Sleep Paralysis

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BritishRacinGrin

Original Poster:

24,602 posts

159 months

Monday 5th January 2015
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There've been threads on this in the past in the health and welfare section. I don't really think of it as a health and welfare issue, so thought I'd open one here.

The paranormal happenings thread has reminded me that after a 6+ month period of having no sleep paralysis episodes I had a spate of them in one week. Can't think of anything in particular which may have brought them on, I don't think I was stressed as such, maybe just a little over-tired and I was preparing for a backpacking holiday in Laos the next week. On all but a handful of occasions the episodes have ocurred when I sleep on my back, as I usually sleep fetal on my right hand side.

I went through a phase of having these quite regularly to the point that I would quite often wake up paralysed but completely calm, attempt to wiggle fingers and toes until the movement came back and then immediately fall back to sleep again still on my back only for the episode to repeat within the hour. The stand out factor in these latest ones is that where pretty much all of the more recent episodes I can recall were free from any terror or sensations of a 'presence', one of the latest ones included both.

I woke with a start, paralysed and on my back so I knew immediately what was going on, but I was convinced that I had been woken by my friend / colleague who lives in the same apartment block thumping on my door and asking to borrow my phone charger. I'd been out with him a couple of hours earlier but while he'd stayed out, I'd turned in.

Anyway as always with these episodes, panicking seems to prolong the paralysis big time and on this occasion I was convinced that he had actually gotten into my apartment, perhaps I had left the door unlocked or maybe he'd forced it?

Of course I knew this was irrational but still after regaining movement I had to check the door.

I did ask him if he'd come knocking when I next saw him but he looked at me blankly and reminded me that he has no access to my floor of the apartment block.

Anyway, anyone else care to share their experiences? Fascinating little glitch isn't it?

Odhran

579 posts

182 months

Monday 5th January 2015
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Not quite the same thing, but was out on a Christmas drinking session with my father a few weeks back. After many, many pints we called it a night. Usually my memory when drinking is terrible, but I remember everything that happened before I went to sleep after we returned home (around 1:30am) on this particular evening. Now this is where it takes a twist - apparently the doorbell rang at 4am. My mother awoke and worriedly went out to open the door. To her surprise I was standing outside in nothing but my boxer shorts (bare in mind this is 3 degree weather.) She asked me where I had been, and I told her that I was taking our new puppy outside to do his business. She checked and he wasn't there so asked where he was, I told her our 3 month old Yorkshire terrier was in the shower, getting a shave and walked upstairs and into bed.

None of this I remember until being told about it the next morning. Was funny at the time, but scary when you think about it.

The Turbonator

2,792 posts

150 months

Monday 5th January 2015
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I've had experiences of sleep paralysis a handful of time. Not had one for a while, so I'm starting to think it was just something I had when I was younger.

Mine were always the same, I'd wake up and be completely paralysed, all I could do is move my eyes, I couldn't even move my head from side to side. At the end of the bed would be a dark hooded figure and it would just stand there looking back at me. Then, when I tried to scream or call out, it would slowly glide closer towards me. If I tried to scream, it felt like there was a huge weight on my chest and I couldn't get enough air to get a scream out. All I could ever manage was a raspy wail, that was barely audible.

When the dark hooded figure was about where my chest is, it would just vanish and then I'd just fall back asleep and then remember what had happened in the morning.

markmullen

15,877 posts

233 months

Monday 5th January 2015
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I've had it twice in my life, neither time any reason to be unduly stressed or anything, and on both occasions the typical "Hag Attack" sensation of some unseen figure sitting on my chest.

Very odd, and at the time very scary.

BritishRacinGrin

Original Poster:

24,602 posts

159 months

Monday 5th January 2015
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The first time I experienced it, it was pretty frightening- I ended up flinging myself out of bed and across the room when my movement came back. I had tried to scream but was unable to make a sound.

Since then it must've happened scores of times but 90% of the time there is no 'old hag' sitting on my chest and no sensation of a 'presence'. This one was quite unusual in that my brain played out the voice of somebody I knew and imagined a scenario in which he needed his phone charged (which he had been going on about at times in the evening when we were out). Strange what the brain gets up to in it's spare time.

theguvernor

629 posts

130 months

Monday 5th January 2015
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I've had this a few times before, one stands out with me waking up feeling like i was in a pit of spiders, i could feel them crawling all over me, but couldn't do anything about it but move my eyes.
It felt like an age, then suddenly, everything seemed to happen at once & i dived across the room & hit the lights.
Nothing was there!

I've also had it where i've woken, not being able to breath, i literally get out of bed, choking, spluttering, like i'm being strangled, rolling around on the floor gasping for air, then i'll manage to get the light on & take a huge breath.
It's fking scary.

Laplace

1,090 posts

181 months

Monday 5th January 2015
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It's been a while since I've had an episode. I generally go years without any then have a period where I'll have half a dozen over a couple of months.

The scariest one I've had was the front door getting bashed in with lots of loud monster-like growling coming down the hallway as I lay there helplessly awaiting my demise!

I was having them with such regular occurrence a few years ago that I was more or less aware what was going on right away; kinda takes the fun out of it wink


BritishRacinGrin

Original Poster:

24,602 posts

159 months

Monday 5th January 2015
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Blimey I'm now grateful I'm not sleepwalking or strangling myself.

Amirhussain

11,486 posts

162 months

Monday 5th January 2015
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Only had sleep paralysis a few times, thankfully.

The first time it happened was fking scary! Didn't know what it was or what was happening.

Couldn't move my body and struggled with breathing. Felt like there was some scary ass creature sat on my chest.

spats

838 posts

154 months

Monday 5th January 2015
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I suffer from this occasionally. Until I found out what it was I used to get rather scared by it all.

