Sleep Paralysis

[ll_billym]

I have regularly had sleep paralysis (1-2 times a month) over the past decade and have only recently researched it, the the link below describes the state very well:

Click here and scroll down to the "Sleep Paralysis" section (about 3rd of the way down).

I always force myself to wake from it, then wake up in a not very nice state of mind and take ages to go back to sleep. This document says to go with it and not to force yourself awake. I have never done this due to the loud, almost unbearable, buzzing in my body. To be honest, going with it sounds a bit of a scary thing to do.

Do any other ABers have experience of this and have not forced themselves awake? What experiences have you had?

If you have never had this then this will seem like complete gobbledegook but believe me it's real and pretty scary.

[david small]

I experience this quite regularly, and have become not used to it but not so alarmed as I used to be. Some times, it takes a supreme effort to shake and wake so to speak. Yes I have gone with the flow, usually you or rather I end up in a dream situation, lucid and to some extent controllable. I once found myself walking through a field of long grass, and decided I could float above the ground. At the same time I was well aware, my body was sleeping as a great lead weight stuck to the mattress. I thought it was great. Though on the dark side, if unpleasant things occur, then they tend to escalate whereupon I struggle to reach the surface so to speak, and some times wake up gasping for air. My wife tells me I often stop breathing for quite long periods when I sleep, at first she was alarmed, but has grown used to it.

[Pheasant]

Stopping breathing is "Sleep Apnoea" and this can be quite a dangerous condition. Unfortunately I suffer from it too and have not reached a state of deep sleep for several years, which has lead to tiredness and falling asleep during the day. I am now undergoing treatment for it and have been in to the sleep clinic at the local hospital.

However, I too suffer fairly regularly from sleep paralysis. It is a nasty condition, especially if you wake up face down. I have tried calling for help and although I think I'm shouting at the top of my voice I know it is nothing more than a virtually silent groan. I try and thrash my head from side to side to shake myself awake but the effort required to get started is immense. There is absolutely no point in trying to move my arms or legs as they just crawl across the mattress millimetre by millimetre. I have never had the courage to just go with it because I always feel that I will stop breathing if I do. Sometimes I have had the misfortune to bring myself out of it only to go straight back into it as I am trying to go off to sleep again. I admire David Small's courage in "going with it" but I don't fancy that myself.

[tubeway]

I suffer from sleep apnoea and have got a lot of benefit from a CPAP (continuous positive airway pressure) machine - it has changed my life. I wake refreshed in the mornings now (I usually get up for half hour in the middle of the night as the mask is tight because my pressure is quite high) I used to have 62 apnoeas an hour (stopiing breathing for more than 10 seconds) at my last sleep assessment it was 3. Anyone who is having this sort of difficulty get your GP to refer you to a sleep centre it is life changing

[logman]

I too have suffered from sleep paralysis for about 25 years. At first it happened frequently, almost every night, which was litreraly a nightmare! It was always a tall hooded monk-like figure that came towards me, if you have read up on this you will know this image is universal in all cultures. As it approached i had a feeling that i would die if the thing touched me, one night however i decided to prepare myself and somehow managed to convinced myself that their was no way it could harm me,and i almost looked forward to the next episode, that night it did indeed return and i faced it without fear,and to a great degree it did the trick, it was never as terifying again and only happened occaisionaly. The strange thing was, whatever i believed when i wsa awake, these episodes seemed totaly real in my sleep.

[ll_billym]

Thanks for the great answers so far people, it is really comforting to know that there are others out there that experience this. None of my friends have had it so I have never had anyone elses perspective on it. Well david and logman have given me the courage to go with the flow next time and see what happens............

Thanks.

[Flopeg]

I suffered from this on a nightly basis for years. They always came out of 'evil' dreams which became nightmares. For a long time I fought the paralysis and coming out of it, I was physically and mentally exhausted. Eventually there came a time where I was too tired to fight and went with it; it came to a peak and I came out the otherside breathing ok and feeling relaxed. I am not sure what happens during these periods - I wonder whether I do stop breathing or black out. I don't know what the buzzing noise is but it always ties in with the horrible images around me. They are the most horrible experiences I have ever faced; I read once that they could be tied in with head injuries which agrees with my history.

[Pheasant]

Tubeway, I am booked in to receive a CPAP machine, but I have been topld I may have to wait for anything between 6 months to a year before they can supply me with one. I was already aware of how beneficial they can be but in light of your comments I can't wait. It sounds like it will revolutionise my life.

[ll_billym]

Thanks Flopeg, I hope that that is the same experience I have, your comment gives me hope that not forcing myself awake will not kill me!!

Good luck Pheasant I hope the CPAP machine helps you, well done Tubeway for letting everyone know about this.

[hannahjo]

Hi ll_billym, I�ve been getting sleep paralysis for quite a few years now. I used to find it terrifying, I regularly saw hooded figures and had an amazing sense of danger. But like others I decided to stick it out, trying to move my body just became so frustrating! Since then I hardly ever have the hallucinations anymore, just the paralysis which is still frustrating but not scary as I know I will soon come out of it. Maybe this is a coincidence as sleep paralysis occurrences are supposed to lessen as you get older, but either way I hope yours gets better soon. And hopefully you�ve found some solace here, as I know from experience that people who�ve never experienced it never seem to understand just how terrifying and real it all seems!

[ll_billym]

Thanks hannahjo, I am so glad I asked this question now as all the answers have been really enlightening. I feel that I have wasted years trying to wake from it when the answer is there all along. I'm glad it's got better for you and I hope to be able to say the same thing myself soon.......