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I go to sleep and use to wake up paralyzed in my sleep, but...

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Answer by Lily
Submitted on 12/6/2003
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Well, REM (rapid eye movement) is a portion of your sleep where in addition to your eyes moving rapidly beneath your eyelids (hence the name), you also become physically paralyzed so you don't act out your dreams. This is the portion of sleep where you have the majority of your dreams, and it is a mechanism that our body adapts so we are not moved to physically act out our dreams. For example, sleepwalkers have a glitch with this mechanism in their body, which is why they move around while they are dreaming. As for what is happening to you, I have never heard of a case like this before. If you are describing this accurately, it seems like you may also have a disorder that does not allow you to properly experience REM. You should not be awakening during this period, and it definitely is not a good sign that you are. You should see your doctor, explain these symptoms (because it certainly is not healthy for you to be depriving your brain of oxygen during these periods), and they will either handle the issue themselves, or direct you to another person (sleep doctor) who can address this problem better. Hope this helped.

Answer by Jennifer
Submitted on 12/9/2003
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You have what is called "sleep paralysis". It can be a sleep disorder unto itself or could be a symptom of narcolepsy (another sleep disorder). I have episodes, myself, of sleep paralysis, where I'm not completely awake and not completely asleep. My eyes are open but I can't move or scream. I also get "hypnogogic hallucinations" during these episodes where I think I see someone or something in the room. This is terrifying seeing as I am unable to move or speak. Usually there is a buzzing noise that gets louder and louder, too. During these episodes all I want to do is to fully wake up and usually after a minute I am able to do it usually by managing a small sound like a moan. These episodes of sleep paralysis always feel absolutely terrifying and when I do finally wake up for real there is a moment of confusion about what is real and what was a dream/hallucination and then a moment of great relief.

Answer by John
Submitted on 3/5/2004
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I've been having this problem for 30 years, I grew up with it. I never know what it was. It was very bothersome and strange to me without a clue. there was no way to explain that to anyone, they wouldn't know what the hell I'amtalking about. Sometime while I'amasleep I be feeling like a truck is on me I want to get from underneath it but I be feeling so weak and powerless I can't move nor doing anything. When it bothered me so much I began to pray to God asking him not to let me deal with those dreadful moments while I'amasleep. God told me that it is too much sweet things that I drink before I go to sleep and that I need to quit drinking sweet things such as juice, sodas, orange juice or anything that has a lot of sugar. One night, before I went to sleep I drank a tall glass of orange juice just to find out. It was not that I did not trust God, I was just hard headed and stubborn. That night was the worst I've ever had. I dreamed that the mattress was on my face suffocating me, I tried to move it off me but I was too powerless to do so, I wish someone could help me. The next night I went to bed without drinking anything sweet. Nothing happened. the second night I did the same thing nothing happened. The third night before I went to bed I drank a bottle of apple juice. That night I dreamed that I was upside down in a water hole wishing someone could wake me up. It was then I really find out that it was sugar beverages at night before bed that caused those sleep paralysis. I find out that you can also have those bad sleep by covering your head with bedsheet or blankets.

Answer by Kappy25
Submitted on 5/6/2004
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I've had basically the same thing happen to me. It didn't start till my Jr. year in College, I'm now 23 and still having this weird dreams. My problem is that there is a strong force pushing down on my body and won't let me go. Also I can't move, talk, scream, etc. Sometimes the room will begin to spin around real fast, but this doesn't happen all the time. Also I do hear a sudden humming noise that gets louder and louder throughout the dream. I end up saying in my head since I can't talk to let me go please let me go and then I will be released from my dream all the spinning and pressure is gone and I'm now awaking. Does anyone else have dreams like this with this effects?

Answer by Summer
Submitted on 8/3/2004
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I just was wondering if this could be anything close to psychic stuff or not, or like a medium? I also have episodes of sleep paralysis, and hypnogogic hallucination, but I see people that I don't know and they talk to me. Most of the times I cannot remember what they say, because I'm so scared while it's happening. Until recently my father passed away, it was the first time I could tell the sleep paralysis/hypnogogic hallucination was coming on but wasn't scared this time. And I looked over and my dad was right next to me reading. Then a week later, I was lying in bed thinking about some crappy choices I have made in my life, and I heard him say, "it's ok sweetheart." I started to cry. I wish I was more able to control what happens, can you? Is it even possible? If anyone has reply's please e-mail me at summer@doorpi.net Thanks, Summer

