Anyone suffer from sleep paralysis?

[PunkyP0WER]

As defined by wikipedia:
Sleep paralysis is a common condition characterized by transient partial or total paralysis of skeletal muscles and areflexia that occurs upon awakening from sleep or less often while falling asleep. Stimuli such as touch or sound may terminate the episode, which usually has a duration of seconds to minutes. This condition may occur in normal subjects or be associated with narcolepsy, cataplexy, and hypnagogic hallucinations. The pathophysiology of this condition is closely related to the normal hypotonia that occur during REM sleep.[1] When considered to be a disease, isolated sleep paralysis is classified as MeSH D020188.[2]

Physiologically, it is closely related to the paralysis that occurs as a natural part of REM (rapid eye movement) sleep, which is known as REM atonia. Sleep paralysis occurs when the brain awakes from a REM state, but the body paralysis persists. This leaves the person fully conscious, but unable to move. In addition, the state may be accompanied by terrifying hallucinations (hypnopompic or hypnagogic) and an acute sense of danger.[3] Sleep paralysis is particularly frightening to the individual due to the vividness of such hallucinations.[4] The hallucinatory element to sleep paralysis makes it even more likely that someone will interpret the experience as a dream, since completely fanciful, or dream-like, objects may appear in the room alongside one's normal vision. Some scientists have proposed this condition as an explanation for alien abductions and ghostly encounters.[5] A study by Susan Blackmore and Marcus Cox of the University of the West of England suggested that alien abductions are related to sleep paralysis rather than to temporal lobe lability.[6]

The paralysis can last from several seconds to several minutes "after which the individual may experience panic symptoms and the realization that the distorted perceptions were false".[7] When there is an absence of narcolepsy, sleep paralysis is referred to as isolated sleep paralysis (ISP).[8] "ISP appears to be far more common and recurrent among African Americans than among White Americans or Nigerian Blacks",[9] and is often referred to within African American communities as "the witch riding your back"[10][11]

Contents [hide]
1 Symptoms
2 Possible causes
3 Treatment
4 Related phenomena
5 Folklore
6 Notes
7 References
8 External links



[edit] Symptoms
This article may contain original research or unverified claims. Please improve the article by adding references. See the talk page for details. (May 2008)

Symptoms of sleep paralysis can be either one of the following or a combination:

Paralysis: this occurs after waking up or shortly before falling asleep. The person cannot move any body part, and only has minimal control over blinking and breathing. This paralysis is the same paralysis that occurs when dreaming. The brain paralyzes the muscles to prevent possible injury during dreams, as some body parts may move during dreaming. If the person wakes up suddenly, the brain may still think that it is dreaming, and sustains the paralysis.
Hallucinations: Images or speaking that appear during the paralysis. The person may think that someone is standing beside them or they may hear strange sounds. These may be dreamlike, possibly causing the person to think that they are still dreaming. Often it is reported as feeling a weight on one's chest, as if being underneath a person or heavy object.
These symptoms can last from mere seconds to several minutes (although they can feel like much longer) and can be frightening to the person. There may be some body movement, but it is very unlikely and hard for a person to accomplish.

I suffer from this occasionally and had a particularly frightening episode yesterday. I was in between a state of sleep and wakefulness. I was trying to wake up but couldn't. My breathing was really shallow and sometimes I felt like I was fighting for breath. And it took all the might and energy in my body to open my eyelids. I tried for several minutes it seemed but could not open them. Finally when I did and was able to wake up fully I sat up and was quite scared. I really felt that I was struggling not just to wake up but live. The sleep was heavy and even after I awoke and was sitting up there was this heavy tiredness that hung over me and I had to literally concentrate to stay awake. I'm scared to go to sleep now and have this feeling of dread I can't shake and I don't know why.

[Brieannas21]

I suffer from it. I have had it for about 12 years, at first it would scare the crap out of me because I'm aware of what's going on around me. Some times my air way will close and the only way for me to breath is when I wake fully up. Now I'm use to it, it happens to me maybe 2-3 times a month.

[Courtnee]

My friend Sarah suffers from it.

[catlover79]

I don't, but I feel bad for everyone who does. It sounds horrible.

[PunkyP0WER]

i've suffered from it for 10 years now but it really hasn't been a major cause for concern. however this last episode lasted longer than any previous ocurrences that I can remember and seemed the most intense yet. glad i'm not alone.

by the way monika i like your new avatar!

[catlover79]

^ Thanks, Kimberlee!! Yours is very cool, too.

[Nighthawk76]

I was reading through some old threads when I came across this one. Both my sisters and I suffer from this. It can be a horrific experience because you think you're awake but are really not. I always feel like my life is somehow in danger and the only way I can save myself is to force myself to wake up. However, my body is always too weak and tired for me to wake up. I always try to scream out too, but no one hears because I'm only half awake and am only screaming in my dream.

[coffield3]

I've had it a few times when I was younger, during nightmares. Never had them since.

[Nighthawk76]

Originally Posted by coffield3

I've had it a few times when I was younger, during nightmares. Never had them since.

I'm glad to hear that you don't have to suffer from those terrible experiences anymore.