Something strange happened to me last night as I slept...

[plushroo]

I'm not sure who to talk to personally about this and hope this doesn't make me sound like a weirdo but last night when I tried to go back to sleep after staying awake a few hours to watch tv in bed, I began feeling 'funny'. It was after 3:00 in the morning. I had my laptop playing a movie in the background as it helps me to relax better, but nothing in the movie provided the scenario for what happened to me. I felt like I was in between sleep and being awake. It was as if I couldn't breath and I thought I was dying. Don''t know how long it lasted as I woke up again after 4:00 to go to the bathroom and remember having a dream where I saw my mom in a nursing home, but not like the one she was in when she was sick. It was different. I got to hug her and everything! She was glad to see me! That's all I can recall after waking up. It was very strange. I wish I could recall more as I'm very intrigued by things that happen in the dream realm and sleep. Does anyone know what could have happened to me. I don't usually have these episodes or if I do I don't remember them. I've always wished I could have a camera record my sleep movements. Should I talk to someone who specializes in sleep?

[CupidStrikes]

Sounds like it could possibly be sleep paralysis. I used to have random, light episodes of it where I would feel I was unable to move or breathe and would "wake up" several times before actually waking up. Experiences of it vary - I've heard of people having very, very vivid hallucinations with it.

[melipuffles]

It sounds like you went through some form of sleep paralysis.

I've had it happen before where I'd be lying in bed completely still and could not move, talk, or really do anything, and I'd see dream like visions even though I "felt" awake.

Then eventually I'd fully wake up, but it can sometimes be quite scary to go through.

[flyawayraven]

Yep I agree that sounds like sleep paralysis.

What happens during sleep paralysis is your body and brain shut down into sleep mode, but for some reason your conscious self stays awake for the ride. Normally during REM sleep (the stage of sleep when dreams occur), your body enters a state of paralysis so you don't go flailing around acting out your dreams. But during an episode of sleep paralysis, you're awake for this experience and your brain is continuing to dream, which is why you had that really freaky nightmare along with it.

[Aflame]

 do you have it all the time? if so at least have a talk with the doctor and he might refer you to a sleep clinic but sounds like you have had a sleep perelysis (sp) where your brain is half awake but body is still in sleep mode
people also sometimes think they are feeling spirits /ghosts holding them down on the bed !?
xaflame
ps not an expert on thse things only what i have heard

[plushroo]

Yes! That's exactly how I felt! I remember more of it now: I couldn't move my eyelids to "wake" myself up! It wasn't really scary. Like I said, I like this kind of phenomenon and try to learn about it.

That's a good explanation of it, flyawayraven!
It wasn't really a nightmare as I was glad to be able to see and feel my mom again! I don't believe I have it often. Last time I recall a similar experience was in late March when I was upset over a problem with my guy friend and that night I felt like dark spirits were attacking me and making fun of my emotions. That's the best way I can describe that night. Like I was literally held down by evil.

Can stress bring this on? I am stuck with my job situation and what I'm trying to do to get ahead in life. I go back to the doctor in a few weeks for a update so will mention it to her then.

[melipuffles]

Yes! That's exactly how I felt! I remember more of it now: I couldn't move my eyelids to "wake" myself up! It wasn't really scary. Like I said, I like this kind of phenomenon and try to learn about it.

That's a good explanation of it, flyawayraven!
It wasn't really a nightmare as I was glad to be able to see and feel my mom again! I don't believe I have it often. Last time I recall a similar experience was in late March when I was upset over a problem with my guy friend and that night I felt like dark spirits were attacking me and making fun of my emotions. That's the best way I can describe that night. Like I was literally held down by evil.

Can stress bring this on? I am stuck with my job situation and what I'm trying to do to get ahead in life. I go back to the doctor in a few weeks for a update so will mention it to her then.

Stress can bring on sleep paralysis, as can a few other things, the experience in March DEFINITELY sounds like it as well.

I have it happen when I get really nervous usually. Also, have you heard of lucid dreaming? You can basically "wake" yourself up in dreams, so you know you are dreaming, and then control the dream and make things happen. I haven't been able to make this happen myself, but I've had it happen accidentally sometimes. It's kind of cool. O:

[plushroo]

Yes, I definitely have heard of lucid dreaming! I may have had  a tiny experience with that as well a couple of weeks ago. I dreamed I got to meet the mother of the man I like and learning how my dad actually worked with her (which in reality isn't possible as both were in different job fields). I was so happy to be that much closer to meeting him and I kept saying to myself "don't wake up! Please tell me this is real and not a dream". Like I was aware it was a dream and not wanting it to end, but I still woke up and was disappointed to learn it wasn't real and I had to go to work ><.  Sometimes I think my dreams just want to poke fun at my life and make me sleep more because real life is so boring. I've even had dreams where they made fun of me learning about them.

[Elisto]

Sleep paralysis is more common than people realize and can be associated with intense dreams/nightmares and hallucinations, but it's not usually a sign of any problem; it can happen to anyone. I think it is more common when you're sleeping on your back though, for some reason. The whole feeling like you were "held down by evil" that you described is apparently a common sensation. Because of that, people used to blame it on witches or demons, or more modern times, aliens.

I've had it a few times, but not the dreams or hallucinations part, just the paralysis. I'm told they can been pretty vivid and scary.

[ponyqueen]

Sleep paralysis. There is a good wiki page on it http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sleep_paralysis.

A few years ago my best friend (who although at the time was an adult age 29, also has a learning disability) experienced it for the first time. The feeling of being held down and something bad happening to her was was so utterly convincing that she believed she had been sexually assaulted. When she woke up (physically fine but mentally anguished) she awoke her older sister roommate and convinced her to call the police, who came over to investigate. They looked for footprints outside in the snow, they looked for signs of forced entry into the house, and of course found nothing. I think she even went to the hospital to get physically assessed by a doctor, and told that nothing physical had happened to her. It took months of therapy (and drugs) for my friend to regain her loss of terror from that "dream" experience.

[Stars]

I have had sleep paralysis and found it terrifying.

It got to a point where I could feel it coming on and I had to stay very still because the more I tried to fight it the faster and worse it happened. I had bad hallucinations to.

If it happens again stay calm and let it pass

[kaoskat]

That does sound very scary!

[Elisto]

Yeah, I'm all for encouraging people to be aware of sleep paralysis so that if it happens to them, they at least know what it is and maybe don't panic too badly. The first time it happened to be, I already knew what it was; I can't imagine how terrifying it must be if you've never even heard of it.

[slj84]

I believe my sister had this once.  She is convinced her bedroom at my parents house has a ghost living in the mirror.  She said she "woke up" unable to move or talk and there was a bright white light in the mirror, and her one friend was sleeping over and she could see her.

She really scared my mom with her story enough that my mom was covering her mirror with a blanket at night for a long time.

I had just assumed she had a vivid dream as I have those all the time, but the sounds way more like what she had.

[AnnetheCatDetective]

Opening your eyes is one of the worse things you can do with sleep paralysis/night terrors, because even awake, you're still 'dreaming', and so there's the good chance you'll see something terrifying but unreal IN the real world near you.

It's best to use the lucidity you have to tell yourself you're safe and that this is something brought on by dreams and it will pass. Maybe have something you can recite to yourself. A mantra or just a short verse or something. You want to try moving before you open your eyes, and don't look around at your room until your range of motion has been returned. That's the advice I've gotten in the past.