anyone else get sleep paralysis?

[Jayvn]

Last night was the 3rd time at least for me..and by far the most fucked up helpless feeling.. I ended up crashing on the couch sideways, woke up looking at my blinds across the living room and there was a shadow standing by the door slowly opening them.. I couldn't scream or move.. i used all my effort to try to start kicking the wall at the end of the couch..which only came out as light tapping, but my wife and her daughter were in the room of the wall I was tapping on and came out to which I tried to say help me up..but it came out as more of a MMMmmuuuuu, the wife came out and flicked on the light.. I was fully awake by this point and able to move..but felt like i had just swam a few miles, my body was tired as shit.. So yeah I've pretty much been up since about 4 this morning.
So anyone else lucky enough to not sleep right?

[Celephais]

Never had it happen, but from what I've heard it's a really fucked up feeling. I know I'm asking for it, but I kind of wish it would happen to me so I could experience (why I'd want that done to myself I can't explain).

[Ryvicke]

Heh--weird time to stop lurking but I just wanted to throw this out there:

I used to work at the sleep research department at the Univ. of Minnesota and this was one of the most common issues that came in--I'm sure you've checked but there's a ton of research around the net on the paralysis/shadowy figure thing.

fwiw last time it happened to me (I think I've gotten it twice ever) the guy at the foot of my bed was wearing some wacky fucking steampunk mask and I knew what was going on but it was still pretty shitty.

Anyhow in most of the people that came in it happened a couple of times (in a short amount of time) and then just stopped. Good luck with it.

[AnticorRifling]

Might be time to stop reading The Dark Tower series before bed.

[Tea & Strumpets]

I had this happen to me but when I woke up paralyzed, Oscar the Grouch was living in my trash can and giving me a dirty look. I asked my doctor about it and he said it was perfectly normal.

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/3/39/Oscar_the_grouch_at_smithsonian.jpg

I guess what I am trying to say is that I am confused on the connection between 'sleep paralysis' and hallucinations/not realizing you are dreaming. I guess the shadows opening blinds, and whatever the fuck a steam punk mask is, gave me a laugh.

[Back]

I’ve had this happen numerous times throughout my life. It started for me around the high school years. 13-18. In the early stages it was accompanied with what felt like physical brain activity... like a fast typewriter hitting the top of your head. No presence though. That, and the fear, came later in my 20’s.

I would get out of it by wiggling some part of my body, like my foot, and could snap out of it. It has very much subsided as I have gotten older (wiser?).

I think many people consider this an “alien abduction” scenario. To be honest I think it’s just lucid dreaming. Overly active dream state.

[Androidpk]

I had this happen to me but when I woke up paralyzed, Oscar the Grouch was living in my trash can and giving me a dirty look. I asked my doctor about it and he said it was perfectly normal.



Of course it's perfectly normal for Oscar to be giving dirty looks. Don't have to go to med school for that.

[TheEschaton]

My doctor told me last week that I have stress-related insomnia where I never fall into REM sleep but instead have 8 (or sometimes 10, or 12, because I'm so tired) hours of shallow, non-dreaming sleep which leaves me exhausted.

I asked him what I do about it, and he said, "reduce the stress in your life." I almost punched him in the face.

So yeah, not your exact problem, but I can feel ya in terms of the shittiness in relation to sleeping.

-TheE-

[Ryvicke]

I guess what I am trying to say is that I am confused on the connection between 'sleep paralysis' and hallucinations/not realizing you are dreaming. I guess the shadows opening blinds, and whatever the fuck a steam punk mask is, gave me a laugh.

Wikipedia on sleep paralysis: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sleep_paralysis

Steampunk mask: http://tinyurl.com/d9jpyr
(not a 'roll of any kind)

[Incurable]

I’ve had this happen numerous times throughout my life. It started for me around the high school years. 13-18. In the early stages it was accompanied with what felt like physical brain activity... like a fast typewriter hitting the top of your head. No presence though. That, and the fear, came later in my 20’s.

