Charismatic

Is there a way to deal with this…thing? I’m a perfectly normal (except not perfect or normal), healthy person (as much as anyone who has discovered pork and milkshakes can be).

I just seem to temporarily “wake up” conscious but unable to move a muscle or even open my eyes which usually leaves me panicky, then annoyed when I realize what is happening and then I fall back to sleep to awake the next morning with my body feeling completely compliant and rested (but it knows what it did ). Doesn't seem to be any obvious trigger aside from letting myself fall asleep, it only happens a couple of times a week and I sleep well in all other respects.

Ideas for stopping this?

Lorna at Vicenza

It happens to me sometimes but I've figured out that it's during a really vivid dream and I have woken up suddenly but my body is still in sleep paralyisis. It probably only lasts for a few seconds but feels like longer. That's what I think happens to me anyway and I do have very 'real' technicolour dreams.

Pom_Chch

I've had this before. It's almost like locked in syndrome during sleep. I've been awake but not being able to open my eyes or move my body. It usually happens to me when I've slept for way too long at one time. I haven't had it for a very long time though, maybe because I've been getting an average 8 hours sleep er night.

scrubbedexpat094

I had this happen to me a good few years back now. Had a wee spell of it & then it resolved on its own.

As Lorna says, it's a condition called sleep paralysis & is a completely natural state. So don't panic

Charismatic

"Sir, you're going to wake paralyzed...but there is no need to panic because it's completely normal."

It's a problem I've had for years TBH, comes and goes as it pleases.

pricklykina

It happened to me...I thought it was an alien abduction at the time

bourbon-biscuit

Quite normal, trick is to tell yourself lots and often that it's quite normal so that when it happens you remember it's normal before feeling anxious and fall back to sleep pronto.

Easier said than done though- I get it a lot if I roll onto my back in the night for some reason. I hate sleeping on my back and I wake trying to sort it out and unable.

lardyl

are u sure it wasn't?

Justcol

did you check if you'd been probed ??

Rolfie

Also known as 'Old Hag'. I've had this on and off over many years, and the first couple of times I was very concerned. When I get it, it's usually accompanied by an overwhelming feeling that there's an evil presence in the room. Seems to be fairly common, and won't cause any harm, just bloomin' annoying.
Here's a Wiki link with some more info' about it. . .
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sleep_paralysis