...I woke up and couldn't move, speak or open my eyes.
I could feel my body moving...like inside it was like my body was trying to move but I couldn't move a muscle and felt like I was suffocating. I was pure petrified. Never experienced anything like it before. I honestly thought I was going to die.
I mentioned it at work today and a guy said "Oh yeah...night terror" I was like "WTF?".
I told my sister about it tonight and she said "Oh...sleep paralysis. Yeah I get it now and again. You get used to it and just lie there and think "stay calm...everything will click""...I was like "WTF"??
When the hell did "sleep paralysis" and "night terror" become a thing???
Honestly the worst feeling in my life. I eventually was able to move and I sat bolt upright hyperventilating.
I had never heard of it before and it shook me right up. I honestly don't mind if I never suffer that again...like EVER!
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sleep_paralysis
I've had it happen at various times over the years. Mostly it seems to happen to me when waking up after being overtired. It's pretty scary in the moment. The feeling like you can't breathe part is the worst. I never knew it was a diagnosed thing. It always felt like I was fighting my way awake out of a dream. I thought of it as a bad nightmare.
Just for the record, sleep paralysis is different than night terrors.
I've experienced both. Sleep paralysis more than night terrors though.
never had the night terrors, but sleep paralysis at least once every 2-3 months
My older daughter had night terrors when she was 1-2 years old, brought on by getting potty trained. For a year we didn't know what to do and then finally, in one of my finer moments, I cured her of them by preemptively taking her to the bathroom around midnight every night. That got rid of them.
I have not had sleep paralysis or night terrors myself but they are pretty common. I also haven't slept a full night in 10+ years so that may be the reason.
Quote from: bayonetbrant on November 14, 2016, 06:22:52 PM
never had the night terrors, but sleep paralysis at least once every 2-3 months
Yikes. That's much more frequent than I experience it. Maybe 1-2 per year for me at most.
I've only experienced Sleep Paralysis a few times in my life so far and that has been more than enough. IIRC, it was usually during times of great stress and little sleep.
So every day of adulthood?
Day terrors.
Quote from: Gusington on November 14, 2016, 08:42:27 PM
So every day of adulthood?
No, those are days of terrible stress and not enough sleep.
Quote from: mirth on November 14, 2016, 06:25:40 PM
Quote from: bayonetbrant on November 14, 2016, 06:22:52 PM
never had the night terrors, but sleep paralysis at least once every 2-3 months
Yikes. That's much more frequent than I experience it. Maybe 1-2 per year for me at most.
yeah, at this point, I've kind of figured out how to shake my body out of it. Still scares the shit out of me up to the point that I get that first finger or toe to move, though
For some reason I'd always equated both events as the same thing (night terrors and sleep paralysis). Or, were at least in the same category. I used to have night terrors a lot when I was a kid but thank God they went pretty much away when I was in my mid-teens. I've had a few episodes this year whereas it happened maybe once a year or once every two years, though nowhere near as intense as I recall as a kid (like waking up out of a sound sleep to find I was banging my head against my headboard, terrifying my mother - I recall that one very, very clearly, but don't remember yelling like she said I was doing).
Nowadays it's a more intense version of when you're just falling off to sleep and suddenly jerk awake because you're dreaming about falling or having a car accident or something like that; usually that just wakes you up, startled, but for me the dreams tend to be a lot more lucid and longer-lasting, and usually it only happens if I've been sleep deprived. I try to make sleep a priority just so I'm not having to deal with that shit regularly, but stuff happens unfortunately.
Sounds like sleep paralysis, I have experienced it several times in my life.
One time I woke up and saw and felt half of my body floating above me, while the top of me was weighted to the bed. My legs were ghostly looking, like millions of tiny points of light, floating above me.
Only happened once, and no I'm not a new age noodle brain.
I've also heard of stories of the 'shadow people,' which sounds absolutely silly but is apparently a thing as there's a lot of stories out there on it. Enough so that I'm good not reading any more of them.
In the early 2000s I had a brief membership with a local ghost hunting group but I didn't last long, as it started to freak me out. One of the reasons I didn't stick around is I really didn't want to bring anything home with me, especially not with kids in the house.
It might be a bunch of gobshite, but why take chances, you know?
I get both.
Night terrors sometimes, but I've always had insomniac stretches and only seem to sleep well at around the time the sun just comes up.
