Sleep Paralysis

[twing]

Hi all, does anyone else suffer? I get it maybe half a dozen times a year and it scares the st out of me everytime. It's always when I'm lying on my back and takes a huge amount of effort to break it. Be interesting to hear if anyone's found a way to avoid it. The obvious answer is "don't sleep on your back" but that's the most comfortable way for me to sleep.

[andyr30]

I don't suffer with it so can't really help but there is a film coming out called Mara that looks into it...might be worth a watch

[budgie smuggler]

Wife gets this a lot, she says wiggling her fingers and toes seems to help her out of it.

[mrtwisty]

I've not had it for a number of years now, but my metbod of 'escape' was to try to shout. I could hear myself doimg a muffled 'hmmmgrrrmmmmm'sort of sound for a bit, then would suddenly shout/growl which would break the paralysis.

Scared the crap out of the missus at the time!

[HustleRussell]

I get it if I'm stressed / sleep deprived and sleep on my back or left side.

I'm pretty used to it now, to the point that I will fall back to sleep immediately and the issue will recur in a constant loop until I fully wake and move only my right side.

Calmly attempting to wiggle fingertips and toes works for me, the first few times I experienced it I panicked and tried with my every fibre to thrash and scream which seems to prolong the paralysis!

P.S. I started a thread on this some time ago

Edited by HustleRussell on Tuesday 17th July 13:03

[twing]

mrtwisty said:

I've not had it for a number of years now, but my metbod of 'escape' was to try to shout.

I normally manage to flick my hand out quickly and I break it but just couldn't do it last Saturday so lay there trying to shout at my girlfriend to nudge me.
Freaked me out that one did

[Ridealong]

I used to get this type of paralysis (whole body) like around once a month, it is less frequent but now as I get a different type of paralysis - I'm sleeping on my back, but both my hands are behind my head like they are super glued and take forever to pull them apart, until I get them apart I don't wake up.

It doesn't seem to happen to me anywhere else (at my sisters house, my friend home, hotel) apart from my own bed.

[carl926J]

I used to get this a lot as a child as I could hear what was going on around me but couldn't get my eyes to open - always assumed I was just extra-tired. I've had it couple of times as an adult, both times preceded by an apparent loud noise so that I ended up straining to break it. The first time also included a muscle spasm that felt like the bed dipping and the covers tightening. Scared the c**p out of me! Once I realised what it was I was less bothered the second time, but haven't had it in a while now. I generally strain to move and also groan/shout to break it.

[Dynamic Space Wizard]

twing said:

I normally manage to flick my hand out quickly and I break it but just couldn't do it last Saturday so lay there trying to shout at my girlfriend to nudge me.
Freaked me out that one did

How many have you got???

[ashleyman]

I get this at least once a month. I cannot do anything but breath and blink, the rest of my body is shut down even though my brain is awake.

Eventually it all comes back slowly but my wife gets annoyed that I'm suddenly screaming at the top of my voice.

I also suffer from Night Terrors and will shout and scream and run around whilst fast asleep thinking that something/someone is trying to kill me. My trigger is temperature, if I get too hot it'll happen, this hot weather has been great!

[DuncB7]

Suffer from this if I end up on my front during the night. Head buried in the pillow feeling unable to breath. Terrifying. I won't go back to sleep after it.

It seems like minutes you're trying to move but in reality I assume it must be only a couple of seconds.

[br d]

ashleyman said:

I also suffer from Night Terrors and will shout and scream and run around whilst fast asleep thinking that something/someone is trying to kill me. My trigger is temperature, if I get too hot it'll happen, this hot weather has been great!

Jesus. Your Missus must look forward the your summer holidays no end!

I have been getting a form of this as I've aged but it is waking up without being able to breath. I can get up and walk about but getting in that first breath can take half a minute or so, very scary.

[ashleyman]

br d said:

ashleyman said:

I also suffer from Night Terrors and will shout and scream and run around whilst fast asleep thinking that something/someone is trying to kill me. My trigger is temperature, if I get too hot it'll happen, this hot weather has been great!

Jesus. Your Missus must look forward the your summer holidays no end!

I have been getting a form of this as I've aged but it is waking up without being able to breath. I can get up and walk about but getting in that first breath can take half a minute or so, very scary.

I used to get sleep paralysis a lot more when I was younger, it is getting less and less as I get older but I never had a problem breathing. That bit was working as it should do, it was just trying to move your body or speak that wouldn't work. Are you sure your's isn't a symptom of something a bit more serious?

We can control the night terrors as it's purely down to temperature. I never used to get them but sleeping next to my wife is like having a heater in the bed. I really need to get round to buying a bigger bed.

Edited by ashleyman on Tuesday 24th July 14:24

[br d]

ashleyman said:

I used to get sleep paralysis a lot more when I was younger, it is getting less and less as I get older but I never had a problem breathing. That bit was working as it should do, it was just trying to move your body or speak that wouldn't work. Are you sure your's isn't a symptom of something a bit more serious?

Not sure, I have seen other people put not breathing down to sleep paralysis so just assumed.
I do however have Chronic Sarcoidosis in my lungs which I see a consultant for about 6 times a year. Got an appointment next week so might mention it, it does coincide roughly with the period I've had the lung disease.

Odd that I've never equated one with the other!

Thanks!

ashleyman said:

We can control the night terrors as it's purely down to temperature. I never used to get them but sleeping next to my wife is like having a heater in the bed. I really need to get round to buying a bigger bed.

Edited by ashleyman on Tuesday 24th July 14:24

My OH is like a radiator as well, you could fry bloody eggs on her!