Answer by Celcius
Submitted on 9/12/2004
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Sleep paralysis and the astral body link. Sleep paralysis: About 40 to 50% of us suffer from sleep paralysis, which is waking up asleep. I suffer from this myself. When we wake up, most of our senses work, but we are paralyzed and unable to move. For me this is very uncomfortable because it's a bit more then just being paralyzed. It feels like you MUST snap out of it and wake up. What I do is kick my foot or wiggle my hand or arm. This is the only movement I can make while in the state of sleep paralysis. Slowly my body wakes up and I snap out of it within a couple minutes. While paralyzed I am actually still technically asleep, yet my mind is awake. I can see my room or my face buried into the pillow through my closed eyelids. This is due to seeing with my astral body. During this period, if I wish to, I can also have an out of body experience, which is floating to the ceiling and looking down on my body sleeping. For those of you who don't know, an out of body experience is not a near death experience. You can actually train your spirit to leave your body and fly around. Most of you would have heard stories about people floating above their hospital beds and looking down on the doctors operating? Same thing. The main reason for sleep paralysis is that you wake up in your astral body until you are converted into your physical body and woken up physically. I must also explain what the astral body is. We are made up of 3 bodies.The physical body, the astral body and the soul. But for simplicity, let us dwell on just two. We have our physical body, which is what you see in the mirror and are able to move around in. Within the physical body we have the astral body and soul. The astral body in all of us collects the energy our physical body needs and uses. With training, one is able to move his or her consciousness from the physical body to the astral body. One is then able to fly around the house and neighborhood in spirit form. To go into the subject more fully: to achieve this you have to learn how to put yourself into a trance or meditate. Just before you fall asleep, picture yourself being pushed out or flying. The astral body is put under pressure and is ejected from your physical body. If you are lucky, your mind will be placed into the astral body from being in a meditative and relaxed state. You will remember flying around when you wake up as if you were really there, because you were. If your mind stays in the physical body, then you simply fall asleep and watch what your astral body is doing through your dreams. My experiment with this was only for research purposes. I will not perform out of body experiences again due to the astral realm being home to a wide range of entities (most of which were never alive as human). Some of the entities are other human spirits having their own out of body experiences while their physical body lies asleep on their beds. The fact is we ALL have out of body experiences every night while we sleep. Our astral body hovers just above our physical body while sleeping. This is how our bodies recharge our energy levels. Sometimes our astral body flies away, which is where some of our dreams come from. Have you ever woken up from sleep with a jolt that made you feel like you just jumped a couple inches off the bed? That's why!The astral body depicts its travels as our dreams. When our astral body returns to our physical body, we literally "snap" back into each other. I hope I'm not losing you all here; it's a very hard topic to try to explain.

Answer by Justinm
Submitted on 9/22/2004
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This happends to me very very often. It use to happen in my bed, and I would 'see' shadows in the dark that I knew were trying to get me. I'd be paralysed and could only look around. However now I seem to ONLY do it when I'm sleeping at work. If I fall asleep at work. I'll suddenly think, man I've been asleep too long and try to wake up. I'll find myself paralysed. Then I'll start hearing things. My boss is asking where I'm at and they think I'm sleeping and there trying to find me. Then I get scared they'll catch me sleeping and I try to wake up. But of course I'm paralysed. When I finally do get up I usually find that nothing is going on. Its great we have a webpage to share our experiences. I try to do complex math problems or holding my breath. (I've never heard any humming or felt my heartbeat or been unable to breath)

Answer by Kyle the Saint
Submitted on 9/28/2004
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Interesting, I just had one of these earlier today so I decided to research it online. I've been having them for about a year, and everytime they deal with some evil spirit being in my room, and most of them come straight out of a nightmare I just so happen to be having. The first, I was dreaming that I was hearing eerie voices to my right, when I turned my head I opened my eyes, I was paralyzed, then two arms jutted out from behind me/under me (I was lying on a bed) and grabbed me, I heard the evil laughter, and I couldnt move until about a minute later when the arms took the shape of my covers. Just a few hours ago, I was dreaming something about a haunted house, and someone walking behind me and starting to choke me, when I awoke, I was paralyzed, and something was shaking me violently from behind. Creepy stuff, but I think it's very intriguing.

Answer by Fallon
Submitted on 10/21/2004
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I am 22 years old and have been experiencing these types of episodes for years. I always feel as if I am out of my body (wide awake), yet something is holding me down. I can't move at all and feel as though I can't breathe (although I really know that I am breathing, just more slowly). I have been reading on the internet about astral projection, and am beginning to think that I experience that, but I am not sure. Astral projection, in short (from what I have gathered)is when your astral body leaves your physical; your body is asleep, but your mind is still awake. I never go far when my episodes occur, I guess because I have always been afraid to even experience these things. What do you all think?? Any feedback is appreciated!

