Sleep paralysis

[roroselle]

OMG im not the only one
I dont know why yall would want to experience it :c haha

I haven't had any super scary paranormal experiences but I always hear radio static frequencies, hear whispers, but I've always closed my eyes ever since my first experience because I kept seeing shadows..

I've done my research on it and it's a disturbance during REM sleep, basically there is a time during sleep where the body paralyzes you and then you start to dream, so in this instance your body wakes you up, you might start to see things because you're "dreaming" but you can't move because your body shut down then your brain takes a little bit to realize you're awake... our body is quite interesting lol

 

[hanashi]

ive had it after a successful attempt at lucid dreaming, it was very scary so i dont try lucid dreaming anymore

 

[Katelyn]

I've never personally experienced it, but the other day my younger brother, he is 8, came up to me and told me he woke up but wasn't able to move for a couple minutes. I was quite worried about why this had happened and was scared that something may be wrong with him. I decided to look it up on google, which is never a good idea. But, thankfully, I found out that it was just sleep paralysis and most people experience it at least once in your lifetime, whether you remember it or not. I was just relieved that it is completely harmless, unless you have a serious heart condition which, in that case, it could harm you.

Just felt like sharing my story xD

 

[Koloh]

what the.. ive never had this but I would've thought it was some supernatural **** goin on. Ghosts and stuff freak me out LOL

 

[Conor]

There was a period from late 2012 to late 2013 where I had it almost every time I went to bed, which was awful but I eventually got used it. I never had any hallucinations during it but if I opened my eyes straight after waking up from it, I would see these freaky looking shapes and stuff on the walls for a few seconds. It ALWAYS happened whenever I fell asleep on my back, never on my sides or on my front.

It's only happened a few times this year though, maybe I've grown out of it.

 

[Greninja]

I remember when I got them I haven't had one in forever and I hope I don't have anymore I remember I'm still in my bed I wake up but I can't move and the room is like super dark no sign of light at all and

only once did this happen I woke up couldn't move I could see my room it wasn't that bright but it was well lited I was calling my dad he came in but he was invisible he lifted up a blanket but it looked like it was floating then I woke up

 

[Lavandula]

This sounds terrifying. I'd assume it's psychological by the way it's been described by those who have it. I think it would be treated a lot like OCD, face it and conquer it! Though if it were me, I'd probably p--- myself first.

- - - Post Merge - - -

If you just wake up during REM sleep and it's not psychological, what the heck causes you to wake during this period?

Either way, it sounds awful.

 

[Improv]

I experienced it once last month and I still have trouble falling asleep in fear of it happening again.

 

[MisterEnigma]

I've had it a few times, haven't experienced anything creepy as in hallucinations, but I felt this pressure on my chest and I could not breathe. I was fully aware of being awake, but unable to move any part of my body, it was such a horrible feeling.

 

[cielyca]

Im not sure whether It was sleep paralysis I experienced but It happened to me while I was in my dorm at a different country.

Im not sure whether I was dreaming but I knew I was asleep or half-asleep. I heard voices telling to that I should return. It told me let's go together and it would bring me back to where I came from. I then started to feel like my feet were being dragged out of the bed but I couldn't move. I then told myself to wake up because I knew something was happening and I did.

I dunno why that happened but I was feeling pretty homesick at that point. Haha. I told my story to my parents and they said I could have died if I had not woken up. It has a term from where I am from.

 

[roroselle]

This sounds terrifying. I'd assume it's psychological by the way it's been described by those who have it. I think it would be treated a lot like OCD, face it and conquer it! Though if it were me, I'd probably p--- myself first.

- - - Post Merge - - -

If you just wake up during REM sleep and it's not psychological, what the heck causes you to wake during this period?

Either way, it sounds awful.

it's really just a neurological interruption
there are factors such as:
Lack of sleep
Sleep schedule that changes
Mental conditions such as stress or bipolar disorder
Sleeping on the back
Other sleep problems such as narcolepsy or nighttime leg cramps
Use of certain medications, such as those for ADHD
Substance abuse

thanks to WebMD LOL
i believe it cuz i can identify with some of those factors when i was experiencing sleep paralysis

I've had it a few times, haven't experienced anything creepy as in hallucinations, but I felt this pressure on my chest and I could not breathe. I was fully aware of being awake, but unable to move any part of my body, it was such a horrible feeling.

yeah those how mine started but then they got worse

btw, awesome sig xD

 

[MishMeesh]

I'm so glad this thread exists.

I get it every once in a while. It usually happens with several instances close together, like several in a week, and then it'll be several weeks before it happens again. My sleep schedule is pretty messed up, which I think was part of the cause, but has turned into a sort of symptom I guess. I procrastinate going to sleep now.

When I first started getting these episodes, it wasn't so much hallucinations but that I actually couldn't wake up from dreams. Usually when I'm having an unpleasant dream, once I realize I'm dreaming I can just open my eyes. But sometimes, I'll realize I'm dreaming, and I just can't wake up. And then the dream (usually a bad dream when this happens) just keeps playing out and it makes me panic. Like is this really not a dream? How did this all happen? If I concentrate hard enough when trapped in a dream, I can feel my body laying in bed but I can't move it. It's really bizarre.

Eventually this progressed to what I guess is the hallucinations. I'm lying in bed and everything looks normal, except there's this overwhelming feeling of dread, like something is terribly wrong. Usually for me I can hear a car door close outside my window, and then slow footsteps on gravel approaching. (My room is on the second floor with the window facing the backyard, so this doesn't make sense, but in the moment when this happens, it doesn't matter if it makes sense.) I've somehow already come to realize that whoever this is has come to rob or kill me. And I cannot move my body at all. My body is lifeless as my mind races and panics. It's like your brain can't decide if you're asleep or awake.

I've occasionally had sleep paralysis while being fully awake (like being awake in bed but unable to move), but only for about 10 seconds or so. Not minutes. It's usually when coming out of one of the episodes described above.

It's an interesting phenomenon. But it's not a fun thing to experience.

 

[JJarmon]

Sleep paralysis... *shivers*

Nearly every single time that I'm sleeping on my back, it happens. I don't know why I'm so prone to it. It's most likely due to my depression. It always happens after a nightmare and it's usually based on the nightmare that I just had. There's usually something or someone lurking in the bedroom and it pops out at you. Then there's the lack of ability to move, sensations, and eerie noises... no thank you.

Spoiler

I found this on Tumblr and this is a very benign demonstration to someone who's never experienced this before. If you really want to know what it's like, check the images on Google. Some of them are pretty unsettling. It's such a terrifying but interesting phenomenon. It's incredible what your brain can project into your own reality even for a few seconds.