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Sleep Paralysis

by Alast
8 replies
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Okay so I've known about this for a while now, and though it would be cool to experience.. Boy was I wrong.

As most of you know, it's been high 30s to low 40s in Australia which has been preventing me from sleeping well. After about 3 hours of attempting, I slept at around 3am and woke up at 5.. Or so I thought. I had a dream that I was sleeping in my chair for whatever reason, and as a woke up, I was in my bed. I then heard footsteps outside my door, and it was a long wait as a I was expecting them to open the door. Strangely, I couldn't move to watch the door swing open, which it never did. Instantly after that, I heard this awful laugh, like it was coming from a clown in a horror film. I then started functioning again but literally thought I died somehow because everything seemed supernatural at the time. It took me a few minutes to start to figure out what was happening, and holy shit am I scared.

Has this ever happened to any of you? It's now 6am, and I refuse to try to go back to sleep.. Even if I tried I wouldn't be able to.
  • Profile picture of the author Kay King
    I had it quite often for several years during a period where I routinely did NOT get as much sleep as I needed. I didn't have the paranoia that sometimes is described as one symptom. My only fear was of what was happening to me physically as I'd never heard of it.

    At least you know what it is - when I began waking up "paralyzed" it was before you could google to see what it was. The first couple times are terrifying. It's only a disruption in your body's transition from sleep/dream phase to being awake.

    The more you struggle, the worse it is. I learned to give in to it and focus on moving a toe or finger or opening one eye. It probably last just a couple of minutes - but it sure feels longer than that. The inability to open my eyes was the worst part for me.

    kay
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  • Profile picture of the author alistair
    I've had it a few times but I learned to recognise when it was happening and wake myself up so that I could move by screaming in my mind to wake up. It's hard to explain but I get this kind of pressure build up if I don't wake up fully and start drifting back into sleep, like somebody squeezing you slowly then all of a sudden they slam their grip shut, if that makes sense, and I have to fight again to wake up properly.

    I remember the first time I had it when I was younger and thought somebody was in my room coming to get me and I was trying to call out for my dad to come and help me but even though I felt I was shouting as loud as I could nothing was actually coming out. That was a bit scary.

    Probably the weirdest time was when I was in bed and woke up because somebody or something grabbed my ankles and started flicking me, by the ankles, like you would flick a tea towel or a whip. Then they dragged me off of the bed but that's when I knew it wasn't real because I never felt myself hit the floor.

    I haven't had it for a while but it seemed to happen if I went to sleep on my back, or when I used to drink a lot. As well as screaming in my mind to wake up I always tell myself don't open your eyes. Never, ever, open your eyes.
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    • Profile picture of the author Claude Whitacre
      I don't know the mechanics of why this happens, but many of us have similar experiences if we are overly tired, or between being awake and asleep.

      Every night, just as I start to fall asleep, I hear a very loud "BAM", that I am certain is my heart stopping. Every night. There isn't anything wrong. But for a second or two? It startles me.

      When I'm very tired, I tend to think someone is in the house. Every creak becomes a footstep. Every walnut falling to the roof, is someone trying to break in.

      It's just what happens when you're very tired.
      I was so tired once, that I was convinced that the room was full of Japanese businessmen. My eyes were closed, and that's just what my brain decided to project. Weird. Sometimes funny. Sometimes, not funny at all.
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      • Profile picture of the author lanfear63
        Originally Posted by Claude Whitacre View Post

        I don't know the mechanics of why this happens, but many of us have similar experiences if we are overly tired, or between being awake and asleep.

        Every night, just as I start to fall asleep, I hear a very loud "BAM", that I am certain is my heart stopping. Every night. There isn't anything wrong. But for a second or two? It startles me.

        When I'm very tired, I tend to think someone is in the house. Every creak becomes a footstep. Every walnut falling to the roof, is someone trying to break in.

        It's just what happens when you're very tired.
        I was so tired once, that I was convinced that the room was full of Japanese businessmen. My eyes were closed, and that's just what my brain decided to project. Weird. Sometimes funny. Sometimes, not funny at all.
        I get the very loud noise. Not always a bam, it varies. No Japanese businessmen though, just the odd Martian bunny.
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      • Profile picture of the author MikeAmbrosio
        Originally Posted by Claude Whitacre View Post

        I don't know the mechanics of why this happens, but many of us have similar experiences if we are overly tired, or between being awake and asleep.

        Every night, just as I start to fall asleep, I hear a very loud "BAM", that I am certain is my heart stopping. Every night. There isn't anything wrong. But for a second or two? It startles me.

        When I'm very tired, I tend to think someone is in the house. Every creak becomes a footstep. Every walnut falling to the roof, is someone trying to break in.

        It's just what happens when you're very tired.
        I was so tired once, that I was convinced that the room was full of Japanese businessmen. My eyes were closed, and that's just what my brain decided to project. Weird. Sometimes funny. Sometimes, not funny at all.
        Never heard a loud noise, but once in a while as I drift my body jolts. Just once. Then I sleep.

        Otherwise I never experienced any paralysis, paranoia, or anything of that nature. And when I do fall asleep, most nights I don't even move. I wake in the same position (right side) that I feel asleep in - with dead arm usually...

        Most nights either I don't dream or simply don't remember them.

        I guess this is what they mean when they say "sleep like the dead"...
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  • Profile picture of the author derekwong28
    I have experienced this many times. The Chinese name for it is "laid on top by a ghost". There are really people who believe this.
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    • Profile picture of the author Horny Devil
      Banned
      Originally Posted by Claude Whitacre View Post

      I was so tired once, that I was convinced that the room was full of Japanese businessmen.
      Originally Posted by derekwong28 View Post

      The Chinese name for it is "laid on top by a ghost".
      Once again Claude's sexuality gets called into question.
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  • Profile picture of the author Alast
    I found the laugh I heard (very similar):


    Maybe I should never sleep again. x.o
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