The Old Hag

[Still survivin]

Has anyone else had that awful sensation, whilst in a deep sleep I feel this terror & wake up feeling pinned to the bed. I am unable to move & feel like if I scream it'll be ok but no sounds will come out. After probably a few seconds - tho feels much longer - a pathetic noise manages to make its way past my throat & then I can move feel& speak again. This has been happening for 23yrs on & off. When at its worst, up to 6 times in a night. Sometimes I see ppl standing over my bed, although they never seem to be looking straight at me. A sleep disorder programme about 15 yrs ago referred to it as "The Old hag" & apparently it's quite common. Although I don't know how to prevent this from happening I have found a way to manage it & thought I'd share in case anyone else is struggling with this. It really is terrifying when it happens. A few years back I got really angry with "it" & although couldn't physically speak in my mind I screamed at it - f*ck off I'm not in the mood for this shit right now - & stuff like that. It seemed to go away slightly quicker than usual. After a few months my brain started to recognise the unusual sensation that starts with my feet & works it's way up my body & sometimes I would wake enough to roll onto my side (it only ever happens when I'm sleeping on my back & I go to sleep & wake in foetal position), although trying to move is so hard, it's almost like being glued to the bed. If I can catch it in time I can move is& keep it under control. It still scares the crap out of me tho lol

 

[Ronin]

'Has anyone else'? Yes, frequently, but then a great deal lot of it was flashbacks and not a sleep disorder in the beginning, more a collateral thing of lived experience. And I don't really react to freeze ups with staying in that mode, I get angry when I can't move and thinking of an easiest way to get out of that state/trying out what parts of my body I can use at the moment. Eventually flipping myself into lucid dreaming, because when I dream, I can think up moves, and act them out.

So well, not the entirely same problem / different solutions to the same problem that are more automatic reactions than letting that state go on for a long time.

But relating.

 

[Still survivin]

I think it's so frustrating because I'm definitely "fight" not "flight" but when this thing grips me I can't move anything except my eyes. Being unable to defend myself is my greatest fear, I think whatever "it" is, it definitely hones in on my deepest fears, the ppl I see r all someone I've been terrified of at some point. I just don't understand why my mind imposes these thoughts, what happened to self-preservation lol?!?

 

[Ronin]

Eye movements are good, though. They're first activity, secondly possible communication.
I've been in situations where eye movements were literally life saving, because of how much both them and looks can speak when nothing else of nonverbals works & verbal communication is completely off chances. It's not nothing. It's not small. It's a matter of use as a tool.

Edited to add: Even when you are super sure you can't move, it won't hurt to try. You may learn you have more options in times you feel powerless, which with repeated practice may help ease up helplessness. As you've done it once, then twice, then three times, then any time you wish to, or any time you just think of it. A nightmare vanishing.

 

[Whitebird]

@Still survivin are you me?! Your post was exactly what I experienced several times! It is really frightening and I can't do anything to stop it. Also when it happened I felt my bed was shaking badly, like an earthquake!

 

[Still survivin]

@Whitebird Yup had the whole earthquake experience too! Only a couple of times tho. Shouting (in my head) at it does seem to help a little. I just want to get control of it & be able to go to bed without fear of nightmares & presences

 

[joeylittle]

Sleep paralysis: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sleep_paralysis
(sometimes referred to within the context of hypnagogia. I'm actually guessing HAG may have been a medical shorthand for the sleep disorder program - HypnAGogia. There's also Hypnopompia, but I've never heard it called HOP :))

I get this fairly frequently. The way it was explained to me is that either on falling asleep or on waking, the body can still be in REM atonia (the 'paralysis' part of REM sleep) but the mind can be awake. And so, the mind experiences it as being paralyzed. There are very commonly other phenomena, such as hearing humming or buzzing, seeing a 'shadowy figure', or the feeling (and perception) that someone is sitting on your chest.

It sucks. It's the strangest thing and I don't know if I will ever get used to it, even though I'm good at remembering what it is. I think it is exacerbated by stress.

 

[Neverthesame]

Sounds very much like sleep paralysis. I have had it happen to me a few times. Scared the hell out of me every time. Fortunately I was able to figure out what was causing it. Every time I had it happen coincided with me being sick with a respiratory infection. I would take a cough syrup containing codeine before bed. After looking into it, I discovered it is a fairly well documented phenomenon.

Perhaps something that you are doing, or something in your environment may be contributing to the frequency with which this occurs?

Have you brought this up with your doctor? They may be able to help you with identifying possible causes or if nothing else. Provide you with a proper diagnosis and some peace of mind. If you are indeed suffering from sleep paralysis, it is scary as all hell, but totally harmless. However it would be good to get a professional opinion.

 

[NarcSis]

I've also had this happen a few times, frozen, feel like I can't move, this odd numbness in my body and a sensation of terror. This is usually when I'm struggling to try to scream but my vocal cords are frozen. I'm usually aware that I'm still half asleep, but yeah, it's scary as hell.
When I was a kid and I'd be convinced there were monsters under my bed, I'd feel very similar, frozen, hardly able to breathe, trying to cry. Eventually I'd be successful and wake up screaming. Didn't like it when this started again after my trauma.

 

[ccks]

Yes I've experienced that before. It's called sleep paralysis. It's horrible. I've managed to stop it by not sleeping on my back or stomach. I try not to sleep on my right side either and getting enough rest helps. I don't know if you are religious or believe in God, but prayer for protection has helped me. Don't quote me but I believe this phenomenon is not only physiological but spiritual or metaphysical. I've had experiences where I've left my body in dreams and I could see everything in my room as if I were awake. Things like this can be explained by science, but I like to pray anyway.

 

[intothelight]

Changing sleeping position, getting enough sleep and following a sleep hygiene ritual can all help reduce or eliminate the sleep paralysis. No alcohol or conversely stimulants close to bed time can also help. One thing to check are magnesium and potassium levels as a shortage of these minerals can be the source of muscle spasms which can contribute to the paralysis.