Answer by NEFF!!!!!!! IM SCARED TO SLEEP
Submitted on 1/4/2005
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Im stuck with the horror of knowing what death is like to struggle for that last breath before yo0u Die!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! and im only 13 (male)!!!!!great time to learn huh!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I wake up go to bathroom come back and lay in bed 5:00am I was perfectly ok i was looking at my door (awake) I see this black flash and turn my head close my eyes to go to sleep (sleeping begins)i fall asleep and almost emediatly my eyes are open (i dont know if i was asleep or awake im shure i was awake) i see my wall right in my face im perfectly fine as if im laying there Then all of the sudden i cant breath, I try to turn my head and scream for help but i cant move my headl, so i try to get out of Bed with my legs/arms thinking call 911 your having a stroke!!!!!!!!!! i cant move my arms or legs so then i relize sorry Ben you had a good life but it ends here!!!!! but i dont want that so i just will myself harder to move and i just start shaking harder and hader and i just dont give up i push with all my might i have in me and im serous it was a long fight!!!!!! im telling myself if you can move your gonna die but i never ended up moving i just kept fighting it and shacking harder and harder. then outa nowere im back in my bed eyes awake ( it was a bang that got me outa it ( brothers helped not on perpose though) and i jump outa bed freaking out about ready to call 911 i run in my brothers room for the phone and one of thems like whats up with that your mattress was going up and down (bouncing on the bed) its 5:30am and i explained what happend and he told me what it was and said he had it to. so i feel better about it until today were i am up at 4:00am afraid to leave my room thinking anything could happend loke ghost,monsters, fall and hurt myself i mean i am paranoid and i'monly gonna get worse PLZ !!!! i really need help right know i cant sleep anymore

Answer by anne
Submitted on 1/12/2005
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I have had the experience of suffocation and even something trying to have sex with me. A few months ago I was taking an afternoon nap and I experienced having a connection with this external force. It literally connected with my g spot and it felt like it tapped into my soul. I was freaked out and I made an appointment with a "well know" psychic. He told me it might be my "twin soul" trying to connect with me. I, of course, had no clue what a "twin soul" was. I researched on the internet. Basically, my question wasn't answered and I [again] had another queer experience in my sleep the other night. I keep a rosary in my bed and it had fallen off the bed one night and that was the night I had this dream again. Keep a rosary under your pillow and have faith in what it stands for and you might not have these dreams anymore. -Just a suggestion :)

Answer by sicknosis
Submitted on 1/27/2005
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Hi my name is Scott K. im 17 years old. this all seems very interesting, I have had this about 7 times, and it started about a year ago.like most of you its just as you describe, you hear a sound it gets louder as you become more conscious. I had one of these disorders this morning but from all of the ones ive had it doesnt feel really scary to me i dont know why, im glad i dont feel the same way about it as some. To answer tamiraz' question, from what i can recall, every time this happens to me is when i am waking up by myself, it usualy happens when i dont set my alarm, in my room, it happened twice when i was camping in a tent, and a few times at my cottage. all with no alarms, anyways i find this very interesting, because this morning it was like i could see but it was all so dark and weird, like the outlines of things were in purple / green (very light) and everything else was black. anywho i hope someone finds and explanation for this and i wouldnt doubt if it has anything to do with self awakening. Another note on my self is that i have an anxiety disorder if that may help solve anything. Thanks for the help and its good to know im not alone.

Answer by driven
Submitted on 1/31/2005
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This weird experience has happened to me as well. It's kinda hard to explain but in my own experience it has happened more than once throughout my time. I am asleep and suddenly I am awaken in a terrifying fear not able to breathe or possibly wake up yelling with my body paralyzed only able to stare at the ceiling. I can't yell for help and that's all i want to do when this occurs is for someone to wake me up but noone is ever around when this does occur. It really does feel terrifying like there is someone pushing down on my chest and all i can do is watch the ceiling or wherever i am looking .But anyways this is my addition to this growing disorder or event. I wonder what really is happening to so many of people out there? why are there so many with the same experience?

