Mind awake, body asleep?

[malliemut]

For the past few months, since Nov, I've been having this problem with waking up. It just started suddenly and happens a few night a moths, once to three times in the same night.
Usually its morning, after a full nights sleep, when it happens. My mind will wake up. I'll be compleatly conciouse. I can think, remember, everything as when I'm fully awake, but my body stays asleep. I feel literaly paralyzed, in a coma. Everything is dark. It's just like I'm laying there with my eyes closed but I can't move or screem now matter how hard I try. Usually I freak out and lay there for a while trying to wake my body up somehow till my husband hears me wimpering, cause I'm trying to screem for him, and he wakes me up. I know it's not just a bad dream and I'm scared my body might never wake up one day. Can anyone help on what this is or advice or something?

[Suri123]

Hi, its strange what you are facing, too much stress mentally and physically coupled with disturbed sleep seems to be. Are you able to move your body parts normally or it is laboured. how do you feel in day time and do you have day sleep, if so do you feel the same. Seek a sleep specialist attention for a sleep study. Keep updating your views and visits. Take care.

[malliemut]

I really don't have Any sleep problems other than that. Sometimes I'll take a nap in the day but it's not really needed. It's always been after a full nights rest.
If I try really really hard for a long time i think my arms or fingers might twitch but other than wimpering when I try to screem I cant get controll of my body. Last time I tried breathing really fast to wake up my hubby and it seemed to work but when no one is there I wake up by just suddenly snaping out of it and opening my eyes and I'm ok.
I will try to see a doc about it and post back.

[Suri123]

Hi, thanks for your feedback and hope you to get well soon, its better to seek medical advise ratherthan keep suffering. Also good idea to consult a neurologist also. Your input will be of great help for some of viewers with similar problems, keep updating on visits. Take care. Good luck.

[LNick]

It sounds to me like you suffer from "Sleep Paralysis".
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sleep_paralysis

I've had this problem for years, and I'm quite sure (at least for me) it's stress related as it  started happening when I started having panic attacks. I was horrified the first few times it happened, but I'm pretty much used to it when it happens now. One thing I noticed is it rarely happens to me unless I'm laying on my back. Do you usually sleep on your back?

[Suri123]

Hi, its good idea that all readers can also give your opinion or share your experience as one or other person may benefit from suggessions posted. Keep updating similarly. Take care.

[deep_aquarian]

Hi malliemut,
You know what, I used to have the same experience around 10 years back. I used to wake up, but my body would be stiff. I would then realize that I might have slept for just 5 hours, 2 hours less that usual,
I would smile at myself, remember the things that make me happy... and get enough time to let my body wake up in the mean time. Within the next 5-15 minutes, my body would also wake up and I would get up like any other normal day. I personally feel that this is something which you can take care of yourself, by teaching your mind to mind to relax when it happens the next time. You may feel that you do not need any medical assistance at all.
Best Wishes.

[Suri123]

Hi malliemut, hope you are doing well? Also to deep_aquarian, thanks for sharing some of your experience and your positive inspiration for all those who are suffering from similar sort of problems and struggling to get out of these sleep paralysis. Stress is one of the common reason and one need to focus on relaxing both physically and mentally. Never to get frightened, as this does not cause any harm or injury to self, try to relax and focus on moving any one part of body like limbs slowly. Doing morning-evening walk, stretches, have nutritious diet with lot of water or other liquids, having hot shower and listen to soft music before going to bed could be soothing to mind and body so it may be of some help. Seek medical attention from your doctor if it continuous. Take care.

[mrbaseball4000]

Your Body is in a state of Paralysis.I am in college and have been studying this.Don't call me crazy, but people use this disorder as a blessing some how.Its called an "OBE" or Outer Body Experience.Try looking up this condition and go from there. Not a serious condition, but some people use it in different ways.Hope this helps.

[mdleithw]

Hello! i know exactly what your going through, i have had it for about 2 years, however, there is a technique to waking up during this sleep paralysis, i have never had to endure this, yes its scary the moment i get it, but you can get up for certain.here is what to do.

concentrate on moving your pinky, its small and doesn't require alot of energy, after you are able to move it, start moving your hand and then the whole arm and you wake up POOF! people get so scared they have it that they try to move all at once! not going to happen at all. calm down, observe, try to move your pinky and they progressivly you wake up :)

enjoy!

[rogerca15]

wow i have the exact same experience... my roommate hears me mumbling but in my mind i am trying to scream is really crazy. at first i was afraid of it, but after awhile i sort of experienced with it and everything i see is blurry as if I was dreaming but im not, and in my mind i am trying to move my arms and i think that i am doing it but then i realized my arms have not moved an inch....is crazy

[Jary08]

Yes thats sleep paralysis, ive had it for a few years. for me it doesnt happen a lot and im glad because im terrified everytime it happens. ive tried making noise, ive tried relaxing, and ive tried moving one limb at a time.....doesnt get me out of it....i have to force my body to move out of its paralysed state. i know it wont hurt me and im aware of that when im in that state but i still cant help being scared sh**less.

A couple of times ive hallucinated with it and when it happens its usually after a nightmare, but some times i wake up, still groggy and not paralysed and then slip back off to sleep and in an instant my body is stuck.

I wouldnt say its cause im stressed tho, im at uni on a nursing course but i dont feel stressed even with essays i have to do, so what else can trigger it??????? cause it happened the other morning and i was really afraid...i tried moving my leg, which i managed, then my hand, which was a bit hard to do but i couldnt move any other part of my body so i had to force it out of paralysis, which feels awful to do.

What do people do to help improve this condition?

[lisarjen]

This awful thing happaned to me. It first started as only what I can explain as hot white fire balls leaving my head and drifting off to space, this was immediately followed by seeing a cat by my bed and then the cat would jump up and jump across my body and then the feeling of being electrocuted. I felt that I was awake but I couldn't stop whjat was happening to me. It happaned quite often in the beginning and then it stopped. It happaned again last night. There was something walking over my body and as it crossed my body I felt I was being confined and could not breathe. I can remember screaming no-stop , I couldn't even open my lip to suck in air. I got this strange feeling to just relax and let it go but am afraid I will never wake up. I read it could be from stress and that very well may be it. Has anyone had this same experience?

[red1ebony]

Hi, i have this it is a medical condition called ISP, ( Isolated sleep poralysis,) what happens is when you relax into sleep the motor functionality of the brain shuts down-goes to sleep but other parts are stil active, the only way to diagnose it is to see a sleep specialist.
Hope this helps.