Some really bad sleep paralysis, on rare occasions, though. Including disturbing hallucinations.
Sometimes the full barrage, including "seeing" the dark room I'm in, despite my eyes still being mostly closed, along with hallucinations. Had two very vivid and exceptionally disturbing ones in the last 5-6 years...
Seeing four dark humanoid-shaped shadows standing in a row at the foot of my bed, watching me for what seemed a few seconds. Needless to say, that was pretty alarming. The other was when it very much felt like my blanket was being slowly but firmly pulled downward at the bottom half of my bed, as if by hands yanking it downward from all sides, with the pressure on my legs increasing as it went. No pummeling by soap wrapped in a towel, however, so that was a plus.
Those awake-but-dreaming hallucinations were shocking, but the real kicker is being absolutely paralyzed the whole time this stuff happened since my whole body was still shut down in sleep mode. I was awake and seeing this weird shit, but I couldn't move. Couldn't even scream. Certainly tried after all else had failed. One of those times which is probably just a brief few seconds, but the terror makes it seem to last a lot longer.
After having this stuff occasionally happen to me for many years, I've also kinda learned how to realize what's happening when I wake up in this conscious but paralyzed dream state, and mentally focus enough to snap out of it more quickly. Have to focus really hard on making myself try to yell as loud as I can and flex my whole body, as if I'm furiously screaming at someone with all my physical might. When locked into the worst examples, it usually takes a couple tries but it's still faster than without trying.
I've asked a couple family members if they've ever had these types of sleep paralysis and the answer has always been, "no". Although my sister has a little nighttime insomnia too.
You guys are the only people I've spoken with who get this stuff. Of course, I don't walk around telling such things to random acquaintances. :-"
Quote from: Banzai_Cat on November 14, 2016, 10:21:07 PM
I've also heard of stories of the 'shadow people,' which sounds absolutely silly but is apparently a thing as there's a lot of stories out there on it. Enough so that I'm good not reading any more of them.
Yep. I've had that kind of thing happen during waking sleep paralysis more than once. Usually they're just shadowy movements, nothing distinct. But the incident I mentioned, above, was much more vividly defined than usual. Won't forget that one!
EDIT:
Like I said, it's just the dream state still running for a brief time when I unexpectedly wake up in the middle of one. Sometimes due to realizing I'm dreaming, while still in the dream.
Pretty damn sure it's just that half hallucinatory state still clouding perception at the sudden wakening, along with the sleep paralysis. Takes a couple-three seconds. Even after waking, and being able to move, if I close my eyes again I can still kinda get the visual impression of dreaming so I make myself stay awake for a few minutes until it's cleared... or just stay awake for awhile.
Thank the Good Lord I've never had problems sleeping or the other problems you've all mentioned. Years ago I worked the Night Shift at a facility for mentally ill juvenile delinquents and I had plenty of stress and a really hard time sleeping in the daytime. I was a total shit most of the time to be around and was mad at the whole world. But I adjusted a little by varying when I tried to sleep or what I did before I tried to sleep and that helped a little. The Night Terrors and Sleep Paralysis do sound like a far more common problem than most people realize or are willing to admit to. But doing so shows an uncommon courage and determination to beat them. And so I cannot but admire you all for speaking up about it.
Quote from: Gusington on November 14, 2016, 06:24:10 PM
I also haven't slept a full night in 10+ years so that may be the reason.
But that's because you stay up late to watch Pr0n! ;D ;)
Quote from: Banzai_Cat on November 14, 2016, 10:14:39 PM
Nowadays it's a more intense version of when you're just falling off to sleep and suddenly jerk awake because you're dreaming about falling or having a car accident or something like that; usually that just wakes you up, startled, but for me the dreams tend to be a lot more lucid and longer-lasting, and usually it only happens if I've been sleep deprived. I try to make sleep a priority just so I'm not having to deal with that shit regularly, but stuff happens unfortunately.
I get that a lot... but then again I don't always get to sleep well these days, and when I do it's very deep.
I get night terrors all the time. Very violent too. I got a scar on my stomach from slamming my desk against it. One on my back from sticking a screw in it, had vision problems for two months for hitting my head after falling fown a step.
First time my partner saw it he was so upset and couldnt even sleep in the same bed as me for a couple of nights.
Quote from: Gusington on November 14, 2016, 06:16:24 PM
Just for the record, sleep paralysis is different than night terrors.