I would get out of it by wiggling some part of my body, like my foot, and could snap out of it. It has very much subsided as I have gotten older (wiser?).

I think many people consider this an “alien abduction” scenario. To be honest I think it’s just lucid dreaming. Overly active dream state.

My experience in this mirrors Backs, save for the fast typewriter thing. Although it still occasionally happens I have found that I am much more aware while paralyzed now and have regained a modicum of rational thought to ward off the terrifying fear. I too have seen the odd shadow shapes and have felt things like people or figures standing over me, but I am now able to ignore them and focus on just moving my head/neck just enough for my motor neurons to fire to my brain to grant me control again. It has always seemed to happen to me when I'm physically exhausted but mentally still racing.

[Tea & Strumpets]

Wikipedia on sleep paralysis: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sleep_paralysis

Steampunk mask: http://tinyurl.com/d9jpyr
(not a 'roll of any kind)

So this is really how American blacks refer to sleep paralysis?

"ISP appears to be far more common and recurrent among African Americans than among White Americans or Nigerian Blacks",[11] and is often referred to within African American communities as "the witch riding your back"

[ElvenFury]

I had a similar experience once, back when I was in HS. I woke up but couldn't move. The light was on in the hall outside of my bedroom, and I could hear my mom doing her usual morning whatever routine, and then I noticed a dark shape on top of my bookcase, which looked like a crouching wolf. After about 30 seconds of trying to move/scream for help (which came out like whimpers), I finally snapped out of it. It was definitely one of the weirdest feelings I've ever had.

[LMingrone]

I've only had it happen once when I was a kid. I remember trying to scream for help to my parents, but nothing would come out of my mouth and I couldn't move. Really weird.

Now I just barely sleep, and wake up every fifteen minutes. One thing that has helped has been trying to train myself to lucid dream. Lucid dreams rock.

[Back]

Wikipedia on sleep paralysis: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sleep_paralysis

Cool link.

Yeah, its like when the body is asleep and the brain wakes up. It’s not a recognizable state to be in so the brain conjures up explanations as to why but can’t reconcile those explanations because it thinks it is still in a sleep state.

I read some Hindu Yogi master meditation book when I was young that described this state as a means towards enlightenment. I don’t recall the exact words but getting to this state was a trial. Something along the lines of “watching the flickering flame of sleep” and knowing you were passing that threshold while being fully conscious about it... even though reading that it still scared the shit out of me and it’s happened to me millions of times and I would not call myself “enlightened”.

[LMingrone]

Sounds like lucid dreaming. It takes a while to actually train your brain to do it. And most times, when you start controlling your dream and realize you're dreaming, you wake up. But every once and a while you can actually dream whatever you want.

There's a good guide and a few books about it somewhere online. Can't find it at the moment.

[Ryvicke]

So this is really how American blacks refer to sleep paralysis?

"ISP appears to be far more common and recurrent among African Americans than among White Americans or Nigerian Blacks",[11] and is often referred to within African American communities as "the witch riding your back"

I can't confirm this but if it's on wikipedia that shit MUST be true.

[AnticorRifling]

Why are they African Americans but Nigerian Blacks? Shouldn't they be African Nigerians oh shit nose bleed.

[Fallen]

Last night was the 3rd time at least for me..and by far the most fucked up helpless feeling.. I ended up crashing on the couch sideways, woke up looking at my blinds across the living room and there was a shadow standing by the door slowly opening them.. I couldn't scream or move.. i used all my effort to try to start kicking the wall at the end of the couch..which only came out as light tapping, but my wife and her daughter were in the room of the wall I was tapping on and came out to which I tried to say help me up..but it came out as more of a MMMmmuuuuu, the wife came out and flicked on the light.. I was fully awake by this point and able to move..but felt like i had just swam a few miles, my body was tired as shit.. So yeah I've pretty much been up since about 4 this morning.
So anyone else lucky enough to not sleep right?

I've had this feeling before and it is terrible. I imagine this is how people who have a stroke feel, but 24-7. Usually it results from an attempt to wake myself up out of a bad dream, though it can happen out of the blue as well.

