Do you ever feel paralyzed in your sleep?

[amber]

Originally Posted by littlecricket2

No, I knew this too, Amber. But I think what the original poster is talking about is being aware of his surroundings and trying to wake up and not being able to. That's different from not being able to move while dreaming. I know exactly what he's talking about because it has happened to me too. I was once "asleep" on the couch at a friend's house (I guess I had nodded off), and I could hear them having a conversation without me. I was basically aware that they were talking to each other and playing video games while I was sleeping. But I wanted to get in on the conversation and respond to what they were saying, but I couldn't speak or move because I couldn't make myself "wake up!" It's like, whatever mechanism paralyzes you for sleep was in overdrive and even though I wasn't asleep anymore, wasn't dreaming, and was perfectly aware of what was going on around me, I couldn't do anything about it! It was really quite maddening, and it has happened to me before, though not often (thankfully).

yes, but it's just from that hormone. It happens to me all the time, too, but it's normal. The article says it's from the hormone doesn't wear off fast enough. Yes, it's quite maddening.

[Brad]

Originally Posted by littlecricket2

No, I knew this too, Amber. But I think what the original poster is talking about is being aware of his surroundings and trying to wake up and not being able to. That's different from not being able to move while dreaming. I know exactly what he's talking about because it has happened to me too. I was once "asleep" on the couch at a friend's house (I guess I had nodded off), and I could hear them having a conversation without me. I was basically aware that they were talking to each other and playing video games while I was sleeping. But I wanted to get in on the conversation and respond to what they were saying, but I couldn't speak or move because I couldn't make myself "wake up!" It's like, whatever mechanism paralyzes you for sleep was in overdrive and even though I wasn't asleep anymore, wasn't dreaming, and was perfectly aware of what was going on around me, I couldn't do anything about it! It was really quite maddening, and it has happened to me before, though not often (thankfully).

Exactly...that's what I meant too. And yeah, it happens to me like on the couch with others around too. I try to mumble in my sleep so that they can hear me and wake me up. Sometimes I think I do it loud enough so they can hear me, but either they can't or they ignore me cuz they think I'm talking in my sleep!

[littlecricket2]

Originally Posted by amber

yes, but it's just from that hormone. It happens to me all the time, too, but it's normal. The article says it's from the hormone doesn't wear off fast enough. Yes, it's quite maddening.

Yeah, I figured that's all it was--the hormone in overdrive. It's a very weird feeling though! Makes you feel very powerless!

[amber]

Originally Posted by littlecricket2

Yeah, I figured that's all it was--the hormone in overdrive. It's a very weird feeling though! Makes you feel very powerless!

I know, I always dream someone is coming up my stairs, ie, breaking in, and I keep trying to wake up cause I am really scared, and I keep dreaming I'm waking up, but I can't get up at all. Very frightening. Of course, no one is ever trying to break in, but It sure scares the sh** out of me.

[littlecricket2]

Originally Posted by amber

I know, I always dream someone is coming up my stairs, ie, breaking in, and I keep trying to wake up cause I am really scared, and I keep dreaming I'm waking up, but I can't get up at all. Very frightening. Of course, no one is ever trying to break in, but It sure scares the sh** out of me.

This sounds like you're actually still dreaming something that isn't really happening though, . Good thing you can't move during this, LOL.

[amber]

Originally Posted by littlecricket2

This sounds like you're actually still dreaming something that isn't really happening though, . Good thing you can't move during this, LOL.

yeah, but I've been awake and not been able to move, too.

[GateandGarden]

Wow. This has turned into an interesting thread.

[Moony]

Originally Posted by vermicious knid

Occasionally when I am asleep, I will suddenly become aware that I am sleeping. But I am paralyzed and can not do anything. It is a very distressing feeling. It feels like being trapped in your own body. Whenever this happens, I try with all my might to move my body in an attempt to wake up. Even if I concentrate all my energy on moving a single finger, nothing works. It never lasts long before I do wake up, but it feels like an eternity anyway.

Is this phenomenon just something that happens to me, or do you know what I am talking about?

I had never heard of this happening to anyone else before! It happens to me quite often. It scares me. Badly.

Thanks, Amber, for posting that medical bit. I'm kind of relieved now.

