive a lot with my current job and was concerned about dozing off at the wheel although the nature of my job actually keeps me quite alert have only had one sleepy occurance at the wheel. At my previous job which was behind a desk and all through college I used to be able to fall asleep at the drop of a hat sitting upright even though I would try to fight to stay awake. I had the sleep study done just before I started my current job about 4 months ago. With my current job I get to take naps during the day (which I think has been helping with the daytime sleepiness) since I work out of my house and my schedule is extremely flexible. I work on average about 20 hours a week but I'm salary which is very very nice

 

[OverVolt]

Hmm my sleep hygiene is horrible, i never knew how much of an effect it can have on you.

I've never had that happen, but i hallucinate ALOT when i goto sleep, and it is totally random things.

I will be almost asleep when then i feel like im falling so i am reflex/jolted awake and then i always see stuff, this happens like every week or so. It will vary from like clowns/balloons/me in another room/driving ect.

 

[Bacardi151]

what i have experienced was being "paralyzed" in a dream, but the dream felt very very real, the environment that i dreamed of was where i slept, i couldnt move my arms or upper body and i and i saw a black shadowy figure on my chest holding me down. it was very frightening, i tried to scream for help (my g/f who was sleeping beside me was in my dream too and i screamed for her name but nothing quite came out, but i was not out of breathe though). anyways, very scary.

some christians believes a ghost/spirit is holding you down, korean christians call this "Gawi" (which is also the name of a korean movie about these things)

edit: i have also experienced where my body goes numb (falls asleep) , but i was wide awake and sitting down , and all of a sudden i feel, starting from my feet, my body going numb. i fell down on my bed and i couldn't move a single muscle, and i was too afraid to call for my parents thinking they'd think i'm going crazy or something. it was scary though, i thought i was actually turning paralyzed forreal. but it went away within a minute or so.

i thought it was due to lack of blood circulation, which is the cause for when your arm or foot falls asleep, so the first thing i did when i gained back some movement was to jump up and down to get my blood flowing again

 

[petejk]

i can consistently re-create the situation where i will get sleep paralysis...


i sleep from 11pm-2am stay up for 3 hours,..fall asleep....

then..right after....i will ALWAYS get paralysis...some nights...1 time...others ...5 times


it blows..

 

[upsciLLion]

Originally posted by: mcveigh

Originally posted by: upsciLLion

Originally posted by: mcveigh

Originally posted by: upsciLLion

Originally posted by: mcveigh

Originally posted by: aircooled
If it's in your limbs, it can be a vitamin B1 deficiency. I was having foot paralysis for a while before I knew about B1 and muscle paralysis...

true sleep paralysis is a sleeping disorder.
http://www.stanford.edu/~dement/paralysis.html
<---polysomnographic technologist (AKA a sleep tech)

I'm working at the lab reight now...ask yo slepp questions!

are you overweight?, do you have a recessed chin?
do you snore?

it's hard when your in college but try to get to sleep earlier, say 10pm and get up around 7am, do this consistently, it's hard, you have to change habits.
sleep in a quiet dark room no tv, no music.

try that for a month. no naps during the day either!

What is it that makes me take 2-3 hours to fall asleep at night while easily dozing off in class?

cold be many things, sleep apnea, poor sleep hygene, food eaten in the afternoon.

what's you age?
what do you eat in the afternoon till bedtime
how much caffine a day
how much sleep a night?

I'm 22.
I usually eat a light lunch (sandwich, some fruit, couple cookies maybe)
For dinner I usually have some kind of meat, vegetables, and fruit.
The only caffeine I taken in during the day is in any chocolate I eat. I don't drink pop, coffee, nor tea.
I typically get in bed anywhere from 12 to 1 and get up around 8. So depending on how much time I lay awake, it's anywhere from 5 to 6 hours per night. On the weekends I usually sleep from 2-3 until anywhere from 11 am to 1 pm.

 

[glenn beck]

I think it has to do with falling asleep on your back.... a couple of years ago I was exhausted fell asleep on my back an awoke to feel/seeing this invisible thing jump on me and try to wrestle me. I almost had a freakin seizure from it.

 

[Francodman]

Aye, I get it every once in awhile. Sometimes I get it 3-4 times a sleep session. I try to remain calm and gather myself.

