Paralyzed while sleeping

[Mandy4183]

Since I was a child, and until now (27years old) about once every three months or maybe more, I will have a frightening experience while sleeping.  Once I'm asleep, sometimes it feels like my head will get really heavy and there will be a deep low humming sound in my head or maybe a train sound that seems to paralyze my entire body, however once this feeling of heaviness occurs, I wake up internally, but my eyes are not open and I can hear everything going on around me.  At that point I seem to be conscious but unable to open my eyes or even move.  I then have to force myself fully awake by jerking my entire body.  And then, if I happen to fall right back to sleep, I will go into the exact same state again and jerk myself awake once again.  It is quite starling and frightning.  It kinda reminds me of what being in a coma might feel like.  Can anyone tell me what this is and is it possible not to be able to wake up from it, what ever "it" is?

Thanks,

Mandy4183

[alycatto]

They say it's just your mind waking up before your body. It's hereditary. There is a name for it, but I always forget what its called. If you ask Sylvia Brown the psychic, she says its your spirit walking around and hasn't come back to your body yet. Either way, just relax when its happening, your body will wake up, it just takes an extra minute.

[IOLA]

This is so weird, my older sister and I both have this, and have never heard of anyone else, it is so terifying. I do not get it as much now (knock on wood) but that is probably because I have kids and dont really get sleep anymore. I will be checking back to see if anyone else has any explanations. One time I could hear my dad yelling at me to wake up it was time for evening church and could not move at all, I have always just had to go back to sleep and hope when I wake up, so is my body.

[Corndog]

I have this sometimes. I might be having a nightmare and I awake partially, but can't move my body. It's like I am "stuck" in the dream even though I know I am not really asleep. It probably lasts less than a minute, but it feels like longer.

I had sleep studies done. I have very little REM sleep, and it comes at the END of my sleep instead of during the middle. For me, this is why it happens.

I found an explanation online from a sleep specialist that explains this:

"Our muscles become completely paralyzed during REM sleep so we do not act out our dreams. In addition to the sleepiness of REM sleep, narcolepsy is characterized by episodes of sleep paralysis in which the person awakens from sleep unable to move. Sleep paralysis lasts a few minutes and resolves spontaneously. Rarely, this occurs in normal individuals."

[lauren7960]

This should not be a scary experience although sometimes when you do not know what is happening it can be. I have always done this. It is called astral travel. It happens to people who are more in tune or who have a lineage of those more in tune with the spiritual world. Your soul is not a part of your body but more inside your body. Sometime during sleep it leaves but is never unattached. There are so many things in this world that people do not understand and one of them is that we are such a small part of this large universe. We are all souls and we do not die. We inhabit these crapy bodies to do our duties on earth. We sleep to rejuvinate our souls! Sometimes after traumitizing times on earth our souls may leave our bodies to visit certain healing places which we are lead to by our spirit guides...God gave all of us atleast one, however we have many angels. We also may choose, in our sleep ofcourse, to visit past loved ones or even drop in on others! They can not see us though as we are there in spirit. The alarming paralyzing fear happens when we our physical body starts to awaken before our spirit is back in form inside. We are awake but cant move, we hear buzzing, we feel as if we are being held down by an evil force who wants to eat our unborn children.....No.  Does this not all pass? Yes, because quickly, faster than you realize you have returned to your body and can now move again.  I know how scary this is as I used to have the same thing. Now before I go to sleep I say that I only want to leave if I can have a quick return. You can never be lost or not find your way back. We are intricate spirits and way to smart to "get lost". I always ask before I go to bed to have healed whatever damage may have been done during the day in this wonderful world, sarcasm here, to be healed while I am asleep or off visiting the spirit world. Some people can even remember vividly hovering above their bodies or being on the celing to then flying out of the window and into mountains.  I like to think of it as a nice little escape! Have fun!