[Fallen]

I would get out of it by wiggling some part of my body, like my foot, and could snap out of it.

This is about the only method I know that works as well. You just try to rock a part of yourself, or whatever you can move back and forth until you startle your system back to working. Terrible feeling.

[Ignot]

I never heard of this. What drugs are you guys doing? You know even weed can get you "stuck".

[Stanley Burrell]

anyone else get sleep paralysis?

Yes. And since I remember it a grand total of three times, it's probably happened about 300 times.

[Fallen]

I never heard of this. What drugs are you guys doing? You know even weed can get you "stuck".

You've never realized during the course of a nightmare that it is just a dream? If one has the presence of mind (or training), they can then alter the dream as they please. Most just wake up the moment they realize what they are seeing can't be real. About 1 time in a 100, you just get stuck. You realize you're dreaming, or atleast that you want OUT of the situation, ..but nothing happens. You're stuck. You keep trying to shake the dream, but you're still hazily participating in it while also just laying there in your bed.

Sounds like fun, doesn't it?

[Stanley Burrell]

I never heard of this. What drugs are you guys doing? You know even weed can get you "stuck".

It's not a drug response, your mind is awake but your body is still sleeping. It usually happens right when you're about to pass out, but become aware of the fact that you're still in bed. Or something sensory.

I can pretty much assure you that unless you take a drug that completely replicates the effects of falling to sleep -- And then hit your body with speed and acid simultaneously as you're about to slumber off, combined with a dissociative strong enough to tie you down, there is no fucking drug on the market that can replicate the effects, or at least uniqueness of sleep paralysis.

[ElvenFury]

You've never realized during the course of a nightmare that it is just a dream? If one has the presence of mind (or training), they can then alter the dream as they please.

I've managed to do this twice, although not in a long time. Best dreams EVAH!!

[Fallen]

It's not a drug response, your mind is awake but your body is still sleeping. It usually happens right when you're about to pass out, but become aware of the fact that you're still in bed. Or something sensory.

I can pretty much assure you that unless you take a drug that completely replicates the effects of falling to sleep -- And then hit your body with speed and acid simultaneously as you're about to slumber off, combined with a dissociative strong enough to tie you down, there is no fucking drug on the market that can replicate the effects, or at least uniqueness of sleep paralysis.

Meh. Just take a paralytic and a hallucinogen.

[Fallen]

I've managed to do this twice, although not in a long time. Best dreams EVAH!!

People do it on some level or another all the time. You will think to yourself, "I wish I had this." and in the course of the dream you will come across it. The downside of this scenario is if you happen to think, "Man, it would be terrible if this occurred.", which of course it then will. You won't realize you're influencing your dream, but you will all the same.

[Ignot]

You've never realized during the course of a nightmare that it is just a dream? If one has the presence of mind (or training), they can then alter the dream as they please. Most just wake up the moment they realize what they are seeing can't be real. About 1 time in a 100, you just get stuck. You realize you're dreaming, or atleast that you want OUT of the situation, ..but nothing happens. You're stuck. You keep trying to shake the dream, but you're still hazily participating in it while also just laying there in your bed.

Sounds like fun, isn't it?

Sounds like that old movie Dreamscape.

[Stanley Burrell]

Meh. Just take a paralytic and a hallucinogen.

You ever smoke salvia in a tiny room + minimal air ventilation?

Neither have I, I'm a pussyvag'.

Anyway, there is no way you can recreate the effects of sleep paralysis with anything conventional, non-conventional, natural, unnatural, or supernatural.

And if there was, I sure as fuck wouldn't want to try it.

[Ignot]

lol @ salvia

[Stanley Burrell]

lol @ salvia

Fuck you. I'd smoke that shit inside of an upside-down kiddie pool so I could bogart my own fumes like a true redneck.

