Aa
Aa
A
A
A
Close
Avatar universal

Paralyzed while sleeping

Since I was a child, and until now (27years old) about once every three months or maybe more, I will have a frightening experience while sleeping.  Once I'm asleep, sometimes it feels like my head will get really heavy and there will be a deep low humming sound in my head or maybe a train sound that seems to paralyze my entire body, however once this feeling of heaviness occurs, I wake up internally, but my eyes are not open and I can hear everything going on around me.  At that point I seem to be conscious but unable to open my eyes or even move.  I then have to force myself fully awake by jerking my entire body.  And then, if I happen to fall right back to sleep, I will go into the exact same state again and jerk myself awake once again.  It is quite starling and frightning.  It kinda reminds me of what being in a coma might feel like.  Can anyone tell me what this is and is it possible not to be able to wake up from it, what ever "it" is?

Thanks,

Mandy4183
605 Responses
Sort by: Helpful Oldest Newest
Avatar universal
Your sleep paralysis is caused by hypotension. The deep low humming sound you hear is caused by tinnitus symptoms during hypotension.
A person may have the exact same physiological response to a stimulus, yet experience an entirely different emotion.
Factors such as the individual's existing mental state, cues in the environment, and the reactions of other people can all play a role in the resulting emotional response.[1] For example, if you experience a racing heart and sweating palms during an important exam, you will probably identify the emotion as anxiety. If you experience the same physical responses on a date, you might interpret those responses as love, affection, or arousal. If you experience the same physical responses you are walking in the woods, and you see a grizzly bear. You will interpret your physical reactions and conclude that you are frightened .Another example, if someone sneaks up on you and shouts,  your heart rate increases. Your heart rate increase (palpitations)is what causes you to feel fear(or nightmare).