[donda]

that explains so much!! i am so glad i came here and tried to figure out what was happening to me, it has been happening to me since i can remember. it does get scarry at times but now that i know what it is i will try not to be scared. sometimes (a while ago) this would happen and i could "see" (even thought i was still laying in bed) my whole room and i was sitting in the same room as my "body" and my grandmother was with me. i talked to my sister and the same things happen to her. i feel so much better now, the last 3 nights i have not wanted to go to sleep for fear of it happening again but now i cant wait. thank you so much.

[NrssAngel]

I have also had this happen....Only a few times though.  The first time and most frightening was in 1994.  Only my eyes were open, it was the middle of the day and I was on my cough and had awoken from a nap.  I could see and when I looked up in the corner of my vaulted ceiling was a dove.  Only a glimpse of it, enough to see what it was and then it was gone.  I felt a presence.  Not sure what it was but it scared me.  I would love to be able to visit the spirit world.  Perhaps I will pray about it and God will bless me with that.  Take care.  

[dgs75057]

I have had this happen for years. After going thru ENT for dizziness I was sent to a neurologist. After a normal MRI, I was sent for sleep study and Latent sleep study. I was diagnosed with Narcholepsy.

The jolts in and out of sleep were due to REM episodes. I was experiencing REM right at the onset/outset of sleep. I would have freaky/frightening colorful dreams/spasms that would cause me to fight to wake up from.

The paralysis is one of the symptoms. The mind is still in a state of sleep where physical movements are prevented so one doesn't act out dreams and cause injury while sleeping.

I currently take Provigil (daytime) and Celexa (nightime). I also have trouble staying awake w/o Provigil. For years my sleepiness, irritability, etc. were blamed on depression. It has been a valid diagnosis as far as I can tell. I can function fairly well now. I am a 48 yr. old male. Hope this helps. I would seek out some studies via a neurologist.

[HELLOFAHYNA]

IT ALL STARTED WITH ME, WHEN I WAS 18 YEAR'S OLD.
MY FAMILY AND I WERE LIVING IN THIS HAUNTED HOUSE AT THE TIME.
AND I SEEN A SPIRIT ABLOUT THREE HOUR'S PRIOR TO TAKING MY NAP.
AS I WAS SLEEPING I RECALL OPINNING MY EYES AND BEING PARALIZED, I ALSO FELT AS IF SOMETHING WAS HOLDING ME DOWN. I WAS SO SO AFRAID.
BUT I ALSO SEEN TWO ANGEL'S THAT WERE LIKE A LILAC PEARL COLOR STANDING ON THE LEFT SIDE OF ME.
IT STILL HAPPEN'S SO ME FROM TIME TO TIME. BUT ONE TIME, ME AND MY HUSBAND WERE SLEEPING WHEN I WAS 21, I'M 23 NOW. IT HAPPENED TO ME AGAIN.
BUT THIS TIME IT WAS A DIFFERENT HOUSE, HE WAS ALREADY SLEEPING AND I REMEMBER SEEIND LIKE SOME GREYISH BLACK SMOKE FLOATING BY HIS SIDE OF THE CLOSET, THEN IT WENT OVER TWARDS ME AND TRIED TO FLOAT IN THROUGH MY NASTRAL'S AND IT WAS TALKING TO ME IN SOME STRANGE LANGUAGE. I TRIED TO MOVE BUT ONCE AGAIN I WAS PARALIZED, I TRIED TO SCREAM BUT COULD NOT !!!!!!!!!!!!!!
THEN I  KEPT JUST SAYING "....JESUS, JESUS ,JESUS" IN MY HEAD.............THEN IT DISAPEERED ,AND I COULD FINALLY MOVE AND I GRABBED MY HUBBY AND I WAS SCREEMING AND CRYING. EVER SINCE I WAS A LITTLE GIRL I HAD A SIXTH SENSE. I FEEL LIKE SOMETHING IS ALWAYS AROUND ME, AND ALL KIND'S OF THING'S HAPPEN TO ME.
THEY SAY THAT AQUARIUS AND LIBRA'S HAVE A SIXTH SENSE AND THAT IT WAS MY HUBBY IS A LIBRA AND I AM AQUARIUS. AND CRAZY THING'S ALWAYS HAPPEN TO US.
AT LEAST I AM NOT THE ONLY ONE THAT THIS HAPPEN'S TO.
I NOW SUFFER FROM ANXIATY, AND IT IS HARD FOR ME  TO CATCH MY BREATHE AND I THINK THAT IT IS BECAUSE OF THE FACT THAT I DON'T HARDLY SLEEP BECAUSE I AM TOO AFRAID TO.