Answer by klaus
Submitted on 2/4/2005
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I have had this off and on for the last 15yrs. The buzzing in my head feels more than a noise,it's like an electric current. For me i now realize that this along with the loss of breathing and movement, is not going to kill me so i don't tend to worry about it anymore.My advice is enjoy the dream that plays out in front of you for the thirty or so seconds that it lasts,i do, even though they are extremely vivid and horribly real.my most frightening one was when i watched a man dressed in a type of black ninja outfit enter my bedroom,stop, and look right over me and then carried on to the bottom of my bed,crouched down then proceeded to pop his head up and down very slowly a number of times then start to crawl up my bed,but nowadays i think of that as a good one.You never know you may be lucky and slip straight into another one when you try to go back to sleep,i used to get about 4 or 5 attacks in a row! don't get me wrong i used to be terrified of them and dreaded going to bed when i first got them. As time goes on you will find that you can actually control the dreams. Just remember that what you are seeing is just a dream and that you will be able to move/breath in a very short while,you can actually tell yourself this as you are having the attack. I have also learned how to initiate the attacks and although its not easy everyone could do it.

Answer by wonderer
Submitted on 3/17/2005
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hmm. well i can't give any expert opinion or any sacred little tales of ghosts. all i can do is present my own experience. it happened when i was about 7(i think)and i'm now 20. i remember it was on a sunday morning because it kept my family from attending church. when i went to bed everything was normal (lol from what i can remember) and when i woke up i was paralyzed. but unlike all the other stories i've heard in here i could move only my head. i was screaming and yelling for my mom because i couldn't move. she said for me to just calm down and that it'll probably go away in a sec. so i stopped yelling and after about 5 min or so i was able to get up and get out of bed. that has to be one of the wierdest things that's ever happened to me and i'll remember it till the day i die. maybe it will be some help to someone else i really don't know but that's my experience.

Answer by Toni F.
Submitted on 3/25/2005
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I am 22 and I have been having these episodes every since high school. I just had one last night and I had to look this up, because it is really making me think. my mom and dad had them, and some of my brothers and sisters. Lastnight when i had it, i was extremely tired and i fell right to sleep. for about 2 hours i couldn't move and talk. i kept dreaming that i was awake, but the same dream kept playing in my head over and over. at that point i knew i wasn't awake, and i tried my best to wake up. after a while, i woke up in a panic and i couldn't breathe. when i have these episodes the same thing happen to me. one time i did experience a loud humming sound in my ears, but it didn't stop me from falling right to sleep. i did research on narcolepsy some years ago, and i found out that this what we are going through is a symptom of it. my mothers dad had narcolepsy so i think that is where mine come from.

Answer by kashelle
Submitted on 4/6/2005
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This has been happening to me since I was five years old. I'm 18 now and it's only gotten worse. I go to sleep and then I feel like I'm being strangled. I'm partially up, I know this because I can hear my family or tv set in the background, but I can't move, my eyes are sealed shut, i can't breathe. I feel like I'm going to die and then seconds before I'm sure it's the end I manage to breathe again and wake up. It's so scary. When I was little I used to be afraid to go to sleep. Sometimes I'd stay up days trying to avoid it. I've tried everything to stop it. I tried different sleeping positions, herbal teas, and certain nasal strips but it keeps happening. This happens at all times of the day not only at night. Sometimes while riding in the car with someone I would just lean back and close my eyes and then it would start to happen again. I'd hear them talking to me but I would be paralyzed. I never heard a noise associated with this but still this is the first place I've been where other people claim the same thing is going on. It feels so good to know I'm not alone in this.

Answer by Atlanta
Submitted on 4/29/2005
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I was just chatting with my friend in Cali about my experience, this so called "sleep paralysis." I'm so relieved that I'm not the weird guy or seeing ghost... I got up pretty early this morning for something... afterwards i went back to sleep. For a short period, maybe i was dreaming this, i was sleeping pretty soundly, I opened my eyes briefly and I saw someone or something standing in front of my bed. It absolutely freaked me out! So I tried to move and get up, but my physical body was paralyzed, i wasn't able to move at all! I really had to struggle to lift my arm up, then "it" disappeared and i was able to move again. That was so weird. I've had similar experiences before, but this is the latest. Sometimes I couldn't breath, either, like I'm going to suffocate. Just when I think I'm on the brink of dying i function normally, again. Fcuking sucks!

Answer by Sophia
Submitted on 5/3/2005
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I came on this site looking for answers - but found people with similar experiences to myself instead! Basically, I begin to wake from dream sleep, but can't quite make it into the waking world for what feels like hours, but probably is only some minutes. I can talk to myself in this state and generally I find that telling my self to 'relax', rather than giving way to panic-filled struggle, actually helps me to 'wake up' much quicker and more comfortably. I think the basis is neurological - some kind of unusual connection in the brain between wake-sleep instructions. In fact, I first developed this pattern after a period of particularly acute stress in my life. The first time it happened, I thought I was going to die, or had entered a coma. However, I did struggle to the surface! I developed the 'relax and go with the flow' technique since then! I hope this is helpful to you out there - to find your own voice in this half-state and ease your voyage back into the waking world.