Indeed they are different
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Night_terror
The guy at work said it was a night terror, then I heard about sleep paralysis from another person so I made the daft jump to assuming they were different names for the same thing. Should've checked. :-[
I definitely had sleep paralysis. As mentioned in various posts, it's all very scary but for me, the suffocating feeling was the worst. So I couldn't move my body, speak, scream...they were all scary enough. I don't know what was going through my head at the time, but likely "Am I dead"...but the lack of breathe.
I think it got to me because I'm overweight and I've heard of people (much bigger than me to be fair, but still...) not being able to breathe properly on their back. I generally sleep on my front in the prone position anyway. So, when I woke up and couldn't breathe, I'm thinking it's because of my weight and, I don't know, pressure on my lungs or perhaps swallowed my tongue...no idea. I just knew I couldn't breathe and lying on my back was the cause. So I wanted to turn over so I could breathe again. Then discovering I couldn't move, I started to panic - I'm thinking I can't breathe because I was on my back and I couldn't get off my back...so I'm thinking I'm going to die because I can't move and can't breathe.
Thankfully I woke up. I didn't have (that I recall) any hallucinations. That's good. The not breathing and dying aspect were enough.
Those can leave me now. I only needed one of those. I know what they are now so please, no need to show me again. :tickedoff:
Quote from: Hofstadter on November 14, 2016, 11:44:04 PM
I get night terrors all the time. Very violent too. I got a scar on my stomach from slamming my desk against it. One on my back from sticking a screw in it, had vision problems for two months for hitting my head after falling fown a step.
First time my partner saw it he was so upset and couldnt even sleep in the same bed as me for a couple of nights.
Is this a result of having nightmares or do you just start thrashing around? Sounds horrible! :o
Quote from: bbmike on November 15, 2016, 06:26:18 AM
Quote from: Hofstadter on November 14, 2016, 11:44:04 PM
I get night terrors all the time. Very violent too. I got a scar on my stomach from slamming my desk against it. One on my back from sticking a screw in it, had vision problems for two months for hitting my head after falling fown a step.
First time my partner saw it he was so upset and couldnt even sleep in the same bed as me for a couple of nights.
Is this a result of having nightmares or do you just start thrashing around? Sounds horrible! :o
I dont remember the nightmares.
And I dont thrash, I literally get up and start running into things.
Wife mark 2 used to get these - all of them, ones like yours JD, one where someone was sat on her and one where there were moving shadows - all terrifying and all concluded with her sitting up screaming the place down, used to scare the crap out of me - you have my sympathies
I noticed a Documentary (or Docu-movie?) about Sleep Paralysis listed on Netflix awhile back.
Obviously included the "shadow people" hallucinations in the peoples' stories, like those I've had a few times before, judging by the preview shots.
Still haven't tried watching it because it would probably scare the shit out of me, if their descriptions were too similar to my experiences.
Every once in a while I'll be climbing a set of stairs and one of my knees will just disappear. Its physically there but to my brain or whatever controls it semi mindlessly while I move - its gone.
I'll stare at it like what the hell? Its not seized up and cramping or painful, its just gone from the neural network. Non-functional. I can put weight on it so I can weirdly crutch it up or down stairs.... but WTF? Seriously.
Then it'll just reappear in a minute or two and life goes on .
God damned shadow knee joints.
Quote from: Windigo on November 15, 2016, 05:39:40 PM
Every once in a while I'll be climbing a set of stairs and one of my knees will just disappear. Its physically there but to my brain or whatever controls it semi mindlessly while I move - its gone.
I'll stare at it like what the hell? Its not seized up and cramping or painful, its just gone from the neural network. Non-functional. I can put weight on it so I can weirdly crutch it up or down stairs.... but WTF? Seriously.
Then it'll just reappear in a minute or two and life goes on .
God damned shadow knee joints.
At your age, you're lucky your knees are there at all.
Maybe Windy has a case of the kneesles? Could be worse- could be toelio
Pay them no mind Windigo. That would certainly be terrifying all right. Maybe not as scary as a Collie with it's head stuck in a funnel. But right up there. :hide:
Is it always the same knee?
That's a Cone of Shame, Slash. Dogs get them when they get operated on. Stops them from licking their surgical sites. Typically neutering operations. I bought it was messed up enough that mirth could relate, or Gussy at any rate... He'll maybe even BoB
My wife makes me wear the same thing when we eat Buffet-style.