I've had these happen since I was a kid, and I used to freak out and have to sleep for the rest of the night with the light on. Then it happened a year ago and I thought to look online and was surprised to see my exact experiences being pretty standard and therefore nothing to worry about.

The next time it happened I just experienced it rather than fighting it, and I also noticed the "phantom being" that normally plagued me during these episodes wasn't as much of a problem and although I still felt I sensed something there it wasn't as threatening this time as I knew it really wasn't there at all. Being able to jut sit back and enjoy the ride meant I could almost feel when the part of my brain controlling movement kind of switched back on. One moment I couldn't move or make any noise, the next it was all back and running as normal.

I didn't wake the wife either, and didn't need the light on to recover this time. I have no idea what sets it off, seems random and its been over a year since my last one.

spats

838 posts

154 months

Monday 5th January 2015
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BritishRacinGrin said:
Blimey I'm now grateful I'm not sleepwalking or strangling myself.
I've also never been a sleep walker either. Once when I was a nipper I went into my parents room and woke my Mum asking where the chalk was.

I have no idea why I was searching for chalk that night!

CrutyRammers

13,735 posts

197 months

Monday 5th January 2015
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Had a few over the years, but never had the feeling of people standing over me. Just the inability to move, which is horrible enough.
Less bad now I know what's going on, and can just wait it out, but most unpleasant all the same. But yes, strangely fascinating...

Erudite geezer

576 posts

120 months

Tuesday 6th January 2015
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I am 39 and experienced some form of sleep paralysis once, a few years ago whilst living in France.

My wife is not European and would need to reapply for Schengen visas to stay with me in our small rented apartment. So typically we'd spend a few months together then a few weeks apart.

One night sleeping alone in the apartment with my wife hundreds of miles away, I dreamt of a figure (presumably the wife) closing the bathroom door, entering the bedroom and hover over me lying on the bed.

At this point in the dream I realised that it couldn't have been the wife as she was away.

The shadowy figure developed a yellow glow, a bit like the ready-brek man and pressed down on my chest which caused a feeling of paralysis. I think I awoke soon after.

Thoroughly unpleasant and confusing.

Sammo123

2,103 posts

180 months

Wednesday 7th January 2015
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I used to get this when I was stressed at my old job. I had no idea what it was and it scared the crap out of me. I never got the feeling of someone being there, I was just unable to move and really struggled to breath. I was getting them so often that I was at the point of being a bit scared to go to sleep, but then I googled the symptoms and read that it's quite a common thing when you're stressed. I left my job soon after and didn't have it happen again until a couple of nights ago.

Hub

6,411 posts

197 months

Wednesday 7th January 2015
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I have had episodes of this, though it was worse when I was younger (teens). It was worst in the mornings if I had a lie in - for example I had a paper round for a while early on a Sunday and if I went back to bed afterwards it was always bad. I'd be drowsy and partially awake but aware I couldn't move or make any noise, and would have to try and shake myself awake properly. No nightmares though except for the paralysis itself.

Edited by Hub on Wednesday 7th January 12:52

jdw100

4,067 posts

163 months

Wednesday 7th January 2015
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Erudite geezer said:
I am 39 and experienced some form of sleep paralysis once, a few years ago whilst living in France.

My wife is not European and would need to reapply for Schengen visas to stay with me in our small rented apartment. So typically we'd spend a few months together then a few weeks apart.

One night sleeping alone in the apartment with my wife hundreds of miles away, I dreamt of a figure (presumably the wife) closing the bathroom door, entering the bedroom and hover over me lying on the bed.

At this point in the dream I realised that it couldn't have been the wife as she was away.

The shadowy figure developed a yellow glow, a bit like the ready-brek man and pressed down on my chest which caused a feeling of paralysis. I think I awoke soon after.

Thoroughly unpleasant and confusing.
Please come and post this here:

http://www.pistonheads.com/gassing/topic.asp?h=0&a...

Scantily

394 posts

170 months

Thursday 8th January 2015
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I went through a phase of this, used to happen 2-3 times per month over a period of 8-10 months. I never had any feelings of a presence or pressure on my chest, just absolute paralysis, made worse by the fact I sleep on my front. So waking up paralysed with your face in a pillow scared the crap out of me the first couple of times, I learned the quickest way to stop it was to keep calm and go back to sleep, I'd wake up a few minutes later completely fine.

Haven't had an occurrence in a couple of years now, no idea what the cause was or why it stopped. A very odd experience indeed.

MrB1obby

771 posts

149 months

Thursday 8th January 2015
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I've only had the paralysis whilst dreaming, I think! I can't move, I dont feel like there is something on my chest but I can't talk or call for help I'm just able to make like a weird groaning sort of sound.

The most recent I think was one night I came back from a night out before my mates, fell to sleep. Then when they got back one came in shouting to get out of bed because the aliens are here and I just made that noise, getting louder and louder until he got out. In the morning I woke up remembering that paralysis dream and it was only when he told me what he did that I was able to put the two things together.

It absolutely hate it, probably one of the worst tortures that could happen.

BritishRacinGrin

Original Poster:

24,602 posts

159 months

Thursday 8th January 2015
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Scantily- It's happened to me one or twice whilst sleeping on my side with my face partially buried in the pillow. Despite the fact there was no feeling of terror or presence on that occasion it was still one of the nastiest- I felt as though I was going to suffocate!

MrB1obby- that must've really freaked your friend out...

MrB1obby

771 posts

149 months

Thursday 8th January 2015
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He just said he couldn't stop laughing at me but got out as he thought he was going to give me a heart attack!