Plus I had way better motor skills the one time I tripped on shrooms vs. smoked 50x and became the pages of a stone book. You can't move with that shit. And I was trying to draw an analogy. Now I failed. I must hang my head in shame. And in the gallows: For bespeaking the sinister evil of drugs in the glorious nation of Saudi Arabia.

[Ignot]

Fuck you. I'd smoke that shit inside of an upside-down kiddie pool so I could bogart my own fumes like a true redneck.

Plus I had way better motor skills the one time I tripped on shrooms vs. smoked 50x and became the pages of a stone book. You can't move with that shit. And I was trying to draw an analogy. Now I failed. I must hang my head in shame. And in the gallows: For bespeaking the sinister evil of drugs in the glorious nation of Saudi Arabia.

Yeah your right.

[ElvenFury]

People do it on some level or another all the time. You will think to yourself, "I wish I had this." and in the course of the dream you will come across it. The downside of this scenario is if you happen to think, "Man, it would be terrible if this occurred.", which of course it then will. You won't realize you're influencing your dream, but you will all the same.

Yeah, that kind of thing happens all the time. But twice--that I can remember--I suddenly realized, "holy crap, this is a dream! And if I don't wake up, I can do whatever I want!". So then I was able to consciously choose what would happen in my dream. Dream one: Flew around like superman for a while. Dream two: Hot girl from English class.

My friend claims that he once had a dream where he realized he was dreaming, but believed that his brain was trying to kill him (going on the theory that if you die in your dream, you die in real life). Apparently the Technodome from TMNT was rampaging down his neighborhood hunting for him.

http://www.collectorsquest.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/technodrome.jpg

[Stanley Burrell]

Yeah your right.

:lol::lol::lol::lol:

Yellowehlolololol.

[Fallen]

>>My friend claims that he once had a dream where he realized he was dreaming, but believed that his brain was trying to kill him (going on the theory that if you die in your dream, you die in real life). Apparently the Technodome from TMNT was rampaging down his neighborhood hunting for him.>>

Hah. Just because you realize you're dreaming, and manage to stay awake doesn't mean you will enjoy your experience. That, and you can FORGET you know you're in a dream and go back to "sleep" during the course of it as well. Likely what happened to your friend.

[Stanley Burrell]

That, and you can FORGET you know you're in a dream and go back to "sleep" during the course of it as well. Likely what happened to your friend.

I get pissed off because I usually control my dream enough where it's like:

YEAH, BITCHES, I GREW NINE EXTRA COCK'N'BALLS FOR YOU 30 FAT-TITTED NUNS TO SUCK ON.

But then I get overwhelmed and it's like, I get too wrapped up trying to remember I'm controlling my dream and then I revert to just dreaming + believing.


My friend claims that he once had a dream where he realized he was dreaming, but believed that his brain was trying to kill him (going on the theory that if you die in your dream, you die in real life). Apparently the Technodome from TMNT was rampaging down his neighborhood hunting for him.

The mind cannot live without the body, Neo.

[ElvenFury]

Hah. Just because you realize you're dreaming, and manage to stay awake doesn't mean you will enjoy your experience. That, and you can FORGET you know you're in a dream and go back to "sleep" during the course of it as well. Likely what happened to your friend.

Yeah, well this is way back when we were 10 years old, or maybe younger. He also used to have night terrors when he'd wake up but still be in a dream. I'll never forget the time he slept over my place and woke up screaming about the dead blue jay in his bed. I had to shake him for at least a minute and finally felt around the area on his bed that he pointing at to show him that nothing was there. I mean seriously, of all the things to have a nightmare about... a fucking BLUE JAY?

http://whatbird.wbu.com/img/4/397/image.aspx

[ElvenFury]

The mind cannot live without the body, Neo.

I actually did die in a dream, from being shot with a crossbow. But, then I turned into ghost and kicked the persons ass. Yes, there is an afterlife!!

[LMingrone]

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lucid_dreams

More trippy than any drug every. Like I said before, you can train yourself to do it.

[Atlanteax]

I can recall two distinct times that this sort of thing has happened to me.

