Do you experience sleep paralysis?

[Shadowpawn]

Obligatory wired article. (http://www.wired.com/wiredscience/2009/08/sleep_paralysis/)

Have you experienced sleep paralysis? That's when you are asleep but you are aware that you are asleep, I've experienced this first hand on many different occasions. It can be scary at times, just imagine that you can't see but you can feel and hear everything around you for what seems like forever. That's what it is like to be paralyzed in your dreams.


So have you ever experienced this?

[darkante]

Aware of being asleep?

Half of the time, yes. (fishes in the sky? Right, time to wake up)
Sucks to not being able to move a muscle with the knowledge in hand.

But yeah, rarely it´s something terrefying.
I can´t say i know a greater horror, hearing monster-like sounds and loud footsteps approaching closer and closer while
being completely blind.

That can make me go sleepless for the duration of the night.

[Powder Keg]

In my case, it would happen right as I was falling asleep on the two twin beds that I had taped together. The most vivid time, I “woke up” with the uneasy feeling that something awful was to my left, on the border of my peripheral vision. I couldn’t really see it, but I knew that it was evil and coming closer to me. I felt true terror, like you experience when you are about to get in a car crash. I was sure it was going to hurt me.

I can relate to this part. I'm aware I'm in the dream and would prefer it to end, so I kind of "shake" myself out of it. At times I feel as if I can feel my body move, but barely as if it's tied up until I'm awake. There have been times where I've left the TV on at night and whatever sound was coming from it kind of tied into the dream....which can be funny at times.

[Randomness]

In my case, it would happen right as I was falling asleep on the two twin beds that I had taped together. The most vivid time, I “woke up” with the uneasy feeling that something awful was to my left, on the border of my peripheral vision. I couldn’t really see it, but I knew that it was evil and coming closer to me. I felt true terror, like you experience when you are about to get in a car crash. I was sure it was going to hurt me.

I can relate to this part. I'm aware I'm in the dream and would prefer it to end, so I kind of "shake" myself out of it. At times I feel as if I can feel my body move, but barely as if it's tied up until I'm awake. There have been times where I've left the TV on at night and whatever sound was coming from it kind of tied into the dream....which can be funny at times.

Yeah, I've had that happen. Want to get awake, but can't get my body to respond. Fairly rare though, and no time in recent memory.

[Somnia]

This happens to me a lot, at least twice a month, for about ten years. When I was younger I could wiggle myself awake pretty fast, about 40 seconds or so. It takes me about 3-4 minutes now to "wake up" when it happens.

Typically it happens to me after an awful change in my sleep schedule, or a really hard day at work. I also notice that when I wake up after having sleep paralysis, use the bathroom and fall back asleep, it'll happen again! Sucks when you wake up after 6 hours of sleep and you're too scared to get anymore rest.

[Dhylec]

Yeah, I've had that happen. Want to get awake, but can't get my body to respond. Fairly rare though, and no time in recent memory.

Likewise, dood.
Can't say it's something I'd wanna ever experience again.

[Delete]

This happens to me a lot, at least twice a month, for about ten years. When I was younger I could wiggle myself awake pretty fast, about 40 seconds or so. It takes me about 3-4 minutes now to "wake up" when it happens.

Typically it happens to me after an awful change in my sleep schedule, or a really hard day at work. I also notice that when I wake up after having sleep paralysis, use the bathroom and fall back asleep, it'll happen again! Sucks when you wake up after 6 hours of sleep and you're too scared to get anymore rest.

That's pretty much the same with me, hasn't happened in like 2 months though.

[Randomness]

Likewise, dood.
Can't say it's something I'd wanna ever experience again.

Yeah. Sometimes you're far enough out of a dream state to feel pure terror. Frankly, I can't imagine anything that can freak you out more.

[SpikeOtacon]

It happened to me a few times during my first year of college. I don't know if the increased stress triggered it but it hasn't happened since. And I can say i'm pretty thankful for that.

[Vanzazikon]

lol I remember when I was in the 4th grade, I had my first sleep paralysis. I struggled to move but I managed to open my eye a bit and what I saw was freaky. I saw a dark, disfigured face staring right at me and I think it shocked me so much, I was able to move again and I immediately ran to my mom and told her what happened. My mother is very superstitious and said, "Camoit sagot" which meant a ghost was trying to sufficate me. Yeah, being told that when you're 10 is really scary. :disapprove:

It still happens to me, especially in college. The hallucinations still happen but not as major as my first time.

[Aisha_Clan-Clan]

Sometimes. Not recently though.

[KodiaX987]

Had it on occasion, but it's gotten wired into me that if I cannot move at all, then I conclude that I am awake and wait 'till I get my motricity back. It's an absolute rule in my dreams that I am impossible to completely restrain, hence the logic behind it.

