Is this sleep paralysis?

[lynette]

My husband is 55 years old and has had experiences since childhood during sleep which I thought might be sleep paralysis. Last night he had another episode which I found very frightening and now I'm not sure what it might be.
My husband is 55 years old and has had experiences since childhood during sleep, which I thought, might be sleep paralysis. Last night he had another episode, which I found very frightening and now I'm not sure what it might be.

After he has fallen asleep he begins to awaken or dreams he is awakening. He is aware of sounds around him in the room and he can actually see what is in front of him as he lies in bed, but he feels like he is in the grip of something he must struggle against. He can't fall asleep again nor can he pull out of the paralyzing feeling unless he or someone else can move an arm or leg. If that happens he is then immediately released from the grip.

Last night I was awakened by what felt like him trembling all over and making sounds like muffled screams. When I grabbed him arm he came out of it and told me he had been trying to get my attention to rescue him as this time he wasn't able to break out on his own.  These episodes happened infrequently as a child but in the past few years they are coming at a rate of about one a month.  Is this real sleep paralysis or something else? And could it be dangerous?

Thank you very much for considering my questions.

- Lynette

[Ronnie]

I've had these experiences since I was eleven.  I learned to live with it but it is still terrifying and frustrating every time.  I know my mother had them and still goes through it every now and then.  My boy has them infrequently and he's had them since around the same age as I had mine.  

I am an Asian male.  Filipino, in fact, and that puts me right smack dab in the middle of the profile. I am now 40 years old and I am concerned about all the adverse effects this might be doing to my body.  I've had some very severe phases of weakness for years.  They will last for half a year or so. It was getting so that I was considering that I will be dead soon but before that my life will be progressively less active until I can only stay awake in bed and not move.  That phase ended and I've regained a lot of my energies but not to levels that are considered robust or healthy.  I had no inkling that the paralysis has anything to do with the tiredness.

I just saw a Nightline episode (I think it was Nightline) that featured Sleep Paralysis and the end conclusion was that it was a strange condition but HARMLESS.  This will further hinder the medical profession to take this seriously.

Now, is there a clinic or a doctor that has done extensive work on this condition?  If anyone has any info please post it here.  It will be good to hear something else than incredulity from doctors and that look that says, "Basket Case."

[jan]

I am glad I stumbled on to these posts. My neuro. is sending me for a 3rd sleep study for suspected narcolepsy (the other 2 I didn't sleep enough) . He asked me if I had sleep paralysis, I told him I didn't, but after reading these experiences I realize I do. Mine only happen after naps, also.  Others in my family have talked about this experience, too, so I thought it was normal. Another thing, I had moments where I felt I lost conciousness. I would realize my head was tilted fully back and slowly pick it up and opened my eyes. I, also had a time(s) where my legs just buckled. My neuro suggested periodic paralysis and gave me a lab slip to carry so when I have another episode I will get a potassium level check STAT, (actually a basic metabolic panel,but he is interested in the potassium).

[Kim K.]

I started experiencing sleep paralysis at age 21 when I moved away to college. Interestingly, at this time I also started taking birth control. I am now 24 and experience sleep paralysis approx. every two months or so. I experience a feeling that I am dying and about to "cross over" or that someone is in my apartment and is about to attack me, but I can't do anything. I have never been able to make a sound during these episodes. I have learned to get myself out of it before reaching the point of no return.  Very very scary!!!  Anyway Leah Neal's info on blood/potassium levels and difficulty regulating blood pressure makes me wonder if there is a correlation here. I have also suspected for a long time that I might have blood sugar problems(I have many symptoms of reactive hypoglycemia-never tested), but have never correlated this issue with sp. SP experiencer Jennifer Reynolds says she has hypoglycemia so that too makes me wonder!  Basically I wanted to offer this info about my situation because it seems there is much more to sleep paralysis than stress. I have also experienced a very strange prickily feeling throught the fatty areas of my thighs, calves, and hips. I am not overweight, and this occurs often when I sit down after walking for a while.  So, this makes me think of a correlation between muscular problems/degeneration and sleep paralysis.  Anyway, I have never been diagnosed with anything, no thyroid problems that I know of but thought perhaps this info might help.  So...birth control, sugar sensitivity, prickily leg symptoms and sleep paralysis...hmmm.  Oh and I should share that my sleep paralysis experiences occur only when napping and do seem to be more frequent when my life is crazy with stress and I'm not sleeping right. It's good to know there are others!!!!

[tiffany]

I am 29 years old and have suffered from terrifying experiences while sleeping since I was a teenager.They come and have gone through the years but recently have gotten worse.Last night was the worst.I fall asleep and then become paralized,I start to hallucinate experience a fear like I have never known.I try to awake myself and try to scream but only my eyes move and I have to wait until I awake which doesnt seem long but with the fear I feel it seems like forever.When I was younger I would scream for Jesus and I could awake so I assumed it was some type of demonic attack,(sorry sounds strange)Now older that doesnt work and last night I had about 6 experiences in a row.It terrified me,I decided to see if this was a sleep problem and to my surprise I am not alone.I am so scared because these attacks I call them terrify me and happen more so If I think about having the fear of one right before I fall asleep.I need help understanding this and what causes it.Today I felt mentally drained and feel it has to do with the intense fear I had last night during my attacks.Please help!

[Judy]

I have facial numbness. One blood test indicated that my potassium level was high. Retest ok. It was assumed that the test was incorrect.

Could there be a connection?  Any thoughts?

[tc]

It also may be narcolepsy.  A condition where you brain is in one stage a sleep and skips to another.  Sleep test figured that one out.