"Night Terrors"

[jrreed360]

Once in a while i get this feeling, usually when i'm trying to awaken from a nap, where i can hear and see my surroundings, but i can't move. I usually try to move my hands and they inch me to consciousness, but it's such a frightening feeling. Today i had one and a friend of mine said it seemed as if i was having a seizure. I can remember in my dreaming, maybe reality image, like a huge panic before finally awakening and seeing someone and trying to say "help me!", but i couldn't get the words out. I remember trying to jerk myself around to wake up aswell, so i knew what moment he meant when he said it looked as if i was having a seizure, though i haven't had a seizure in my life. I believe these symptoms fall under "Night Terrors". Can anyone here relate?

[jrreed360]

or maybe "sleep paralysis"?

[punkgod94]

Hey jrreed...sorry to say I can't relate to that at all. I've never even really heard of it. I would see a doctor about that though at your earliest convenience. It doesn't seem like an emergency, but if I were you, I'd definitely get that checked out because it seems kinda odd.

[evxil]

I am not a doctor however I have done a lot of readings on anxiety as well as stages of sleep.

What you are having is called sleep paralysis. The body goes through several stages of sleep, the deepest being rapid eye movement, or R.E.M sleep; this is the only stage where dreams occur. As a safety mechanism your body goes into a paralyzed state in order to keep yourself from acting out your dreams. Often times, you will experience nightmares which, naturally, waken you. However, your body has not come out of this sleep paralysis and you are actually awake. Sleep paralysis can be very frightening.

Furthermore, you do not necessarily have to remember your dream so if you didn't that does not rule out this explanation.

Sleep paralysis is harmless. If this happens again remember that what is happening to you is normal, you should not be frightened, it WILL pass soon, and it can never hurt you.

[punkgod94]

Very good points evxil - I didn't even think about the whole progressing through sleep stages thing. Your body SHOULD go through a paralysis during R.E.M. which would explain jrreed's symptoms. However, I would still get this checked out by a sleep specialist if possible (not just a regular doctor - unless you have a cold they can be fairly useless and perform tests that are usually inconcusive). If this has been a recurring thing then it's possible you're brain is not letting you sleep properly, which can actually be a major cause of anxiety. Again, I don't know you aside from what you have said in this post, but I would assume since these are the "anxiety forums" that you have some form of anxiety. I wouldn't worry about the sleep paralysis, but it may help to get checked out for it. Let us know what happens if you see a doctor.

[jrreed360]

Great explanation. This sounds like it must be the cause of wet dreams and stuff aswell, not to be inappropriate.

[joey9]

This happens when the parts of your brain responsible for consciousness get a bit muddled up. When you are in dream sleep your body is paralysed. Sometimes people wake up during dream sleep, but they don't wake properly so they continue dreaming and being paralysed even though they feel fully conscious. This can be terrifying - many people dream that someone is sitting on their chest, and this has been called the 'Old Hag phenomenon', as historically people would often see an 'old hag'. In more modern times this phenomenon is used to explain 'alien abductions'. I have it with spiders - I think there are spiders in the bed and I frantically try to brush them away and it takes me a while to realise that I have been dreaming. I've never been paralysed though thank god it sounds really scarey.

[Carla]

I have had this happen a few times throughout my life. Its always on awakening and its like I am 'stuck' in sleep but partly awake, in a half state almost, and trying to rouse myself out of the sleep to waken fully, and feel like I have been drugged, and that I am paralysed. I try to move and find that I cant hardly move. I feel like someone must feel when they wake under anaesthetic and cant move. Slowly I awake fullly. It is really scary. I also sometimes wake screaming really loudly in the night and my heart rate feels fast and it takes me a while to calm myself down. I dont even remember having had a bad dream at the time either. I am sure it is related to anxiety - yet another symptom! lol