[Weeaboolits]

I don't recall ever experiencing that, though I've had those pesky hypnic jerks and false awakenings plenty.

[Kylie]

When I used to have nightmares - I don't anymore - I could actually wake myself up, or maybe I thought I could in the dream... Either way, I was obviously aware that I was sleeping.

[Tessu]

I've never had anything as terrifying as nightmares "coming to life", but I have been in an odd state between sleeping and awareness. I count it as being awake.

I've fallen asleep in Skype calls on multiple occasions (with the headset on), and what usually ends up happening is I "wake up" with people talking in my ear, and I keep thinking, "Hey! Guys, look, I'm awake! I can hear you! Guys!" But I'm unable to get my throat or mouth to work. And sometimes, I'll notice I have to go to the bathroom, but I won't be able to get my body to get up and go. I had always wondered if it was simply a lack of will to move or complete inability to move. Maybe both.

[Lance813]

Its happened to me a few times, but when it does I just wait it out. It kinda reminds me of shell-shock.

[Leviathan]

This actually happens a lot to me. However it is always in a dream where something odd happens. Like I am suddenly in underwear while talking to someone, or I'm driving and someone is chasing me.

[Micro]

Ugh, I have these quite a bit. Really scary stuff for me. Almost always involves ghosts, some other "horror" beings or things I simply cannot see. The latter involving loud/eerie sounds. :disapprove:

[Volcompat321]

Well, I know I'm sleeping, because I'm not awake, but I've never been paralyzed or anything like that while sleeping.
I've really didn't know what you guys means, and have never heard of it outside this thread.
I voted no, obviously :D

[goldbrease]

this hapens to me alot, but its not scary really. its often the time when i sleep talk as well.
its actualy happens in the mornings, alot of the time when people come into my room and think i'm alseep, i may mentaly know they are there, i feel like i get up and answer then but i don't move but i usualy reply, often to things such as: ok mother, have fun at work, your going to the dentist? fine, or your going shopping? later.
its in such a dream like state i often slip back into full sleep right away and right back into dreams.
unlike some people i constantly dream, my dreams range from a day in real life to funky fantasies.

thought i guess sleep paralysis doesn't frighten me because for about a year long period i used to have a the same dream every night about playing in a playground in the sky that over looked a planet of spikes, i would try flying with my wings to another playset and my wings fell off and i plumeted down being impaled on the spikes, then i would for a brief time view myself impaled and then i would wake up screaming crying and in sever pain.
one person i talked to said i died in my sleep and came back every time that happened.

oddly these dreams started the night after a kid at school tricked me into looking at a solar eclipse without protective glasses on.

[Phaesphora]

Very rarely. I find it's best to close my eyes and assume it's the greys coming to steal my ova, I usually fall back asleep within ten minutes.

[UnderscoreX]

Are some of you people exaggerating and or lying to sound cool, because this is messed up and I do not want to go sleep now. Moving is one of my favourite things, it's basically all I do.

[Kylie]

I've fallen asleep in Skype calls on multiple occasions (with the headset on).People have done that on me. I don't understand how people can fall asleep during calls are games, but... I guess I'm just talented at staying awake. 8-) That, or I get really bitchy like, "OK. I GOT TO GO TO SLEEP NOW. STFU, I'LL TALK TO YOU TOMORROW."

[Shadowpawn]

I usually experience sleep paralysis when my sleep cycle is interrupted or I happen to fall asleep with pressure placed on one of my limbs. I can't even sleep on my side without there being a high chance of going into sleep paralysis, because of this I usually sleep on my back. My grandmother used to say it was because of blood circulation, I think their may be some truth to that.

[Ezodagrom]

Never happened to me, I think.
Most of the times I can't even remember what I dreamed when I wake up. ^^;

[LionHeart-]

Ohhhhh! So that's what its called! I've been wondering for ages what it was lol, thanks :3!

Yes I could say I have experience this, a few times to. Its pretty scary and I think I trigger it from either lack of sleep etc.. or to much stimulants - Caffeine.

How can I explain it, well firstly I feel like I'm lying there, I can like actually sense, feel and see that I'm lying. After awhile I become more conscience in this state, that's when I realise what the hell is going on. I try to move my limbs and open my eyes in vain but I cannot do neither, then I kinda like fighting my way back to reality for couple of minutes or so, trying to wake myself up, because if I don't, I'd feel like I would be trapped like this forever lol (stupid as it sounds, but yes :P). Then out of the blue, I like wake up, breathing will be a bit heavy for the first couple of seconds then all fine after that.

So yeah, thats what kinda happens to me, you could think its a bit far-fetched or agree lol, but its not a nice experience.