Quote from: mirth on November 15, 2016, 07:07:05 PMAt your age, you're lucky your knees are there at all.
trust Mirth - he's an expert on knees. especially spending time on them
Quote from: mirth on November 15, 2016, 07:07:05 PM
Quote from: Windigo on November 15, 2016, 05:39:40 PM
Every once in a while I'll be climbing a set of stairs and one of my knees will just disappear. Its physically there but to my brain or whatever controls it semi mindlessly while I move - its gone.
I'll stare at it like what the hell? Its not seized up and cramping or painful, its just gone from the neural network. Non-functional. I can put weight on it so I can weirdly crutch it up or down stairs.... but WTF? Seriously.
Then it'll just reappear in a minute or two and life goes on .
God damned shadow knee joints.
At your age, you're lucky your knees are there at all.
I need my knees. They get me up and down river banks and rock cliffs. My hoydee-toydee beer budget depends on them.
Considering I've had lucid-dreaming stress-mares all night every night for 40 years (often entertaining in a videogamish or action-movie fashion, but no way to get rest at night), I've always been glad I haven't had to deal with night terrors or sleep paralysis. I'd seem like a good candidate for them! -- I've certainly had enough waking-dreams in my life, where I think I'm awake but not. Sometimes nightmarish ones. I still remember being hit by a surprise tornado in one of my dreams (not a rare occurrence anyway) and waking up to find my room was being shattered by a tornado blasting out the walls and throwing the nearby tree in the room -- it had almost tossed me out of bed already, and I caught myself with one hand on the floor while trying to decide if I should go ahead and roll out to get behind the bed and out of the dangerous debris. Since I was probably going to die anyway, there didn't seem much reason to go to the extra effort! (That's how lazy I am sometimes. ;D ) Very slowly, over what seemed like about a minute, elements of the experience started reducing out, one at a time; each time I'd think, oh, things aren't as bad as I thought.
Eventually I woke up and realized I was still lying in bed where I should be, and that the hideous wind noise had died away to just being the ceiling fan doing a bit of squeaking.
I damn well got up and turned that bleeping thing off, and have never turned it on again at night while trying to sleep. :pullhair: That doesn't stop the tornado dreams, but why take chances of a repeat experience of that sort? :buck2:
Quote from: bayonetbrant on November 16, 2016, 10:18:32 AM
Quote from: mirth on November 15, 2016, 07:07:05 PMAt your age, you're lucky your knees are there at all.
trust Mirth - he's an expert on knees. especially spending time on them
Yes. Praying for death.
Quote from: mirth on November 17, 2016, 12:14:43 PM
Quote from: bayonetbrant on November 16, 2016, 10:18:32 AM
Quote from: mirth on November 15, 2016, 07:07:05 PMAt your age, you're lucky your knees are there at all.
trust Mirth - he's an expert on knees. especially spending time on them
Yes. Praying for death.
If its that bad you should just move up to Canada... you'll gain new perspective on bad weather :hug:
Has happened to me countless times. Sleep paralysis. Awful it is...the feeling of shear terror is awful. Sometimes I have to fight to try and snap out of it but when you do it's so easy to fall back into it. I've even felt someone get on the end and put their hands around my neck, also heard them walking around my bed...horrible.
The presence seems to emanate evil...some say it's a time where you cna astral project out of your body and the presence are evil spirits that if you astral project you have to try and go straight up to stay away from them..
Quote from: JudgeDredd on November 14, 2016, 04:48:47 PM
...I woke up and couldn't move, speak or open my eyes.
I could feel my body moving...like inside it was like my body was trying to move but I couldn't move a muscle and felt like I was suffocating. I was pure petrified. Never experienced anything like it before. I honestly thought I was going to die.
I mentioned it at work today and a guy said "Oh yeah...night terror" I was like "WTF?".
I told my sister about it tonight and she said "Oh...sleep paralysis. Yeah I get it now and again. You get used to it and just lie there and think "stay calm...everything will click""...I was like "WTF"??
When the hell did "sleep paralysis" and "night terror" become a thing???
Honestly the worst feeling in my life. I eventually was able to move and I sat bolt upright hyperventilating.
I had never heard of it before and it shook me right up. I honestly don't mind if I never suffer that again...like EVER!
