freaky thing happened!!!

[mystikal star]

Okay. So the strangest thing happened to me today and I have no explanation as to why it happened. I'm hoping somebody here does. Before I start--I can't really explain the situation too well but I will try. Anyways. I had just come home from my dermatology appointment. I had some ravioli, pecan turtles, and two beef jerky. It was about 12:30 when I decided to take a nap. Now this is where things get weird. It's like I was half asleep and half awake or not totally in a deep sleep. Eyes were still closed. I remember being asleep or half asleep and feeling nauseous. For some reason it felt like I was awake but I really dont think I was. The nausea felt very real. I actually thought it was coming up too. I remember thinking, "Oh s***. This is it. I better go to the bathroom." I tried to move to get up but could not move any part of my body--AT ALL. I tried to scream and not even a whisper came out. I remember freaking out because I COULD NOT MOVE. Then I just remember thinking, "Open your eyes." And I woke up and could move. My heart was pounding like CRAZY though. Could I have had a panic attack in my sleep and was trying to move my body mentally "within my head" while I was still sleeping. Or was I really paralyzed for like 10 seconds?


What was this?! I forced myself to fall asleep again because I dont want to chance developing a sleeping phobia. I just hope this doesn't happen again. And now I'm having a panic attack I believe. A little shaky, feeling heavy and weak in the chest, heart pounding, blood feels like it's turned cold, weird feeling in my head. Maybe it's cause I'm on my period and I took a Womans Tylenol. I'm really nervous about period medications after what happened when I took Midol Complete. Anyways, about what happened earlier. ANYONE KNOW WHAT IT WAS!?

[sweetfreak]

Yes, there is a name for it...it's called sleep paralysis...my sis has had it before. I never have, though.


Here is a website with info on it.


http://www.stanford.edu/~dement/paralysis.html

[mystikal star]

OMFG. I'M NEVER GOING TO BE ABLE TO SLEEP AGAIN!!!! I WAS PARALYZED!? WHY IS THIS HAPPENING TO ME!! I HAVE ENOUGH TO DEAL WITH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[roxi27]

It sounds to me like you may have been dreaming. I'm not sure
though. I've had dreams where I knew I was half asleep, and
couldn't get myself to wake-up. And it is scarey. You
really can't move, or make a sound. I'm sorry this happened to
you, but I'm sure the chances of it happening again are slim. Let
us know. Carrie

[alliecat]

Hey... I'm sorry I had to run out on our conversation earlier. Please forgive me. [img]smileys/smilies_09.gif[/img]I had an emergency earlier with one of my best friends... I didnt have a chance to tell you what I thought about this whole thing.


I agree with Roxi... it definitely sounds, to me, like you were having a dream. I've had a similar like experience, and it hasn't happened since. I would only be worried if it continues. If it does, then I would talk to your doctor about it. Okay? Try not to get all worried about it at this point, even though it was scary. We emets tend to think the worst is going to be wrong with us!


xoxo


Allie

[charzysbebe]

We sleep in cycles....1, 2, 3, 4 and REM sleep. How many minutes were you asleep for?


When you first start to fall asleep you go into stage 1 for about 20 minutes, then 2 for 20 minutes (which is a deeper sleep then 1, but still light) then 3for 20 minutes, and is a pretty heavy sleep, then 4 for 20 minutes, then REM (rapid eye movement) in which you really are paralyzed for that whole stage. (except for your eyeballs...lol) After the REM you won't go back to stage 1, but you will go on to stage 2, then 3, then 4, then REM, and back to 2 again. Your body does that everytime you sleep. So if you had been asleep for say....20 minutes or less, you were in a very light sleep, and dreaming. Your subconsious mind wanted to think one thing, while yoursleeping mind dreamt another.


I have had wierd dreams like that before. Don't worry unless it keeps happening. [img]smileys/smilies_01.gif[/img] Charlotte

[sparky2004]

OMFG. I'M NEVER GOING TO BE ABLE TO SLEEP AGAIN!!!! I WAS PARALYZED!? WHY IS THIS HAPPENING TO ME!! I HAVE ENOUGH TO DEAL WITH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

It's okay. You had a panic attack in your sleep. This happens with high anxiety. A lot of people can wake up with a racing heart, sweating and the shakes. It also sounds like you had a 'waking dream', where you are half awake, half asleep, but still dreaming. I have had those before and they are not fun. I couldn't move my body at all, I couldn't talk or yell.


In the world of demons and hauntings, people believed that when this happened, a demon would be sitting on your chest so you couldn't move. It's an ancient folklore. You are quite alright sweety. From your post it doesn't sound like you have ever experienced a panic attack in your sleep before. Yet it does happen. Note that it's not harmful to you, although it is quite disturbing.


You are perfectly normal. Edited by: sparky2004

[Jenneh]

i've had wierd dreams like that before as well. i was once trapped in this school with eveyrone v*ing around me and i was telling myself to get up and get out.. bt i cudnt.. is quite strange and smtimes its really hard to get the dream out of ur mind because it seems so real. but it is only a dream, its only emet, so try not to focus on it too much.