In the same way, the cause of sleep paralysis is very simple.Sleep paralysis is caused by a terrible the reduced blood supply to the brain(hypotension)when you sleep because your neck bends for a long time,common symptoms include terrible dizziness, palpitations(Faster or slower heartbeat), sweating,visual disturbances (including blurring, color changes, white-out, graying-out, enhanced brightness, darkening or blackening and tunnel vision) that can't see, hearing disturbances (including  crackles and tinnitus) that can't hear, weakness, fatigue, nausea and headache. Less common symptoms include syncope, dyspnea, chest pain, and neck and shoulder pain. When symptoms occur they can vary greatly in expression from one individual to another.[2]
Hypotension, anemia, improper sleeping position or poor blood flow in the neck caused by too high pillow are several common causes of the reduced blood supply to the brain during sleep at night. In particular, anyone with too high pillow during sleep is bound to experience recurring sleep paralysis all night. This  terrible reduced blood supply to the brain is more likely to occur during waking up during the day than during sleep at night. For example, almost everyone suddenly stands up when their blood pressure is low in summer, and has experienced the terrible  symptoms of the reduced blood supply to the brain caused by orthostatic hypotension.
Accordingly, the terrible dizziness during the reduced blood supply to the brain will lead to the illusion of seeing a terrible demon, the palpitation(Faster heartbeat) will lead to the illusion of being attacked by a terrible demon, and tinnitus will lead to the illusion of hearing a certain sound. Because people's instinctive reaction is that your dare not move your body when your can't see the surrounding environment clearly after waking up, therefore, the visual obstacle that your eyes can't see will lead to the illusion of being unable to move your body or can't open your eyes.
The leading cause of  a terrible the reduced blood supply to the brain when you are awake during the day was that you stand up too fast. The leading cause of  a terrible the reduced blood supply to the brain(sleep paralysis) when you sleep at night was that the blood flow is blocked due to the flexion of the neck. Of course, people with hypotension and anemia are more likely to have such a terrible the  symptoms of the reduced blood supply to the brain (a terrible the  sleep paralysis )than normal people.
In addition to the fact that the pillow is too high, which will lead to neck flexion and poor blood flow, sleep on your back is more likely to lead to neck flexion and poor blood flow than sleep on your side. Therefore, sleep on your back is more likely to lead to sleep paralysis than sleep on your side.
[1],The James-Lange Theory of Emotion
By Kendra Cherry Updated on November 19, 2020
Medically reviewed by David Susman, PhD
[2],Postural Orthostatic Tachycardia Syndrome (POTS)
By Danny Bonvissuto
Medically Reviewed by Brunilda Nazario, MD on August 10, 2020  
Helpful - 0
Avatar universal
I totally understand what you are saying when I am in this state I always have out of body experience I can see myself laying there.  It's crazy and once I finally snap out of it if I don't get up fast enough I will slip back into it.  Scarey but nobody seems to know the true cause of this.  I also experience this, there a scent in the house but nobody smells but me sometimes it could be really strong... Nobody i mean nobody else seems to smell it.
Helpful - 0
Avatar universal
While I wasin a deep sleep. Last night felt this. Pressure. On me tried to wake up but I was frozen I was trying to wake felt this pressure on , my waist holding me down after 4 minutes of struggling I wokeup stayed woke for an hour wEnt backto sleep , it happened. Again this time I woke , up right away. This . Is , not the. First time. I have experienced this scary situation. I don't like itneed . Answers . Onhow to stop.net it , from happening again  Need Help.
Helpful - 0
Avatar universal
I do the same as you but it gets to intense and feel like if i let it take control i cant come back...it happen last night and i wasnt asleep and i started imagining bad things and it made ghe feelin stronger when i did that but when i think jesus it weakens. I hate when it happens
Helpful - 0
Avatar universal
Keep praying over and over again, you may be able to see the person or the thing as you pray. Mean it and believe in your prayer. Eventually , you see and then wake up. Don't just say Jesus and stop. Keep praying my dear. It just happened to me and I prayed before I could wake up. Do a prayer EVERYTIME before you go to bed and have your bible next to you at all times. Do not sleep in the dark. Have a candle. Most importantly is to have your bible with you and when it happens , pray over and over gain. It will go away.
Helpful - 0
Avatar universal
Also... going to sound strange, yet please don't rule out.. please read fully. Further down will make more sense too.
OK.. I have a TBI and other injuries, yet has this happen before and after my medical complications...
Check into Astro-Traveling, which the body while asleep leaves itself and travels elsewhere.. This will & can leave your physical body in paralyzed catatonic state, which you will hear voices around you ( from elsewhere.. very softly.. the brain btw is always the last thing to go when dying). You can't move your body, yet lay there still unable to operate, except your senses.. like being paralyzed from the neck above strangely enough.