[deneca]

Uhh yeah, caps are annoying.  Anyway, I get sleep paralysis too.  I don't believe in that whole spiritual idea, though.  This usually happens to me when I am sleeping in class.  Suddenly I'll start hearing the teacher again, but i wont be able to move my body.  It seems like when i relax, the condition stays, though.  When I get worked up and scared I usually try to joult myself awake and wake up sooner.  I haven't tryed relaxing often though, because it's a pretty scary feeling.  Finally I lift my head up, but it usually feels like its about to collapse back down, immediately.  By now I am fully awake, though.  It's pretty scary.

Also if I've had a nap that day, and try to go to bed before I get tired, this almost always happens.  

[Hypo_CON_MAN]

When I was around the age of 9 or so, i had a similar issue.  While sleeping I would go to sleep in my dreams.  It sounds wierd, but my dreams are very vivid and I am always aware.  I found that waking up required me to wake up from each level of dream causing symptoms described earlier.  Usually after waking up once, I would be nearly conscious but unable to open my eyes.  I would have to force my eyes open.  In my mind I was using my hands to open my eyes, but in reality I wouldn't move at all.  This is pretty scary for a pre-adolescent.  I found the more times I went to sleep in my dreams, the more levels I had to wake up from.  One time, I had to force eyes open, to find that I still wasn't awake.  I was still dreaming and had to force my eyes open a second time to be truly awake.  The experience is very similar to the ones stated above.  Because of my cognition, I never worried about it.  It hasn't happened much as an adult, but it does occur.

[Riisa]

WOW! ..i would never get on medication for this.. it happens to me  alot.. i can actually hear it coming on  like mandy's *above* humming noise in my head. the more u panic the stronger it gets .i can not scream ,move  but my eyes wide open ..it really feels like a evil pressence on top of me ..i used to go to my moms bed as child and sleep with her and then i would get mad because she did not wake me when i was going thru this .. she had no clue ..what i have learned  that takes it away and gives me a peaceful sleep after it happens ... even though i cant speak  i pray very loud in my HEAD and just say JESUS JESUS JESUS .. i keep saying his name  and it goes away sooooo fast ...my pastor said it was like spiritual battle that i go thru in my sleep .. i can hear the devil laughing @ me saying * Jesus cant help u*  i even laugh back @ him and rebuke him in the name of JESUS .. The name JESUS  is the most powerful name u can ever say to defeat SATAN..i just encourage  anyone of you  to try the power of prayer .. u dont have to verbally speak when u go thru this.. and can be all in ur head  WHEN you call on the LORD AND BELEIVE AND HE WILL BE THERE FOR YOU ..HE WILL!!!!! ...he is the most powerful medication you will ever need ..
Thanks for reading me .
Risa 34 F Houston .

[lchp]

Yes Riisa!!! I had a bad experience last night & all I could do was say over & over in my head was Jesus. It stopped thank the Lord.