Jen xxxx

[sweetfreak]

Awww...I am sorry. I didn't mean to scare anyone. I figured if I told you the name of what it is, and that other people have it, it would make you feel better. It always does me. When I first started having anxiety attacks, I didn't know what they were, so I was absolutely terrified. But, when I looked up my symptoms, and found out there was a name for everything and that other people feel the same things, it made me feel better. Again...sorry if I scared you. My intention was to let you know that you are not alone, that lots of people get sleep paralysis sometimes, and that it is not life-threatening.

[Galadriel]

Hey there!


Yeah don't be afraid, lots of people get this at some point in their life, and its not like it keeps reoccuring in most people. Usually its like once and then they dont get it again ever or maybe years down the road they do. You just woke up in the middle of a sleep stage, and your body really was paralyzed (everyones does this in the middle of dream sleep so that you dont hurt yourself by flailing around while dreaming). My dad had it once when he was a kid, he said it freaked him out, but he hasn't had it since. You will be okay.

[mystikal star]

Thanks for the replies. Sweetfreak, no apology is needed. Yeah, it did freak the crap out of me though. I actually went and cried to my mom until 1AM in the morning. I was telling her about all the hallucinations people have had during sleep paralyasis. She thinks I need to stop reading on the internet, which is true, but I can't help it. Anyways,I sat in my bed and cried for about an hour, afraid to fall asleep. I finally did fall asleep around 3AM but woke up hourly for some reason. The paralyzed thing never happened again thank God. Maybe its cause I was clutching my freaking bible the whole night. Ugh. Now I'm afraid of sleeping. This IS perfect....not

[r311dude]

I've had that happen to me so much, I used to freak out, but not anymore. A lot of people confuse this with being abducted by aliens, because you can't move and any little light seems super bright. I usually have this happen to me roughly 2-3 times a month, it used to happen 2-3 times a week. I totally know the feeling, you can only move your eyes and it feels like someone is laying on your body.You didn't have a panic attack tho, it was just that sleep paralysis thing.

[mystikal star]

So what was the nausea then when I was still half asleep. Was I really going to v?

[faith-marilyn]

yep sounds like sleep paralysis, in your case most definately caused by anxiety. the most important thing to remember is that u wernt going to be sick, u wont be sick ever from this happening to u, even tho it feels very real, no harm will come of this, its just a state of mind. i suggest that u use relaxtion techniques if u dont already before u go to sleep or use some herbal sleeping tablets to keep ur anxiety at its lowest when ur asleep an u shudnt have any further problems xxxxxxxx

[-celeborn-]

Thanks for the replies.
Sweetfreak, no apology is needed. Yeah, it did freak the crap out of me
though. I actually went and cried to my mom until 1AM in the morning. I
was telling her about all the hallucinations people have had during
sleep paralyasis. She thinks I need to stop reading on the internet,
which is true, but I can't help it. Anyways,I sat in my bed and
cried for about an hour, afraid to fall asleep. I finally did fall
asleep around 3AM but woke up hourly for some reason. The paralyzed
thing never happened again thank God. Maybe its cause I was clutching
my freaking bible the whole night. Ugh. Now I'm afraid of sleeping.
This IS perfect....not</font>

Im 39 and I can tell you that over the course of my life Ive had that sleep paralysis happen a hundred times at least.

It used to freak me out when I was younger.

Of course, I didnt have the internet to hop on and come asking about it so I just lived with it and didnt say anything.



I have to disagree with your mother.

The internet is full of folks who will spout all sorts of ''help'' and
''advice'' that isnt worth their weight in sand, but then you have
sites like this one with folks who are very knowledgable and helpful
and very concerned for folks they dont even know.



If youre not getting help where you are....this is the next best place to get it.



I wish to god that when I was younger dealing with the stuff I was that
I could have just jumped on the PC and typed in what I was experiencing
and see that there are folks all over the world going thru the same
thing.....it would have been conforting to have talked with anyone who
could have at least understood.



I was talking to my mom a few weeks back and I guess I was seeing some
sort of pshychiatrist or something well before I can remember it.

She told me a story about going one time and I cant even remember it at all.

She said it was pretty much useless tho. I wouldnt open up or talk.



In here you can find your issue and talk anonymously.

Thats a great starting point for many folks.

If you have emotional issues, normally youre not going to just open up
for anyone at the drop of a hat.....so anonymity at first is great to
build up a trust factor with someone....then that may help you talk to
someone in the real world once you realize youre not so strange
afterall.....that we ALL have a disorder of some sort.



In my untrained opinion the internet and websites like this one are probably saving lives.

Who knows what the young person may have done if not for being able to
come onto the internet and find someone who understood them at a time
when they were so lost that they felt suicide was the only way out as I
once did.



About the sleep paralysis tho......dont sweat it.

Its kinda frightening while its happening but Ive had it quite a few times over the years and it hasnt done any damage.

Edited by: -celeborn-