Anyone experience sleep paralysis

[lasel22]

I had occasional episodes of sleep paralysis when I became symptomatic with chiari.  At first I didn't know what was happening but after some research I realized it was sleep paralysis upon awakening.  These episodes would always happen when I woke with my neck in a strange position,  usually turned to the side with my chin down.  Now, I am 3 months post op and I fell asleep on the couch the other day with my neck in a bad position and it happened again. Anyone else experience this, or maybe it's a result of all the stress this syndrome causes from getting a diagnosis and then having surgery and recovering.

[lasel22]

Thanks for the feedback.  I had weird episodes as a kid too that I now think we're chiari related.  As I would awaken I would see something in my room but I knew it wasn't real.  Then I would get up and run to my parents room to tell them and when I got there everything looked far away.  My parents had no idea what to say to all that.  I was also a sleepwalker as a kid.

[poosygirl]

Hi. I had this when I was younger but never thought of it as related--though I didn't know I had Chiari back then. I remember it clearly. I was about 16, camping, and lying on an air mattress. I woke up and realized that I could not move, and worse, I couldn't take in a breath. I was about to suffocate. I concentrated on moving just my baby finger but that seemed to take forever. As soon as I was able to move it everything returned to normal and I was able to breathe. Terrifying.

I had awful headaches back then too, so looking back, the Chiari was symptomatic. Fortunately that experience hasn't happened since.

[selmaS]

  Hi...I did not have this after waking from  sleep....but I know this was a topic in an older thread some time ago.....

I did however have an issue after sitting down with a really bad headache...and after a while I was unable to respond or move....it was really odd...and it was years b4 I was DX'd....

As for the position of the head, sleeping with the head tilted down with the chin close to the chest is one position we are told to try and avoid....so it may be that we are restricting CSF flow by bending our heads down...and since there is already a restriction that may be why we have that sensation as it affects the nerves....

At 3 months post op I am sure there is still some inflammation...