Originally Posted by ontheEdgeof17[/quote

I've felt paralyzed before (very freaky!), but my problem is that I have dreams that come true. It freaks me out. They are so vivid and in depth, that I think that it is actually happening in real life. When they actually happen, it's major deja vu. It my happen the next day or the next year, but they do happen...and a lot!

I have dreams like that too, Curtis. But mine are never about anything important, they're usually small things like a place I'll pass, or a conversation, but once I had a dream about meeting someone I've never met before (and then a year later, up pops that person!). Supposedly (according to my aunt) this type of thing runs in our family.

[Stephanie]

I have night terrors all the time. Very disconcerting. Also, I have a recurring dream almost nightly about losing my jewelry or something lost in my nightstand. That always wakes me up in a sweat. The loss feels very serious in the dream!

[jmn3]

I had to jump in on this one...I too have had some odd dream experiences. Two in particular that were quite weird, one of which really freaked me out.

The first one was this one time about two years after I graduated high school, I found my old combination lock from my locker in a drawer in my room. It was locked and for the life of me, I could not remember the combination. Anything I tried just did not work. So I threw it back in the drawer and went about the rest of the day. That night, I had a dream I was still in high school. I dreamt that I walked up to my locker and opened the lock. When I woke up in the morning, I knew the combination...so I found the lock and sure enough, it opened right up.

That one is explainable as that combination was in my head somewhere, I just needed to recall it. The next one happened about four years ago and was really freaky...

I dreamed I was at work (I used to work at a local supermarket back in HS and college) and for some reason, I dreamed that my great-Aunt was at the store. Anyway, for some reason I saw her walking out of the front door and I went toward her and said bye. Like, I just waved to her and said "Goodbye" and she kept going out toward her car. The next morning, the phone rang about quarter after five. After several rings, I determined that my Dad likely was sleeping and my Mom was in the shower or out with the dog, so I picked up. It was my Grandmother, hysterically crying saying that her sister, the great Aunt I JUST had the dream about, died a few hours ago. It was beyond weird. It was like she came to my dream so I could say goodbye...I usually don't put too much into what I dream, but that time really freaked me out.

[littlecricket2]

Originally Posted by jmn3

That one is explainable as that combination was in my head somewhere, I just needed to recall it. The next one happened about four years ago and was really freaky...

I dreamed I was at work (I used to work at a local supermarket back in HS and college) and for some reason, I dreamed that my great-Aunt was at the store. Anyway, for some reason I saw her walking out of the front door and I went toward her and said bye. Like, I just waved to her and said "Goodbye" and she kept going out toward her car. The next morning, the phone rang about quarter after five. After several rings, I determined that my Dad likely was sleeping and my Mom was in the shower or out with the dog, so I picked up. It was my Grandmother, hysterically crying saying that her sister, the great Aunt I JUST had the dream about, died a few hours ago. It was beyond weird. It was like she came to my dream so I could say goodbye...I usually don't put too much into what I dream, but that time really freaked me out.

Wow, that is really freaky!

[Stephanie]

Along those same lines, my husband has an uncle who had a stroke. He is in bad shape and goes through periods of days of being awake followed by days of sleep. He once told his wife, please make that light disappear. Of course, she saw no light and just told him ok, i will try. Then he said please turn the light off because there are two people asking me to come to the light and I don't want to go. After a little while passed, he told her never mind, the light was fading.

Isn't that wild!

[littlecricket2]

Originally Posted by Stephanie

Along those same lines, my husband has an uncle who had a stroke. He is in bad shape and goes through periods of days of being awake followed by days of sleep. He once told his wife, please make that light disappear. Of course, she saw no light and just told him ok, i will try. Then he said please turn the light off because there are two people asking me to come to the light and I don't want to go. After a little while passed, he told her never mind, the light was fading.

Isn't that wild!

Holy crap, I need to stop reading these posts. I've actually decided that if my average post per day number exceeds 1, I need to take a vacay from the board, . I'm gonna go check my stats now.

[Mari]

does anyone recognise this though: sometimes before I fall asleep I've this funny 'sensation' that I loose all sense of distances, proportion. It feels as if my hand for example is huge but it's also miles away. Also feeling bloated or balloon shaped . I used to get scared when I had that, but it always goes away after a minute or two. I think it probably has something to do with epilepsy, but I sometimes tend to throw too much on that.

[vermicious knid]