[ailam]

OK I found this forum because I think I am suffering from what you all are suffering while you sleep.  This does not happen to me every night but maybe a few times through out the month.  I would go to sleep  and of course like everyone else dream and than when I want to awake I I feel like I can't move and my eyes can't open.  I scream in terror WAKE ME UP hoping my husband can hear me but obviously not it's just in my mind that I am actually screaming.   Than before I knew it I my eyes open and I sat up on my bed.  I panic of course and my heart beating rapidly.  I can't go back to sleep right away but after so long I snooze off.  Now that I think of it I do suffer from anxiety for more than a year now and when I sleep and dream I wonder if certain dreams that I dream triggers me to want to wake up and fleet from the situation.  Making me so afraid that I need to get out of it.  I don't know but I pray and hope that I'll get through this and everyone here get through too.  Bless you all....Malia 25 Waianae Hawaii

[DEE4220]

I am in agreement with you because I go through the same thing. It has been a few months since it happened but I can recall having visitors to my home and my son had invited two of his friends to our home who were not Christians. One of the friends was playing music in my home that was not christian music and that night I had my feeling like somone was holding me down and i could not move but was aware of everything going on. I too have loud noise in my ears.... But finally started rebuking this spirit in my mind and saying over and over the blood of JESUS, THE BLOOD OF JESUS, I REBUKE YOU SPIRIT IN THE NAME OF JESUS .the spirit let loose and I finally could scream and started screaming , 'LEAVE ME ALONE.!!!!!!! My Husband finally woke up and ask me what was wrong.I told him a spirit was in or room.. You can talk all sciencetific if you want , but bad spirits are real.... You DONT NEED MEDICATION, YOU NEED ONLY USE THE BLOOD OF JESUS AND JUST CALL ON HIS NAME , HE WILL ANSWER!

[antzjolly]

I too have experienced sleep paralysis,  It's extraordinary how real the whole situation feels. That deep fear is like nothing I've experienced awake. Sometimes there does seem to be a presence, but always the inability to move and fear is there, Once i jumped or jolted the feelengs used to end and then i was awake,
However now when i lie there and cannot  move and twich or force my self to wake,   i feel as tho i wakeup and get up or move around and suddenly im lead down asleep again unable to move,or speak or scream,
  Sometimes i think just my hand can move or my eyes or my voice, and i will now wake up upto 10 times n find that i am still asleep, so now when i do finally wake up i am slightly paniced and unsure if i am awake or if its another trick played on me by my mind, i would like to know if ay one else experiences multiple episodes of this at once like i do where my mind tricks me that i have moved and woke up only to find i am still lead there unable to move or speek???

[mikeyman12]

today is the first time i got this i am really scared i opened my eyes but i couldnt move for like less than a minute

[WickBrother]

this IS WHAT IS EXACTLY HAPPENING TO ME..

OK WHEN  you sleep. theres a sound like a vibration, like a motor sound ( brrrrrrr.......) in your head in the back. and feeling that im awake because, somehow i can open my eyes, i can see somehow the surroundings. but i cant move. its like paralyzed.

its scary when that happen to me.

[Angie018]

I do experience the same thing so i've looked it up a long time ago and i think that theres a good explanation for this. I wonder if u've notice that it mostly happens when ur body is very tired or u wake up and try to fall back asleep. They also say that your body enters that state when its preventing u from acting out your dreams. I know that it's scary but there's nothing to be afraid of and i hope that this helped you in some sort of way :)

[Joy74]

Oh my God the buzzing it's like large bee's I thought i was crazy and that  im the only one out there with this problem. It's terrifing because I also have sleep apnea. But i've been searching the web and found out that this can all be from a reduction of seritonine levels in the brain. I also found out that taking klonpin might help. i'm going to try it tonight i've been living with this for 33yrs now. I'm relieved to know im not the only one out there. The worst part being falling back to sleep into the same cycle. I'll let you all know if the klonopin works. Good luck everyone.

[Corndog]

Hi. Those "visions" have a name as well. Hypnogogic hallucinations. Lucid dreaming can occur with it as well. You are half in the asleep world where your mind runs free and part in the waking world. This is a time when some people can "direct" their dreams. I also don't believe it's a ghost or visitation, except what is in your own mind that is conjured up in the semi-dream state. I don't discount these things completely, trust me. I believe in many things that I cannot see.

