Mind awake, body asleep?

[malliemut]

For the past few months, since Nov, I've been having this problem with waking up. It just started suddenly and happens a few night a moths, once to three times in the same night.
Usually its morning, after a full nights sleep, when it happens. My mind will wake up. I'll be compleatly conciouse. I can think, remember, everything as when I'm fully awake, but my body stays asleep. I feel literaly paralyzed, in a coma. Everything is dark. It's just like I'm laying there with my eyes closed but I can't move or screem now matter how hard I try. Usually I freak out and lay there for a while trying to wake my body up somehow till my husband hears me wimpering, cause I'm trying to screem for him, and he wakes me up. I know it's not just a bad dream and I'm scared my body might never wake up one day. Can anyone help on what this is or advice or something?

[Suri123]

Hi, its strange what you are facing, too much stress mentally and physically coupled with disturbed sleep seems to be. Are you able to move your body parts normally or it is laboured. how do you feel in day time and do you have day sleep, if so do you feel the same. Seek a sleep specialist attention for a sleep study. Keep updating your views and visits. Take care.

[malliemut]

I really don't have Any sleep problems other than that. Sometimes I'll take a nap in the day but it's not really needed. It's always been after a full nights rest.
If I try really really hard for a long time i think my arms or fingers might twitch but other than wimpering when I try to screem I cant get controll of my body. Last time I tried breathing really fast to wake up my hubby and it seemed to work but when no one is there I wake up by just suddenly snaping out of it and opening my eyes and I'm ok.
I will try to see a doc about it and post back.

[Suri123]

Hi, thanks for your feedback and hope you to get well soon, its better to seek medical advise ratherthan keep suffering. Also good idea to consult a neurologist also. Your input will be of great help for some of viewers with similar problems, keep updating on visits. Take care. Good luck.

[LNick]

It sounds to me like you suffer from "Sleep Paralysis".
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sleep_paralysis

I've had this problem for years, and I'm quite sure (at least for me) it's stress related as it  started happening when I started having panic attacks. I was horrified the first few times it happened, but I'm pretty much used to it when it happens now. One thing I noticed is it rarely happens to me unless I'm laying on my back. Do you usually sleep on your back?

[Shekharindia]

yes i do

[Suri123]

Hi, its good idea that all readers can also give your opinion or share your experience as one or other person may benefit from suggessions posted. Keep updating similarly. Take care.

[deep_aquarian]

Hi malliemut,
You know what, I used to have the same experience around 10 years back. I used to wake up, but my body would be stiff. I would then realize that I might have slept for just 5 hours, 2 hours less that usual,
I would smile at myself, remember the things that make me happy... and get enough time to let my body wake up in the mean time. Within the next 5-15 minutes, my body would also wake up and I would get up like any other normal day. I personally feel that this is something which you can take care of yourself, by teaching your mind to mind to relax when it happens the next time. You may feel that you do not need any medical assistance at all.
Best Wishes.

[Suri123]

Hi malliemut, hope you are doing well? Also to deep_aquarian, thanks for sharing some of your experience and your positive inspiration for all those who are suffering from similar sort of problems and struggling to get out of these sleep paralysis. Stress is one of the common reason and one need to focus on relaxing both physically and mentally. Never to get frightened, as this does not cause any harm or injury to self, try to relax and focus on moving any one part of body like limbs slowly. Doing morning-evening walk, stretches, have nutritious diet with lot of water or other liquids, having hot shower and listen to soft music before going to bed could be soothing to mind and body so it may be of some help. Seek medical attention from your doctor if it continuous. Take care.

[mrbaseball4000]

Your Body is in a state of Paralysis.I am in college and have been studying this.Don't call me crazy, but people use this disorder as a blessing some how.Its called an "OBE" or Outer Body Experience.Try looking up this condition and go from there. Not a serious condition, but some people use it in different ways.Hope this helps.

[mdleithw]

Hello! i know exactly what your going through, i have had it for about 2 years, however, there is a technique to waking up during this sleep paralysis, i have never had to endure this, yes its scary the moment i get it, but you can get up for certain.here is what to do.

concentrate on moving your pinky, its small and doesn't require alot of energy, after you are able to move it, start moving your hand and then the whole arm and you wake up POOF! people get so scared they have it that they try to move all at once! not going to happen at all. calm down, observe, try to move your pinky and they progressivly you wake up :)

enjoy!

[rogerca15]

wow i have the exact same experience... my roommate hears me mumbling but in my mind i am trying to scream is really crazy. at first i was afraid of it, but after awhile i sort of experienced with it and everything i see is blurry as if I was dreaming but im not, and in my mind i am trying to move my arms and i think that i am doing it but then i realized my arms have not moved an inch....is crazy

[Jary08]

Yes thats sleep paralysis, ive had it for a few years. for me it doesnt happen a lot and im glad because im terrified everytime it happens. ive tried making noise, ive tried relaxing, and ive tried moving one limb at a time.....doesnt get me out of it....i have to force my body to move out of its paralysed state. i know it wont hurt me and im aware of that when im in that state but i still cant help being scared sh**less.