 

[ThePresence]

Originally posted by: Bacardi151
what i have experienced was being "paralyzed" in a dream, but the dream felt very very real, the environment that i dreamed of was where i slept, i couldnt move my arms or upper body and i and i saw a black shadowy figure on my chest holding me down. it was very frightening, i tried to scream for help (my g/f who was sleeping beside me was in my dream too and i screamed for her name but nothing quite came out, but i was not out of breathe though). anyways, very scary.

some christians believes a ghost/spirit is holding you down, korean christians call this "Gawi" (which is also the name of a korean movie about these things)

edit: i have also experienced where my body goes numb (falls asleep) , but i was wide awake and sitting down , and all of a sudden i feel, starting from my feet, my body going numb. i fell down on my bed and i couldn't move a single muscle, and i was too afraid to call for my parents thinking they'd think i'm going crazy or something. it was scary though, i thought i was actually turning paralyzed forreal. but it went away within a minute or so.

i thought it was due to lack of blood circulation, which is the cause for when your arm or foot falls asleep, so the first thing i did when i gained back some movement was to jump up and down to get my blood flowing again

Wow, that sounds like a serious condition. You should get it checked out.

 

[dighn]

once. i think.

i was half awake but couldn't even open my eyes. i remember i felt so confused

 

[Landroval]

I have this happen a few times a year -- I have a little ritual I do now when it happens to make it go away faster...

 

[mobobuff]

Nope, I've never had one. Kinda wish I had so I'd know what it was all about

I know that if certain nerves in the body are pinched, limbs can become imobile, and stay imobile for 10 or 15 seconds after the nerve is released. Maybe something similar is happening, only on a much larger scale (some people said they only had it when sleeping on a couch). I remember sleeping in a car once while on vacation, not laying down, but sitting upright in the driver's seat. When I woke up my ENTIRE body was numb, I could move everything just fine, but when I did it would send a huge tingly jolt through my entire body that actually hurt. So I had to sit completely still until it went away.

 

[rh71]

only once... and I felt like I was half dreaming. I've witnessed my wife go through it (sleeping next to her wondering why she was just blankly staring at me).

It's obviously all in your mind. It's a powerful tool. This morning I dreamed I was on a bus stuck in traffic for the entire night... what it means or what triggers this I have absolutely no idea... the night before I was trying to evade my brother but he caught me coming out of an elevator and shot me in the stomach. As I was dying, I thought to myself - who should I call to say my goodbyes... my parents it was. The mind - it just does what it wants.

Your body needs to be told by your brain to wake up.

 

[aceO07]

Originally posted by: glenn beck
I think it has to do with falling asleep on your back.... a couple of years ago I was exhausted fell asleep on my back an awoke to feel/seeing this invisible thing jump on me and try to wrestle me. I almost had a freakin seizure from it.

Yup, I think you might be right about it occuring sleeping on your back (at least from my experiences). I've never had it happen in any other position. This only makes it that much worse. You only have your sight (FULL view of dark room) and sound. You're also stuck in a vunerable position, straight and flat on back. This is probably why people think it's a terrible/frightening ordeal.

 

[Amused]

Nope. Never have.

 

[rh71]

Originally posted by: aceO07

Originally posted by: glenn beck
I think it has to do with falling asleep on your back.... a couple of years ago I was exhausted fell asleep on my back an awoke to feel/seeing this invisible thing jump on me and try to wrestle me. I almost had a freakin seizure from it.

Yup, I think you might be right about it occuring sleeping on your back (at least from my experiences). I've never had it happen in any other position. This only makes it that much worse. You only have your sight (FULL view of dark room) and sound. You're also stuck in a vunerable position, straight and flat on back. This is probably why people think it's a terrible/frightening ordeal.

My wife was on her stomach when it happened to her... the time she had her head turned toward me and was blankly staring... she never sleeps on her back because it's not comfortable for her. I sleep on my back every night and it's only happened to me (I think) once.

 

[Schadenfreude]

I did. Once. It sucked.

 

[J Heartless Slick]

Originally posted by: ThePresence
I used to get it once in a while. It's terrifying. You wake up and you can't move, can't catch your breath, ugh. I haven't had it in a few years though...

I had it once and I thought I had heard that someone was in my apartment.

 

[Random Variable]

I experienced something like that many times when I was little. But in my case I distinctly remeber not being able to open my eyes. After a while I realized that it only occured if I was sleeping on my back; therefore, to this day I only sleep on my stomach.

EDIT: And I don't recall having trouble breathing.

 

[mobobuff]

If the feeling instills fear, then the fear is what is raising auditory sensitivity. I'm guessing it occurs while the mind shifts from involuntary function (auto-pilot) to voluntary function (waking up), but it's just off-synch. Since sleep has its own kind of breathing pattern, the off-synch shift leaves the awake breathing pattern behind, therefor being short of breath and feeling like you can't breathe. Voluntary movement and regular breathing patterns just take time to synchronize, but what causes the lag I can't speculate.

 

[chowmein]

in chinese culture it mean that a ghost squashed you or sleep on top of you.