One was when I was a kid, probably middle school, and I was looking over to my left towards bedroom door and was basically frozen in confused horror as I watched two small silver/white-colored objects (knee-high for an adult) slowly enter the room and then quickly dashed out once "they" recognized I saw them.

2nd was probably early 20s, and I was awake, with part of the top comforter over my head, blocking my view of the rest of the room, and I could distinctively feel something get ontop of the bed by my foot (in in the way the weight of the bed would go down as if a dog jumped on it). Part of me was mustering every strength I could to *move* to "fight" whatever it was... and another part was basically terrified as if I'll put myself in danger doing so.

[Back]

It’s aliens.

[Fallen]

Yeah, well this is way back when we were 10 years old, or maybe younger. He also used to have night terrors when he'd wake up but still be in a dream. I'll never forget the time he slept over my place and woke up screaming about the dead blue jay in his bed. I had to shake him for at least a minute and finally felt around the area on his bed that he pointing at to show him that nothing was there. I mean seriously, of all the things to have a nightmare about... a fucking BLUE JAY?


I had a friend stay over my house when I was little who actually slept walked OUT of our house, INTO our neighbore's house, and went back to sleep on the guy's living room couch. Dude was furious.

True story.

[LMingrone]

I hate to admit this, but I'm on painkillers and feeling loose. As a kid we had one of these in our playroom. My mother stills makes fun of me because I used to sleep-walk and use it as a bathroom:

http://www.sunnytoys.com.au/Toy_Sales/images/Step_2_Drive_in_Playhouse.jpg

I also went to visit her a few months ago and slept-walked and pissed on her Mercedes:

http://i259.photobucket.com/albums/hh319/Harley03joe/2002_SL_500_001.jpg

Don't tell anyone.
All you guys are like my personal psychiatrists.

[Mighty Nikkisaurus]

Yeah, well this is way back when we were 10 years old, or maybe younger. He also used to have night terrors when he'd wake up but still be in a dream. I'll never forget the time he slept over my place and woke up screaming about the dead blue jay in his bed. I had to shake him for at least a minute and finally felt around the area on his bed that he pointing at to show him that nothing was there. I mean seriously, of all the things to have a nightmare about... a fucking BLUE JAY?

http://whatbird.wbu.com/img/4/397/image.aspx

I have dreams like this all the time. It got so bad a few months back that I had to go on medication just to stop my dreaming so I could get real sleep.. I would wake up 3+ times in the course of the night, screaming my lungs out and still "trapped" in the dream as it were. After a few minutes I'd calm down, but it was very scary.

The two most common themes for me were snakes and insects. One time I thought these white spiders were crawling all over me, another time it was a bunch of mechanical hornets flying around, another time a bee crawled into my ear (all of this didn't actually happen, but I'd wake up and it'd still be going on from it happening in my dream). Then there are times I dream that there are snakes in my bed, and they're either laying on me/squeezing me, or striking at me.

Scary shit.

[Jorddyn]

I've had it quite a few times in my life, typically related to high-stress/low-sleep weeks/months.

I typically get this oddball feeling like I'm sliding down towards the foot of my bed, slowly enough that it takes forever, often combined with a weight on my chest. Had one exceptionally trippy experience where the wall next to my bed basically turned into what I would describe as a view of hell. Had a few episodes where I thought someone was standing over me - those are the only ones I was able to snap out of to a point of consciousness. The rest I typically remembered instantly when I woke up in the morning.

I can't explain how ridiculously scary it is, being able to "see" your surroundings, and not being able to move or speak.

[Stanley Burrell]

The worst one for me, personally, was when I kept waking up to the same day and eventually got so fed up with that shit, that I started deliberately offing myself, but I'd keep waking up anyway.

Suffice to say, I eventually got to bang a younger, from-1993 Andie MacDowell and learn how to ice sculpt.

It was pretty O.K., I guess.