I have had had MANY times prior as well.. and reading more into this.. and other possibilities, rather than simple medical dx basically..the body's center/ soul leaves to other places..
Spiritual/Metaphysical (NOT Religious). Reason why you visit elsewhere, (astro traveling), so basically when you're awake. can't do, unless you are int a heavy meditation, or experienced enough then can daydream and float off.
(The brain is physically there laying there in bed, sofa ect.. BUT... The mind .. a very powerful organ, yet we, Scientist, (ie: Most Humans in general) only currently only have a smidge of minimal knowledge of  how our brain works, why and what causes certain behaviors to occur..
BUT.. your soul ( mind) truly isn't there.... We float into a dream state after relaxing ( REM state) following very shallow continuos( meditation is the same btw) breathing,  after being in REM state for some minutes, or even around 30-90 minutes, depending on body and anxiety levels of your day to relax and then float off.. Mind does this.. many whom awake suddenly in a panic....like their falling out of bed is when the body isn't FULLY relaxed and the brain, which is more concious realizes the body and spirit isn't there and BAM... Wakes up...
Only when the mind if fully in dream REM state can this truly take place.. Its scary.. My 4 children ALL would until age 4 would awake cranky and crying around 30- 60 minutes after falling asleep... we assumed was  dream state yet basically the body & physical mind acknowledged we were traveling.. Children until age 5-6 are nearest to the Heavens/ elsewhere with spirit/reincarnation ect and coming back to Earth again, so why they astrotravel more often than humans older than age 12+...  
why you suddenly awake in bed realizing you are there, which the body wakes up and all slowly resumes normal. may have tingling cause the body O2 slowly comes back into play and heart rate climbing...even if scared can cause the flight/fright adrenaline hormone to increase, cause it was shallow for some time while being/visiting "out".. like an auto timer inside.. or, like deep meditation basically..  Out of body experience some can consider, too.  I had one during a surgery which I died for 8 minutes,due to their anesthesia toxicity error causing my cardiac arrest in my early 30's..
I actually went finally under hypnosis, so now I can fully recall BEING above the Doctors in the OR and can tell...word for word & can repeat EVERYthing they did during.. or some they neglected to do..like make sure my heart beat was still beating..
Yes.. Oppps.. I had a stroke 3 weeks following, so I am working my best to become more "normal", yet I won't ever be, so this info for me has explained a great deal..  I even was told sleep apnea, yet wasn't.. The brain is a beautiful thing.We know little actually..More than a 100 years ago, yet still babies with education there.
We as humans can control our breathing, hence, anxiety attacks form past problems, or fear ect, we can control our wonderful body functions from making problems worse, or better to heal ourselves and how some deal differently with pain too..
.. Old saying "mind over matter", so to speak..
So, at times our subconscious mind wants to take a mini vacation and why we choose to do while we rest, which thee body shuts down to rest it's batteries.... while and our brain drifts off and soul plays, then bam.. back before you wake up. :)
Helpful - 0
Avatar universal
I cannot believe what I have read here.  I thought this only happened to my sister and me.  My sister told me about being paralyzed one night and trying to scream for help and felt something evil in her room.  I thought she had just had a horrible dream, as her husband had just passed away until it happened to me soon afterward.  I was in bed when I felt something dark and heavy in my face and on top of me.  Whatever it was...or the sensation I felt was from my nose to the tip of my toes.  It was soooo scary.  I tried to move and open my eyes and scream for help, but I couldn't do a thing - I was totally paralyzed.  Finally...after what seemed like an eternity, I called from my mind for God to help me.  It immediately left me. It was the scariest thing that has ever happened to me.  I pray it will never happen again.  
Helpful - 0
Avatar universal
Started when I was a small boy, maybe around ten.  We had just moved into a new big house.  During the night, I would feel paralyzed by a tight embrace that I could not shake.  After a while, it would stop and I could turn around to see no one next to me.  This happened to me well into adulthood.  A few years back, I found the nerve to say to myself if it happens tonight, I will fight and turnaround to look.  One night it happened again.  This time I found the courage to fight and turnaround only to find nothing behind me or in the room.  It has not happened since.  I've always wondered what could that have been.
Helpful - 0
Avatar universal