A couple of times ive hallucinated with it and when it happens its usually after a nightmare, but some times i wake up, still groggy and not paralysed and then slip back off to sleep and in an instant my body is stuck.

I wouldnt say its cause im stressed tho, im at uni on a nursing course but i dont feel stressed even with essays i have to do, so what else can trigger it??????? cause it happened the other morning and i was really afraid...i tried moving my leg, which i managed, then my hand, which was a bit hard to do but i couldnt move any other part of my body so i had to force it out of paralysis, which feels awful to do.

What do people do to help improve this condition?

[lisarjen]

This awful thing happaned to me. It first started as only what I can explain as hot white fire balls leaving my head and drifting off to space, this was immediately followed by seeing a cat by my bed and then the cat would jump up and jump across my body and then the feeling of being electrocuted. I felt that I was awake but I couldn't stop whjat was happening to me. It happaned quite often in the beginning and then it stopped. It happaned again last night. There was something walking over my body and as it crossed my body I felt I was being confined and could not breathe. I can remember screaming no-stop , I couldn't even open my lip to suck in air. I got this strange feeling to just relax and let it go but am afraid I will never wake up. I read it could be from stress and that very well may be it. Has anyone had this same experience?

[Shekharindia]

yes i do have and while i was suffering from it i felt like i will never wake up but somehow i did it i woke up...

[DaP4life]

Hey Lisar,

Do you still have this problem?

[red1ebony]

Hi, i have this it is a medical condition called ISP, ( Isolated sleep poralysis,) what happens is when you relax into sleep the motor functionality of the brain shuts down-goes to sleep but other parts are stil active, the only way to diagnose it is to see a sleep specialist.
Hope this helps.

[abeckford]

im 20 and I have had it since i was a little kid. the whole concentrate thing works best. i start with my toes and it eventually wakes me up. its crazy because i hear everything going on around me, but can't get up. i also notice my mind feeling this drawing feeling as if i want to go back into the sleep, but i feel like i will never wake up so i fight it.

[erwsa]

I also have this exact thing. I find that the best thing to do INSTANTLY when I slip out of it is to immediately get up and go do something to keep myself awake. I'm usually in an overly drowsy state and will immediately fall back into the paralysis if I continue to lie down. I find this is the worst feeling ever-- even though when it happens I am aware that it has happened before and that I'll be alright. The worst is when it happens out of nightmares and i'm convinced I'm going to be attacked but I can not move. But yeah, If I keep myself awake for a half hour to an hour, especially if i get up and walk to another room for a bit, I won't slip back into it when I go back to sleep.

[Independent1390]

I still have these episode often. In my mind it seems like I can at least lift an arm or open my eyes. It also seems like I have to use all of my energy to make it del like I'm moving but am not. The only thing I can control during this sleep paralysis is my breathing.
It is very scary, so scary in fact that in frightens me enough to not want to go back to sleep, though I am sleep deprived. I do have a very stressful life. Was orphaned at 13 was living in homes. Then homeless after 18. I'm pretty stable  from the stress now. But it seems to be when I'm most exhausted and in need of REM  my mind pulls this crap again.. Opiates seem to help very much :]

[Independent1390]

I still have these episode often. In my mind it seems like I can at least lift an arm or open my eyes. It also seems like I have to use all of my energy to make it del like I'm moving but am not. The only thing I can control during this sleep paralysis is my breathing.
It is very scary, so scary in fact that in frightens me enough to not want to go back to sleep, though I am sleep deprived. I do have a very stressful life. Was orphaned at 13 was living in homes. Then homeless after 18. I'm pretty stable  from the stress now. But it seems to be when I'm most exhausted and in need of REM  my mind pulls this crap again.. Opiates seem to help very much :]

[lanyzo]

Oh boy, I wish you could send me your problem per post...I'm trying for ages to achieve the mind awake body asleep phase (sleep paralyis) without success...This is just one step away from having an out of body experience (or astral projection)...Some people are lucky and don't want it, and others are struggling to get to this phase for years...