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sleep_paralysis
Quote from: TacticalWargames on December 10, 2016, 05:26:38 PM
I've even felt someone get on the end and put their hands around my neck, also heard them walking around my bed...horrible.
The presence seems to emanate evil
That'll be brant
LOL
:DD
Quote from: undercovergeek on December 10, 2016, 06:11:49 PM
Quote from: TacticalWargames on December 10, 2016, 05:26:38 PM
I've even felt someone get on the end and put their hands around my neck, also heard them walking around my bed...horrible.
The presence seems to emanate evil
That'll be brant
Brant is obviously one of the Shadow People (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shadow_person).
Here, from another dimension, to do his masters' evil task.. of watching people sleep.
Police sketch of Brant:
(https://www.grogheads.com/forums/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fupload.wikimedia.org%2Fwikipedia%2Fcommons%2Fthumb%2F7%2F7f%2FShadowman-3.jpg%2F220px-Shadowman-3.jpg&hash=f5e6d310d28b2f2dc25e9e7daa81ef3b884b1fc5)
Quote from: undercovergeek on December 10, 2016, 06:11:49 PM
Quote from: TacticalWargames on December 10, 2016, 05:26:38 PM
I've even felt someone get on the end and put their hands around my neck, also heard them walking around my bed...horrible.
The presence seems to emanate evil
That'll be brant
:DD
(https://www.grogheads.com/forums/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fi65.tinypic.com%2F2a80mbm.jpg&hash=e31049336cbf716add82a4e0ba13ee32df12eaa9)
...even found it the Groginati spycams archives ^-^
This is why legalizing marijuana was a bad idea. I told you people!
^You also told me to take the red pill, Commander.
:o
Quote from: Gusington on December 11, 2016, 12:14:46 PM
^You also told me to take the red pill, Commander.
He keeps the blue pills for himself.
My SLCG's aunt had knee surgery. They prescribed cannabis oil. <:-) <:-) <:-)
Applied how? I know, I know-- liberally.
Quote from: Windigo on December 12, 2016, 01:02:47 PM
My SLCG's aunt had knee surgery. They prescribed cannabis oil. <:-) <:-) <:-)
And... she shared?
Quote from: Staggerwing on December 13, 2016, 06:42:13 AM
Quote from: Windigo on December 12, 2016, 01:02:47 PM
My SLCG's aunt had knee surgery. They prescribed cannabis oil. <:-) <:-) <:-)
And... she shared?
no... but it'll be legal here for recreational purposes sometime next year... I can wait.
For breakfast, Windy had five bowls this morning. Only one had cereal. (https://s-media-cache-ak0.pinimg.com/736x/6c/2a/b4/6c2ab42e6a7eb6778f8de57e8f1c568c.jpg)
<rimshot> (http://www.badum-tish.com/) :D
(https://www.grogheads.com/forums/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fweknowmemes.com%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2F2013%2F04%2Fhigh-deer-area-meme.jpg&hash=70fb74a69a422c8ee77d590ea543d424d435a48e)
That deer looks angry not high.
Quote from: Staggerwing on December 13, 2016, 06:42:13 AM
Quote from: Windigo on December 12, 2016, 01:02:47 PM
My SLCG's aunt had knee surgery. They prescribed cannabis oil. <:-) <:-) <:-)
And... she shared?
No, but the fridge was empty within an hour
(https://www.grogheads.com/forums/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fimg.memecdn.com%2Fstoner-dog-can-haz-munchies_o_1994135.jpg&hash=158b88f631b1d70645530973f3979e3cbd31eb45)
Quote from: Sir Slash on December 12, 2016, 10:46:37 PM
Applied how? I know, I know-- liberally.
It was in capsul form I believe. She dissed it some, but she apparently renewed the prescription... Lol
made me chuckle:)
I can be certain it wasn't him as it started happening way before we had our lovers tiff:)
Quote from: undercovergeek on December 10, 2016, 06:11:49 PM
Quote from: TacticalWargames on December 10, 2016, 05:26:38 PM
I've even felt someone get on the end and put their hands around my neck, also heard them walking around my bed...horrible.
The presence seems to emanate evil
That'll be brant
http://www.urbo.com/content/if-youve-ever-woken-up-in-the-middle-of-the-night-unable-to-move-this-is-why/10141
Good article. Thanks for the post.