my friend I read your comments. My name is Chezlin I am from South Africa, and am 25 years of age. This morning I got home at 03h15 from work and went to bed right after I got in. I heard something running on my roof like crazy. It immediately woke me as it scared me but it is not the fist time. This thing on my roof has been their since I was like about 7 years of age.I also once saw a very very huge bright light coming towards me while I was sleeping about a few years back. This light made an alarm sound and it just got loader and loader and scared the **** out of me. Getting back to this morning, after I fell asleep again this being held me down. I couldn't see him or smell him but I felt him holding me down and my brother I fist screamed for Jesus. It did not go away, my body was frozen and send electrical shocks to my testicals. I fought and fought until I awoke. This happens to me only when my light is turned off? I had done some research on astral projecting aswell, please advise of what you think for I have been getting this for a few years now
Helpful - 0
Avatar universal
I'm never asleep when this happens tonight I layed next to my girlfriend all of a sudden I felt like someone walked in my room my fan got really loud making a wired scary sound then I felt something just put a tremendous amount.of pressure on my body I could not move could not speak I prayed I rebuke you in the name of Jesus Christ three times finally I could move jus my hand to wake.my.girlfriend up and could barely get.the words out my mouth turn on the.light then it stopped in the past it was so violent my entire bed would shake one.tome my body was lifted off the bed electrocuted and.slamed back on the bed I feel like something is attached to me I need help somebody gel rid.me.of this.demon email me if you can help I can't take it.anymore more I always had a gift of feeling spirits and demons how can I control this my email is.thea.***@**** I'm sick my health is.bad.im afraid its.trying to kill me it has been going on all my life in never asleep when this happens please help
Helpful - 0
Avatar universal
This was a first for me last night at 49 years old - and the reason why I did some research and stumbled across this blog.  Had a terrible case of insomnia (not normal for me at all).  But after tossing and turning for 2-3 hours, around 3am, I FINALLY started to fall asleep.  I know because I just started to have a very vivid dream, and then I was abruptly awakened, lying flat on my back feeling like a huge weight was on my body.  Only lasted for probably 10 seconds, and then I started to recover from the feeling.  As weird as it sounds, I equated it to a feeling like "something just entered or went through my body" (just like another poster had commented).  I then got extreme goose bumps all over for 30 seconds or so as I '"normalized" and woke up completely.  Needless to say, it REALLY creeped me out.  Being a God fearing man, I started to imagine all kinds of not-so-good things, but was also kind of "cautiously curious" this morning as to what I experienced.  So I'm going with the medical explanation of sleep paralysis as it makes perfect sense (and each individual will interpret this type of event differently).  PS:  Reciting the Lords Prayer seems to always make any situation bearable.  It's all OK - we win in the end.  ;-)
Helpful - 0
Avatar universal
these stories cant believe other people have these experiences.  mine started lately.  i couldnt sleep so i moved my mattress into my garagethat was made into a bedroom for my grandson.  i kept having dreams that someone heavy was slowly moving on my bed toward me.  i cant scram for help or look.  he leans on me and it hurts so bad i cant breath seems like a long time.  the next morning my aunt said whatt is that on your arm.  she had a dark bruise on her upper arm.  also we found a bruise on the top of her left leg.  this really worried us.we got to wondering who had died in this home.  my mom but she was sweet she would not scare us or hurt us.  then i threw a cup in the sink turned around and it hit me in the back.  am i going crazy?
Helpful - 0
Avatar universal
My name is victor colosimo born 2/19/78Ever since i was six years old ive been having these types of things happening to me i Remember the first time it would paralize me and use all types of dolls or nick nacks to crawl and stair at me a  had to sleep with my mom till i was 27 i am 35 now and it just happend to me but ive been through alot in my life where this dark shadow told me it was gonna take me and i told him i belong to god it even used my family who passed away agaisted saying come with us and i rebuked it in the name of jesus one time it happend and i woke up out of it and i pulled like a grey portal out of it i was awake and i hit the grey like portal as it was shrinking this and the dayshavoos start getting closer were your telling the future the next day its crazy i tell u you cant move and this black shadow just holds u down i think hes the grim reaper to tell the truth...
Helpful - 0
Avatar universal
write me.  ***@****
Helpful - 0
Avatar universal
When I was a teenager I always felt at night someone was standing over me with a knife If I would move they would stab me,(which they never did).Today i still have when I go to bed ,I have people whisper to me,shake my bed,touch me,see orbs in my house,a dark thin man shadow walk past my doors.but last night was the scariest ,I woke to be feel like I was being jolted or I dont know what to call it,I could talk ,I tryed screaming,I eyes were closed.Iws paralzed.Then I I woke up.Still stress by this I almost went o the hospital I thought I was having a stoke.Please what was that??
Helpful - 0
Avatar universal
No offence but maybe you all should be checked out by A GP not in a insanity way but their are brain conditions which lose control over dopemine production while attempting to nap or sleep < this basically means your movement parts of your brain are asleep but the rest is awake

