Weirdness

[Sleepy81]

I am having the weirdess sensations as I fall into a deep sleep and it awakens me and scares me.  I have a 'buzz" that goes off inside my head (or my mind) and the sensations of tingling.  It only happens as I am going into REM.  I have no idea how else to explain it but I am on an anti-depressant and a sleep aid.  Could this combo of drugs be doing this?

[Blue Juliet]

I've had that exact same problem for almost 40 years! The first time was when I was 19, napping, and woke up unable to move, feeling like someone or something was pressing me into the bed, like a heavy weight on my chest. I kept trying to scream, but only a tiny squeak would come out; finally, the episode ended when my leg kicked out and knocked the cat off the bed, and I could move again. I was convinced it was a ghost, if you can imagine that!

Now, when it happens as I'm going to sleep, I hear a buzzing, hissing, sort of "rushing" noise in my head that gets louder, with a tingling, electrical feeling  and the sense that I'm being sucked down into ... oblivion? I don't know, but it's frightening, a feeling like if I let it happen I'll die. So I end up waking myself up over and over, and it's difficult to go to sleep at all.

Other times, when i wake up, I'll hear voices, usually in the next room -- sometimes only a couple, and at least twice what sounded like a big party going on, but I couldn't make out any of the conversations or words. I even got up once to go check to see what was going on, but realized I'd been dreaming.

I finally figured out this is all related to what is known as "sleep paralysis," which occurs when "REM antonia"-- a state that keeps you from moving during REM sleep -- sets in before you're completely asleep, or continues after you are awake. It can be accompanied by the roaring, hissing or rushing noises, the feeling that you're being crushed, electric tingles, imagined noises or voices, an imagined presence that can be threatening or benign, and intense feelings of fear or joy.  Finally, somthing that describes the experience exactly.

I still don't know how to stop it, I'm still afraid of it, but when it starts i just wake myself up and try to relax enough to fall asleep naturally. At least I've been reassured that it's normal for many people to experience this weird sensation.

[kenneltech]

I know that I am terrified to go into that deep sleep and my body wakes me up with a jolt!  I don't remember hearing buzzing sounds, but I do know that I have just been diagnosed with sleep apnea and was told that your body will wake up when it's oxygen levels dip.  Have you had a sleep study done?  Other than that, I would check with my doctor about the meds, although it seems strange that you don't get that buzzing as soon as they kick in instead of just going into REM, but then, I'm not a doctor.

You need to ask your doctor, and get a sleep study done.

[Leah71187]

yes that very well could be the cause if you have never had these problems in the past before you began taking these meds. I suggest speaking with your doctor about this so he can possibly prescribe you something else. especially because there are many side effects to those types of meds that you might not know about and are bad for you.

[K3133]

Since i chould remember i been going threw the same thing first my body cant move then sometimes i hear scatching around my bed then sometimes an other cases it only happeneds in the dark but one time it got so close to my face couldn't see it but heard growlling in my face just now at ten o'clock i was laying here an became paralysis an i said get out an then i heard a women voice said what