[Jayvn]

Yeah..I don't know if i was more afraid of the shadow thing opening my blinds..because it was going to show me something even worse than the fact there was a shade in my living room..or the fact i couldn't scream or just stand the fuck up.. i could hear my wife and her daughter in the other room watchin the movie and talking.. trying to kick the wall it felt like i had weights attached to my legs.. after researching i'm amazed I was able to get enough motor skills to tap the wall with my foot... most people it said can only get out a mutter and that's what snaps them to... but shit.. I let out that moaning MMMuu sound and it still didn't get me completely 'up'.. even after I was awake it was like my body was so exhausted from fighting I wasn't sure if I'd be able to move. I should just start napping in the day when i'm out of work and play gs at night or something...

[Jayvn]

The worst one for me, personally, was when I kept waking up to the same day and eventually got so fed up with that shit, that I started deliberately offing myself, but I'd keep waking up anyway.

Suffice to say, I eventually got to bang a younger, from-1993 Andie MacDowell and learn how to ice sculpt.

It was pretty O.K., I guess.

I wouldn't ever admit to having sex with an 'andy'... I don't know who andie macdowell is..i'ma go google it..but.. still.. the only name I connect to the 'andie' sound is Andy dick...

[ElvenFury]

I wouldn't ever admit to having sex with an 'andy'... I don't know who andie macdowell is..i'ma go google it..but.. still.. the only name I connect to the 'andie' sound is Andy dick...

http://blog.sellsiusrealestate.com/wp-content/groundhog-day.jpg

Duh!

[Killer Kitten]

First time this happened to me I was 17 and in college. I lived in a hi-rise dorm and it was the night before Thanksgiving. I was one of like 5 people left in the whole building.

I was awake and couldn't move. I was on my side facing the wall and I could hear SOMETHING in the room, breathing in low, slobbery gasps behind me and I couldn't roll over to face it.

I hadn't planned on going home for the holiday, but I got the fuck out of there. Didn't sleep well the rest of the year. I've had them occasionally since then.

[Gan]

I can think of only one thing that gets stiff as a board when I'm asleep. But thats usually taken care of when I wake up the mrs.

[Kuyuk]

Does she hold it while you pee?


K.

[Latrinsorm]

I get this too. The trick is deep breathing, and I can't emphasize that enough. Trying to move or (worse) scream never works, which only gets you more amped up. It also helps if you have it a lot, because like anything else with practice it'll be easier to convince your brain to STFU already and let your body move. The aural hallucinations are still terrifying, but they dissipate faster if you can catch your breath.

Of course, man has no defense against the Technodrome, so you're still screwed in that scenario.

[Mtenda]

I used to get this but for whatever reason I haven't in a while. Never had visions of anything or saw shadows but would feel a presence or something that I needed to do something about and could not move or speak. Usually after snapping out of it I would clear every room in the house SWAT style.

[Methais]

I've had sleep paralysis happen for me since I was a kid. I never had any hallucinations though.

The way I've found to get out of it is to make yourself take a deep breath. Sometimes it can take a few tries and you usually have to do it slowly, but it snaps me out of it every single time.

I've been at the point where it's not really fear anymore so much as "Dammit not this gay shit again." <deep breath and snap out>

I'm able to slowly move my body around and not just wiggle some fingers or toes or something. Like I could grab the remote control off the other pillow if that's where it was and I remembered it being there.

Moving around also worked for me for snapping out, but it doesn't seem to be nearly as effective as a deep breath or two.

I don't get it much anymore, but anytime I do get it, it usually happens again and again after if I go back to sleep. So right after I snap out of it, I fall right back into it unless I just get up.

[ElanthianSiren]

Never had this, but you might want to try looking up The Hag (that's what they call it). It's a common occurance in Newfoundland, so there might be some coping tips from them. My dad gets it and deep breathes as others have suggested.

[Faent]

This happens to me a couple times a year. It happened this morning, oddly. I was dreaming that I was asleep outside and a bird either thought I was dead or was going to ensure it by going for my eye while I couldn't move. I was trying to break myself out of it as fast as I could before my eye was put out. Not fun. But I was faster at yanking myself out of it than the bird was at going for my eye.