The only help I cam provide is when you are going sleep twitch your muscles once every 10 seconds this will help your brain realise when it is awake and when it is asleep but be warned that this can increase the amount of times you have a lucid dream if you dont know what they are then go to the following link : http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lYSX51xBkos     hopefully I will have helped some people and not offended anyone in any way

And for the people who thinka ghost or spirit is watching them and tourmenting them or some other form of contact this is actually another thing you are going to want to get checked out this is a part of your brain that I Think is being too active, This is a defense mechanism created by the brain (so this is the reason why we have nightmares) to ake sure that we can be alert when a predator or renegade is about to atack us. It is only to stay aware nothing evil but like I said before I do not intend to insult anyone in anyway
Helpful - 0
Avatar universal
No offence but maybe you all should be checked out by A GP not in a insanity way but their are brain conditions which lose control over dopemine production while attempting to nap or sleep < this basically means your movement parts of your brain are asleep but the rest is awake

The only help I cam provide is when you are going sleep twitch your muscles once every 10 seconds this will help your brain realise when it is awake and when it is asleep but be warned that this can increase the amount of times you have a lucid dream if you dont know what they are then go to the following link : http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lYSX51xBkos     hopefully I will have helped some people and not offended anyone in any way

And for the people who thinka ghost or spirit is watching them and tourmenting them or some other form of contact this is actually another thing you are going to want to get checked out this is a part of your brain that I Think is being too active, This is a defense mechanism created by the brain (so this is the reason why we have nightmares) to ake sure that we can be alert when a predator or renegade is about to atack us. It is only to stay aware nothing evil but like I said before I do not intend to insult anyone in anyway
Helpful - 0
Avatar universal
Last night was the second time I have had this paralyzed feeling while being half asleep or half awake, whatever you want to call it. It happened maybe an hour or so after I fell asleep and I remember I was thinking about the spiritual encounters I have had. I recall the last thing I thought was "Why does this happen to me?" Then my eyes shot open like someone was going to tell me why, but I couldn't move. At first I felt fully awake and then I felt sort of lucid. I don't know why, but I feel like I sensed a woman. I remember my friend telling me the next time I have an encounter, to sternly tell the entity no or stop. I strained saying no over and over but no sound would come out so I kept repeating it in my head. It felt as though the entity was pressuring me, but I continued. Tried to lift my arms and called for my mom but nothing. I continue to say no and eventually decide going back to sleep is the best option. I close my eyes and then I wake up completely. The lights were on, tv was on. I was in my living room on the couch. Got up and went and slept with my mom. Had a hard time getting back to sleep and Im dreading sleeping tonight. The time before was similar except I was at a friends house. I opened my eyes and the room was dark. I see a shadow that walks over to me and stands over me. I try to get up but of course can't. The shadow does nothing and then I blink and its daytime. I can move again. I really hate this...
Helpful - 0
Avatar universal
From just reading several of the comments on this page I have to believe I've been experiencing a similar phenomenon. It will often start randomly when I sleep. It forces me awake but Not completely aware. It feels like My entire body is humming or vibrating with jolts of energy the entire room feels like its buzzing. I'm not entirely bothered by this in fact often I will relax and concentrate on my body or the sensation I'm feeling and it becomes more and more intense. But Ive only gotten so far when I do this because what usually follows is EXTREME paranoia in the form of sensing something standing above my bed behind me. I've never actually seen anything during this because I sleep on my stomach and when I do open my eyes during one of these events I only really see my pillow and the wall I sleep next to.
Helpful - 0
Avatar universal
Ok.. Im 22. This has been happening to me on occasion for years now. Usually when I lie on my back. Last night however it happened when I lay on my side. I am totally paralyzed but I can open my eyes. I always get the sense there is something dark moving in the room that I cant quite see or put my finger on, but i feel it there and its terrifying. I get shivers all through my body and feel constricted/ heavy. I usually try to wake myself up by moving or pinching myself or even yelling out. Sometimes I think I am doing these things only to discover that I've been dreaming the whole thing.

