Paralysed When Waking Up

[Anna]

Has anyone else ever experienced this?

You wake up, or you feel like you are awake, but you cannot move your body. This happens when the brain releases a chemical/hormone to stop you moving in your sleep (Acting out your dreams) but you basically wake up before it wears off, so you are paralysed.

I get this sometimes, and I try and talk or cry out but cannot move. I sometimes have also seen ghosts or demons in the room, then I realises I am still sleeping or dreaming.

I found some information on it in Wikipedia under sleep paralysis. It was very interesting.

 

[Gamereign555]

I agree it is interesting, for me it was frightening because it was related to a hypnogogic episode. So it was more like a nightmare and then waking up unable to move, I just sat there staring at the wall, afraid and unable to look behind me because I knew or thought 'it' from my nightmare was behind me. You might be surprised to hear that 'it' from my nightmare was a black ghostly thing, it whispered something in my ear that was very clear to me, but I dont remember what. I even felt it push down onto my chest and I think thats when I woke up... Odd thing is, I woke up once already in the nightmare so it was one of those weird waking dreams.

There was no way for me to tell because the dream took place in my bed, in my room the only difference was that when I woke up for real later, I realized that my hall light was on, but in the dream it was off. I was totally depersonalized in the dream, not just because I was floating above where I should have been but because I actually felt that way.

There are other threads on this topic in this section, you should check it out.

 

[Emilie]

im so glad I read this...

I've had a lot of dreams where I can't speak and I cannot move. I recently started waking up with that feeling, my husband doesn't understand it...

 

[milbert]

I've had these happen before. What I find helps is closing my eyes and trying to fall back asleep, which usually happens fairly fast since sleep paralysis only happens when the body's still kind of asleep. The paralysis wears off quickly. I find that trying to move when I feel paralyzed just causes me to panic and makes it less likely that I can fall asleep and have the paralysis wear off.

 

[Queen Boudica]

I've had that happen lots. I usually try to scream but nothing comes out. And you just can't move. It's just terrifying.

 

[missd84]

I have had this happen and it's very frightening.

 

[jimmy-joe]

damnit, I always hit post before I think

 

[pontifixmax]

Has anyone else ever experienced this?

You wake up, or you feel like you are awake, but you cannot move your body. This happens when the brain releases a chemical/hormone to stop you moving in your sleep (Acting out your dreams) but you basically wake up before it wears off, so you are paralysed.

I get this sometimes, and I try and talk or cry out but cannot move. I sometimes have also seen ghosts or demons in the room, then I realises I am still sleeping or dreaming.

I found some information on it in Wikipedia under sleep paralysis. It was very interesting.

I've had the exact same experience a number of times, with the paralysis and trying to scream in a dream where I am being tormeted by some form of malevolent force in the same room in which I am sleeping. Apparently its quite common and has been documented in people going back centuries.

I've gathered through reading that the position one sleeps in has alot to do with whether one suffers from these sorts of dreams. Sleeping on your side rather than on your back prevents it for some reason. I've tried this and believe it or not it works, at least it has for me since I haven't experienced sleep paralysis since.

 

[jimmy-joe]

sleeping on your stomach seems uncomfortable, sleeping on your back leaves your stomach and other vitals wide open, sleeping on your side your legs and back and arms protect your vital spots and allow you some reaction time when you wake up.(or are closer and less energy to pull up and protect your vitals

To me it seems like it might be why. Like your subconscious feels safer on your side

 

[Queen Boudica]

I've also had the paralysis dream with the addition of it felt like a big black heavy monster was on top of me and it was growling. I had that several times as a kid. I would hide under the covers terrified trying to scream.

I told my mother about it once. She told me it was because the devil was coming to get me because I had been so bad.

 

[leanne1321]

I don't know if it's the same thing, but I often wake up from nightmares that I can't remember, but I know that they are nightmares because I'm so terrified and usually covered in sweat.

When I wake up, I can't move (I don't know if it's sleep paralysis or just terror) and I'm very aware that my husband is beside me and I'm sure that he wants to hurt me. I can lay there for hours unable to move, scared that I'm going to wake him and then he will hurt me again.

I usually sleep in just my underwear and I feel very vulnerable. When I can move, I slowly climb out of bed and throw on some PJ's and then I get back in bed and go to sleep! Yes, bizarrely next to my husband who I'll still be petrified of, even though I trust him completely to never hurt me!

 

[jimmy-joe]

Leanne tht sounds more like a ptsd response, although it wouldn't be suprising if you have sleep paralysis first, since it's just you consciously waking up before your body is unlocked, so if you're waking from a nightmare, wake up before body then too scared to move? I know when my dad used to get mad at me I'd freeze, like my body was getting ready, even though I'd want to run, so that could explain the hours of not being able to move...

This is gonna sound redundant, but u could try having a mantra like, "Husband, Husband, how heavy you sleep, sleep any harder and you will end up in the larder." or something :D

Cause if you can't move afterward due to your body remembering the scary event, then the first place to start is regaining control, reasserting yourself and reminding yourself that he's safe.

You may call me a whippersnapper, but I've got all the Canada.