Answer by Jay R
Submitted on 6/16/2005
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Hi my name is jay and i have been experiencing these horrible sleep paralyisis episodes scince i was around five years old and they really stress me out because they are so terrifiying! they are getting worse! I didnt have a clue what it was that was happening untill i read Jennifer's experience submitted in the 12/09/03! it's exactly what happens to me! Last night was the worst one ever! I woke up paralized and saw something that seemed to be hiding behind the door frame of the bedroom and evertime i looked at it! it vanished. it was dark coloured and had a evil look to it! i still could not move!i was lieing on my left side paralized from the neck down and i could see my girlfriend in the mirror oposite me doing things that she had done days before, the mirror looked like it was broken in to sections of which my girlfriend was in each of them! puttin her chain on around her neck, playing with her children in another part.But the whole time she was asleep next to me, it felt like i was taking my last breath then i started to call for my girlfriend who was lieing next to me, she actually said she was awake from experiencing something simmilar but hers only lasted for a few seconds! she said she could hear me trying to say something but she thought i was dreaming! and then all of a sudden watever it was that was holding me released me and i shouted out her name! i felt scared and confused about what had just happend! and now today the day after i still dont feel normal, i have a pounding headache and am still trying to work out why this happens to me!The whole episode lasted about two minutes, could this be a spirit because it happend to my girlfriend liening next to me seconds before?

Answer by Daniel
Submitted on 6/20/2005
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Hypnagogic(predormital-before) and Hypnopompic (postdormital-after) associated with sleep paralysis is quite common and is not life -threatening. This is different that CSP (common sleep paralysis which is caused by secrete hormones from our macro glands that are released to the muscle-skeletal system that keeps us relaxed and essence 'paralyzed'). However, there will be times when a sleeper will 'abnormally awake' before the hormones wear off,it becomes 'isolated sleep paralysis'. It happens as far as I understand, when a person might produce too much of these secreter ,or too less. It's non-life threatening,and certainly does not deprive your brain from O2(oxygen). This happens even in healthy individuals. I started to have this 'Hypnogogic/Hypnopompic Sleep Paralysis' since the age of 14; and now at the age of 33, rarely do I get it. Yeah, the feeling of being crushed by the 'Old Hag Syndrome'(having a difficulty in breathing and the sensation of someone pounded their weight on your chest and seeing a malevolent entity upon you--it is uncanny and bizzare). But, do not worry, according to David J. Hufford in his book "The Terror that comes in the night: A Experience-Centered Study of Supernatural Assault Traditions" --concludes by conducting numerous interviews with people with "The Old Hag Phenomenon", 15% of the general population will undergo 'HSP' at a point in their lives. As of now, did you know that 25% of America has this sleeping disorder which is non fatal . Sleep Apnea (obstructive breathing during sleep,likely caused by snoring or enlarged and a partially obstructive nasal septum,where the sufferer snorts and gasps for air) is prov-en to be fatal; and at one time was misdiagnosed with this type of sleep paralysis. HSP is found with 'most' healthy individuals. And yes, I know there are ways of breaking off the paralysis. Hint: try making psychical movements ,such as wiggling your hands and feet ,even before going to sleep as a habitual practice. I really hope my explanation does help for you all who suffer from HSP.

Answer by Doug
Submitted on 6/27/2005
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I've gone through the exact same paralysis in my sleep. In fact I just had an episode last nite which freaked me out. I began by dreaming that a i let a friend down by not watching his 5 year old girl for him ( i think she went missing ) and he got ticked off. So he came over to me while I was lying on my bed and began twisting my leg. I vaguely remember pinching him back and hurting him but that's all I could do because I was paralyzed. Next, my eyes were open but I was still being hurt by my friend ( And the background of the dream was the same as what I was actually staring at in my bedroom ) After about 15 seconds of struggling to awaken from the paralysis of the dream my friend vanished. I'm pretty sure this is just a dream incorporated into my sleep paralysis but...The first time this occurred I was looking at the same corner of my room and there was a 30 year-old dead woman hovering above me and she turns to me and starts mumbling obscenities under her breath and spitting on me. Then she twist my leg, as happened last nite, and I started calling out to God to make her stop. Then, as before, I struggled to awaken and she disappeared. My eyes were open the entire time though - so when I say I awaken the image just vanishes. Needless to say it freaks the crap out of me. I'm a skeptical mind so I slough it off like it's just a dream but a part of me thinks it's a spirit in my room telling me I'm unwelcome. Does anyone else have a mixture of dream sequence and the sleep paralysis?