[Shekharindia]

hello my name is shekhar from kolkata city india.   sorry my english is bit little poor. yesterday when i was sleeping suddenly my mind got active and i was able to think whatever i want and then something flashed not in front of my eyes (because my body was sleeping) but  in my mind  that i am in my relatives home and then i thought i was not there because before i slept so shouldn't be here and then i started to move my body sorry that would be a wrong statement i tried to move my body but it was like like i can't  (because i think my body was still inactive and it was sleeping ) then i tried my best to make me awake and it takes 10-20 seconds to make myself awake ...it happened to me 3 times yesterday night i never thought these kinds of things exist in this world but when i suffered from this then i started searching about it on google and i find out this page and different people having the same problem now i'm okay and dont know whether i'm gonna have this same problem or not . so i'm waiting for tonight ...and that thing when my mind got active while i was sleeping it happened for just less than 2 minutes .. not for too longer but as i am indian i started thinking about ghost and all that but now i'm okay.. thank you so much guys for writing this post really appreciate it :)

[BethGrace]

Hi.. I get the same thing too.. Its like your Paralysed and cant move and sometimes i try to move and believe i actually have moved but i havent. I do call out or anything i just shut my eyes and go back to sleep and it goes away.
But I worry because sometimes it feels like someones there. Once it fel like there was someone next to me playing with my hair and i fel my hair moving on my back but i woke up and my hair was in a ponytail as it was before i fell asleep.
And sometimes it feels like there is someone there and sometimes like they are poking me in the side.. harder and harder and i get so freaked out and try to scream and i cant. It does happen when i am lying on my back.
I do fall back to sleep but wake up and cant go back to sleep due to being so scared. and Sometimes i am so tired and I wake up from this and think to myself 'I have to move on my front or it will happen again' and i am sooooo tired that i believe i am on my front and go to sleep but i am really on my back and it happens again. The first time it hapened i didnt tell anyone and it happened for about a week, then I told my sister and she thought i was joking so she fell asleep on her bsck and it happened to her and she got so freaked out. But it doesent happen to her anymore.. Just me and i wish i could stop it but I guess I have to sleep on my front.
Its nice to hear others stories too.

[BethGrace]

OH and also i sometimes see things spinning or moving and its scary too :S

[FibroClinic]

Have you had any traumatic or life changing experiences lately?  A loss of a job, a death in the family, a car wreck, or anything of the sort?  Have you had your blood sugar levels tested lately?  Extreme hypoglycemia may cause this type of paralysis, if your glucose levels are dropping to abnormal levels in your sleep.  

Regardless of what is causing it, panicking will push you deeper into your coma-like state.  It's like panicking when you're in quick-sand.  It will just sink you faster.  You need to stay calm and relaxed, aware of what is happening, and realize that you will eventually be able to move in time.  Confide in the fact that your paralysis will not be permanent.  You'll eventually snap out of it and don't need to be scared, but you should still seek medical attention.

Don't be surprised if doctors can't find the cause.  You may have to figure this one out on your own, but a sleep study is definitely in order.

[alfie_25]

Well lets see now. I've had this experience about 8-10 times now.  The very first time was so frieghtening for me.  I am 25 years old and have had 2 anurisms and that was scary, so having this sleeping thing after that is really hard to bare.  Only twice recently have I been able to move my fingers but my eyes are open slightly. and the last time it happened I was at my Girl friends job. I was napping on a couch and the tv was on I could see it then what appeared to be my girlfriend walked in and stood next to the tv. Then about 10 minutes later I accually woke up I was scared and I went to where she was working in the next room.  I scared her when I walked in because of the awfully frightened look on my face. the crazy part was that she said that she was just about to go and check on me right before I walked into the room where she was, was this like OBE-premenition????

[OZIAKL]

Hi I'm 39 and I get this occasionally both when going to sleep and when waking. The worst is when I get it going to sleep, I think I'm asleep but then the mattress will start pushing up into me like there is someone under the bed puching it very hard all over, it is really scarry. At most I try to scream but nothing happens, and then I wake properly. It can happen again when I try to go back to sleep.
The waking experiance has only happen once and I saw an image of a womans head right in front of me, strangely enough I didn't freak out but was more interested...go figure

[xela1234]

I'm 17 and just experianced this today for the first time. I immediatly began researching it because it scared me so bad I cried. I was lying on the couch with my brothers and dad watching the TV. I had been asleep for a couple of hours and I had turned over onto my back to sort of start waking up. I felt like my eyes were just closed and not sleeping because I was fully aware of the conversations they were having and the ballgame on TV. I heard my brother being a typical little brother talking about how he was going to rub an orange on my face to wake me up. At this point I was ready to spring up and stop him but I realized I couldn't move my arm that way laying across my chest. I realized I couldn't move anything. My whole body was tingling and I felt him start to pull his little trick. I was screaming in my mind "Chase! Stop Chase! Chase!" over and over but nothing was coming out. It lasted so long that I started screaming help and could feel myself start to panic.  A couple minutes after Chase was done pulling his prank and me completely being unable to react, I finally opened my eyes and was able to sit up. Of course I immediatly thought it was a dream and started explaining this to my dad and brothers. They of course looked at me like I was crazy, but everything I described really happened while, as they said, I was "fast asleep". This was possibly the most weird experiance I have ever had. My mom has had many "out of body experiances" these past few years, so I was able to share it with her. She told me thats how it began for her. I really hope that I don't experiance this frightening thing again, but it looks like I will.