Is this sleep paralysis?

[Livi]

Since I was a kid, I have woken in the night in a half wake/half sleep kind of limbo. It feels like it mainly happens not long after I have gone to sleep - 30-40 minutes after dropping off. It's pretty horrible and frightening. I know where I am and conscious of noises around me - my husband coming to bed etc, but l lose the ability to talk in sentences (I can manage a grunt!) and it feels like my eyes are rolling back into my head. Because I know I am doing all these things I think I should be able to stop them, but I can't. I have recently learnt to move my body - starting with my big toe until I am able to move my body/roll over. It comes with intense feeling too - fear, grief etc. It takes me a few days to get over this.

My question is - is this sleep paralysis? Does anyone else have it? I assume this is yet another symptom of PTSD that I am only just starting to understand?

 

[Ecdysis]

Sounds like sleep paralysis to me. I have to say tho, I only heard of it the first time a few weeks ago. I was watching a documentary about sleep and they described it very similar to what you've said and I was like "OMG that's a thing?! I'm so glad I've never experienced that!"

If it happens to you regularly, it might be worth going to one of those sleep labs. I've spent 2 nights in one to rule out sleep apnea and I was a bit anxious about going there but it was fine.

 

[Friday]

Sleep paralysis is what keeps us from acting out our dreams. Sleepwalking (and night terrors, and other parasomnias) are what happen when that function isn’t working right. Which can happen for a lot of reasons.

Since I was a kid, I have woken in the night in a half wake/half sleep kind of limbo. It feels like it mainly happens not long after I have gone to sleep - 30-40 minutes after dropping off. It's pretty horrible and frightening. I know where I am and conscious of noises around me - my husband coming to bed etc, but l lose the ability to talk in sentences (I can manage a grunt!) and it feels like my eyes are rolling back into my head. Because I know I am doing all these things I think I should be able to stop them, but I can't. I have recently learnt to move my body - starting with my big toe until I am able to move my body/roll over. It comes with intense feeling too - fear, grief etc. It takes me a few days to get over this.

My question is - is this sleep paralysis? Does anyone else have it? I assume this is yet another symptom of PTSD that I am only just starting to understand?

Maybe.

It could also be a lot of other things, on various spectrums.

Sounds like seeing a sleep specialist would be helpful, regardless of what is actually happening.

 

[cloudless]

Yes this sounds like sleep paralysis. I've dealt with this since I was around 12 years old (I'm in my 30s now). It doesn't happen often but it sure is frightening. Over time I was able to control it and come out of it (the wiggling of toes/fingers). I have also learned how to go into it (not sure why anyone would WANT to go into it.. I was more experimenting with it to see how much I could control it... pro tip, don't fall asleep flat on your back).

Not to startle you, but for me at least, over time, it would also come with full out of body experiences, which I've only experienced maybe 5 times in my life. First time it happened I thought I was dead, because my soul had separated from my body and I was able to "walk around" outside my body (my vision and other senses came with me; I felt light and free, no pain or problems). It scared the shit out of me and I "jumped" back in my body and woke up in a panic. The next time I came out of my body during sleep paralysis I challenged myself to "walk" to the window and not be terrified about not returning to my body. I was fine. Another time I came out of my body and encountered an angel (I am not super religious). I really thought I was dead at this point.. like there was no way I was going back into my body now after encountering an angel. I freaked out and begged her to put me back in my body and again I jumped into my body and woke up out of breath, in a panic.

It's incredible and frightening at the same time. Many, many people share similar stories of what youre describing. Especially of that that weird ominous feeling when you're "paralyzed"... no thanks. That shit is creepy.

 

[mszl]

Looks like it. Haven’t had one since I finished high school. But OMG - at its peak, I was getting it multiple times a night. After some time, my brain just learned to recognize it and somehow get out and wake up… just to fall into another one. Fun times! 0/10 would not recommend.

 

[Friday]

not sure why anyone would WANT to go into it..

LOL

- Amaaaaazing pain relief.

- A zillion times "better" nap / waking doze ...that lets you dream cycle through REM, whilst still being totally aware of your environment, whether you don't have time to sleep or cannot sleep.

- Being practiced at it lets you "sleep" anytime/anywhere (not really, but you look like you're sleeping to others, and "wake" refreshed) AND come fully "in motion" in about a 5th of a second, instead of half an hour to an hour.

- Amaaaaaazing mental/emotional relief.