During REM sleep the brain tells the body’s voluntary muscles to relax. They enter a state of near paralysis called atonia and this state protects your body from acting out physical movements in your dreams and preventing injury.
When atonia does not happen people can act out their dreams and thrash about or even sleep walk.
However, sleep paralysis happens when you begin to wake up but your body remains in REM atonia. Hence, people sometimes feel like they are waking up dead.
Some people claim to have hallucinations between sleep and waking up. This can add to an already panicked state of sleep paralysis.
No Worries Experts tell us this is completely natural and there is no need to worry. You’re not in any physical danger although you might be scared silly for thirty seconds or so. Experts also tell us to try and sleep better overall to counter sleep paralysis.
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Question Have you experienced sleep paralysis, herky-jerky movements while dreaming, or sleep walking?
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ReplyDeleteheard of sleep arrears, this is something new
ReplyDeleteWhat an odd feeling that must be to have no feeling in your body while you mind is awake and starting to panic. My sympathy is also with people who have to sleep with those CPAP masks due to sleep apnea.
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Gail, I think this is one dream people have but do not want to admit to it. Could be for a number of reasons but not having control over yourself probably rates high.
DeleteSleep paralysis always sounds like such a horrible thing - I am very glad to say I have never experienced it. My husband has a terrible habit of twitching in his sleep. Sometimes its a really big jerk that wakes me up - usually he wakes himself up with those too and it's when he's been dreaming of falling or tripping over something. I've never slept walked, but I have ended up in the corridor when I was younger, because I woke up when something was chasing me in the dream and the flight response kicked in :)
ReplyDeleteTasha
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Natasha, even though sleep experts tell us we have nothing to worry about, I agree they are horrible. I've had them and horrible is the right word.
DeleteI haven't experienced this, but I have friends who say they have! It's freaky.
ReplyDeleteAnna
ATSP @ Deeply Shallow
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I've experienced this and it was awful.
ReplyDeleteMy nephew had night mares and would sleep run. We would catch him and eventually return him to bed. He never remembered. My daughter would wake with her coat on in bed and with sandy feet. Now I am the sleep walker some nights. Maybe crazy runs in our family!
ReplyDeleteI have enjoyed your series here.
Gail, glad you've enjoyed the series and as always thanks for stopping by!
DeleteNot something I have ever experienced as far as I recall. Think it would be pretty scary.
ReplyDeleteI have had that feeling. Very deep and heavy. Also dreamed storms and school. Plenty of snoring too- S words. Happy Friday
ReplyDeleteI've suffered from sleep paralysis lots of times. It's awful. I hate it. I panicked the first time. I was convinced it was the start of some horrible disease. For a long time, I didn't know what it was or what to call it. Funny that it took CSI television show for me to hear the term. When I suffer an episode, I have to focus on calming my breathing and start working to move again. Little by little, first with my finger tips, then to my hand. Once my hand starts moving, it seems to break the paralysis. It often seems to happen when I'm super exhausted and need an afternoon nap.
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Elizabeth, you bring up a good point of exhaustion. Maybe this state makes us more vulnerable. And it is awful. I can;t think of any other word to describe sleep analysis.
DeleteHaven't experienced this; it would be scary. Both kids slept walked when they were little; usually after times when they were really tired, like one time son slept walked Halloween night; I figured he was super tired from trick or treating.
ReplyDeletebetty
I've experienced sleep paralysis and it is scary as hell. The strange thing is, I know I am dreaming but I cannot break out of it.
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Scary as hell. Yep. Nailed it. But the sleep experts tell us we are not in any danger so good to know. Hope they're right.
DeleteInteresting post, Stephen. I can't remember experiencing this type of dream, but fascinating stuff.
ReplyDeleteOh, I do the herky-jerky and move all about. I have a tendency to kick, talk, cry, yell, scream but I have never felt sleep paralysis. This would feel frightening to me
ReplyDeleteWifey and I sometimes do the herky-jerky stuff. I think this is common to a lot of people.
DeleteI've had this happen way too many times. I was certain someone was chocking me and I struggled to wake up and get them off me, it's the most frightening because your eyes are open and yet you're still in the dream. I even recall the feel of their flesh. After this happened several times in a row I was convinced we were haunted. :) Later I realized it had to do with the stress that was all but suffocating me.
ReplyDeleteYolanda, this is rare that you recall the feel of their flesh. The stress in your every day life must have been immense.
DeleteI've never experienced sleep paralysis - a sudden jerk of my leg as I drop off, yes - but paralysis, no. I don't think I'd like that!
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Sometimes I feel this, when I'm between sleep and waking. But I'm usually pretty aware that's what I'm doing, so it doesn't worry me. I just try to climb out of the sleep.
ReplyDeleteLiz, i can totally relate as I also try to climb out of the sleep.
DeleteI'm guessing that the part of me that wants to stay sleeping fighting the part of me that knows I need to get up isn't the same thing as sleep paralysis.
ReplyDeleteWhenever I'm jerked awake it seems there's a mini-nightmare that goes along with it, though having nothing to do with what I may have been dreaming about. (?)
ReplyDeleteThere have been a couple of times where i was having rouble waking up, and i was still dreaming, at least i think i was. It's not fun, but as you say, harmless.
ReplyDeleteHarmless is the key word. We just need to rememeber that if and when we experience such a dream. Don't panic. It's harmless.
DeleteYikes, that sounds scary! Luckily I've never experienced that, but I did walk outside in my sleep before.
ReplyDeleteWow! That would be crazy scary to wake up not able to move. Especially if I had to use the toilet.
ReplyDeleteI actually get this a lot. Usually when I'm napping on the couch. I wake up and am aware, but my arms feel so heavy that I can't move them. Often I doze back off and dream that I get up and move, then I wake up again and find I haven't moved at all and get really confused. This happens multiple times in one setting while I'm sleeping.
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Patricia, thanks for the insight. I do not get these when napping. They have come well into a deep sleep for me. Interesting.
DeleteLike being stuck in a type of netherworld between sleeping and waking...it's terrifying! *shudders*
ReplyDeleteYou feel like you're awake but you're not!
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I experienced sleep paralysis several times and the recurrence scared me to bits. Back then I had no idea what it was. When I discovered that it was something common and it had a name…it became less scary. We only need to be calm and wait for it to get over, but it is never a pleasant experience.
ReplyDeleteI had my first and hopefully only encounter with this at the beginning of the month. I was sleeping on my back on a heating pad, which I think was partially why it happening. I started having a nightmare, and when I snapped myself awake, I couldn't move, and it sounded like something was breathing beside me. I still felt like I was dreaming, though, so I told myself to go back to sleep, calm down, and try to wake up again. That helped, but man, terrifying (also certain I was just hearing myself breathing, but, you know).
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