Last night I was so scared I started to yell out "you cant stay!" I repeated this in my head while in this paralysis and when I finally woke up the words kept turning in my head and I felt as if they had been said by someone else through me. I feel kind of stupid adding this part in.

I get that this sounds crazy.. I have never believed in ghosts or demons and I am not religious, but this is something I cant explain. Hopefully its just some kind of biological/psychological phenomenon.. it scared me enough to research it haha.
Helpful - 0
Avatar universal
I experience this but a little differently when i sometimes sleep i feel as if i cannot move nor breath its very terrifying and i feel that i am at deaths door step i dont know what to do its been happening my entire life and the older i get the worser it gets
Helpful - 0
Avatar universal
     I'm 29 and my experiences started about 2 years ago with feeling someone/thing grabbing me by the ankles and yanking my legs down onto the bed (sleeping on my back). Since then, my symptoms/experiences have included feeling as if someone has been in the room looming over me (multi-positional), feeling someone/thing walking on the bed with their feet on either side of my body (on my back), walking up one side of my body (I could feel their toes touching me, also sleeping on my back), shaking the bed (sleeping on my stomach), and this morning, while sleeping on my stomach/side,  I heard a deep guttural voice speaking a language I couldn't understand. He/it was breathing harshly, almost bull-like. I prayed the Lord's prayer and it didn't stop.
     On several occasions I have smelled what I thought was asphalt, but I have now come to the conclusion that it was probably sulfur. Nothing else can explain how strong it was, especially since there is no road construction going on anywhere near where I live.
    Besides, one occurrence of the sulfuric smell, none of this has ever happened with my husband in the bed. Neither of us is very spiritual or religious, but I am starting to feel as if I'm being warned....
    The next of the 5 senses to fall into place is sight. Then what? I'm not sure I want to find out.
Helpful - 0
Avatar universal
I have been having dreams about the devil. I feel that their is a devil that be want me for just intercoarse.Last night, I'm not sure if it was a dream, but anyways I was lying on my back, I woke up to someone feeling on my breast, I thought it was my man but he was sleeping on my right side and I didn't see his arm over my chest or anything, so I thought he was his arm must be under me but I looked over him, both of his arms were tucked under his pillow so I went back to sleep and few seconds later I fell asleep and I felt that someone is touching me on my right breast and when I reached to slap his hand away( thinking at that time it could be my man but it wasn't ), As I was reaching for that person's hand I felt the arm and then all of a sudden the arm disappeared. I was surprise to see there was no one there. I went back to sleep and I was awaken by someone was trying to look at me through his hands shaping as if he was looking through a telescope. And I looked and I look at this person and he was trying to get my attention by looking through that hole and look at him. All I can see that his pupil is not normal it was like looking at the cat's pupil. I saw he was trying to hug me and then he look in to that hole to for me to look at him and all I can see is him saying that he has to go  with tears drop on his left eye and he was drifting away and I felt like two demons were trying to bite my fingers. At first it was my nose, and I' can feel there sharp teeth trying to bite off  my fingers  and  so I was struggling with these 2 heads that were biting me and called out to Jesus to give his strength to fight these demons and kept repeating "Jesus runs through my blood" and then they disappeared.

My question is why do my dreams or what ever they are called feels so real?
Helpful - 0
Avatar universal
I'm 13 my birthday was 2 days ago and i have this happen quite often but it's like i can FEEL it coming but when i try to move it's to late. It's like i know it will happen that day like something tells me as i'm laying there "I know it's gonna happen" 10 minutes latter i can't move lol.
Helpful - 0
Have an Answer?

You are reading content posted in the Sleep Disorders Community

Didn't find the answer you were looking for?
Ask a question
Popular Resources
Healing home remedies for common ailments
Dr. Steven Park reveals 5 reasons why breathing through your nose could change your life
Want to wake up rested and refreshed?
A list of national and international resources and hotlines to help connect you to needed health and medical services.
Herpes sores blister, then burst, scab and heal.
Herpes spreads by oral, vaginal and anal sex.