Hypnogogic hallucinations can happen when waking, or more often, when falling directly into REM sleep as we narcoleptics or other sleep-deprived persons are are prone to do.

I also take Provigil, and like dgs75057, I can't stay awake or function without it. I also take Klonopin, but for panic attacks.

[MJIthewriter]

I'm sure this has been mentioned by now... I deal with it from time to time too, except for the most part, I don't feel much fear. Just plain annoyance. The sound, to me is like yawning with my mouth closed, vibrates my body, makes my back sore, and I don't get any sleep while it occurs...

I can kind of guess sometimes when it is about to occur, because I'll drift off to sleep and feel a slight tingling feeling in my head, and maybe a slight change in sound...

To get relief I've found it best to wake up fully and stay awake for at least 15 minutes to an hour before falling asleep again. It seems to break the cycle.

[Abhijeet Deshmukh, MD]

Hello.

There a lot of information out here. I just wanted to add the word "hypnopompic", meaning when you are coming out of sleep, but are not fully awake.

There can be almost any "dream" or experience happening during sleep paralysis. A lot depends on the cultural background. Even I have experienced it when I was a kid ( not claiming to be grown up !! ). I used to see myself lying on a railway track with the train approaching fast. I could tell the color of the train, I could remember the horn and somehow the train never managed to run over me !!! It never happens. This is to reassure Mandy4183 that you always wake up from this.

It is very much a part of normal sleep, I guess.

Regards

[Alex18444]

Wow... this used to happen to me all the time when I was younger!!! The best thing to do is not fight it and you'll come out if it eventually.

[dgallanewme]

I can understand what you all are talking about because I suffer from this too.  I know that its not real but it scares me just the same.  When it first started happening I felt the pressure on my body and the presence was that of a man.  It was physical in nature but after a while I wasn't afraid of him he was just an annoyance. But now he has been replaced with a presence that feels mean and who wants to hurt me.  It happens every night and I fight to wake myself up but can't move. When I try to make like I don't know that it's there he wakes me up by blowing on me.  I have been pulled violently around the bed.  I know that I'm not moving because my eyes are open and I can see the room.  Once I woke up feeling strangled and it hurt.  My family tells me that I snore really bad so I'm going to have a sleep study done.  I'm also Bipolar and take medication for it.  Until then I will continue to fight.

[MJIthewriter]

One odd recent one I had was I was floating in the ceiling looking down at my bed. Couldn't move... I was saying “Neat" and my voice had a strange echo feedback sound.  Thing was, my bed looked made which in reality it isn't! Thus discounting it being astral travel... Just a hallucination from my mind, albeit a vivid one and unusual.

I caught my mind once after moving my bed and adding a craft cabinet... I had an sp episode but the bed was located in the old location and the craft cabinet was not there...  An older episode I was scratching at the wall and felt the texture under my fingers. I was scratching until I saw blood streaked on the wall...once again very vivid but just another hallucination generated by sp...  

I don't really buy the superstitions, monsters, demons etc...  I found it seems to comfort me a great deal... If I have to, I may turn religious, pray, and rebuke... though very seldom do I have to resort to it...  Reminds me one time I saw a zombie like arm over me... Anyone else would probably be freaked out big time... With me, I was just peeved... Oh brother, not this thing happening again.... If it weren’t for the painful vibrating sensation I get, I could probably sleep right through them and go back into dreamland...  But that seldom happens in a full blown attack... Usually it just keeps repeating until I wake up and break the cycle...  With mild episodes, I just slip back into a dream...

One of the oddest was a dream of sp, while dreaming sp... Disturbing, but the sunset in the sky was to die for...absolutely stunning! I was located in a more dream-like setting... It seems like SP can occur on various levels from just barely awake to just barely dreaming.  I find thinking about it scientifically rules out much of the fear.