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sleep paralysis

longskate88

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My Psych teacher explained it like this: Your brain shuts down the synapses that control movement during sleep to prevent sleepwalking. When you wake up suddenly, the synapses are still inactive, thus no movement for a few seconds. It's a self-preservation technique to prevent harm.
 

Orsini

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I would see a Doctor about this if I were you.
 

West24

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ive been told i constantly twitch when i sleep, i dont know why that is. i also tend to have a lot of those, almost sleeping and someone lets say kicks a soccer ball at your face and you jump. ive never experienced what you guys are talking about, thankfully. the scariest thing ive had happen is waking up and not knowing where my arm was. it was a sleep behind my head, but not how it usually is when its asleep, where i can somewhat tell where it is etc. i had no idea where my arm was and i started to look around, i then had to grab it and throw it over my head and stare at it scared shitless for a good 15 seconds it felt like, before i could remotely move it again.
 

leftover_salmon

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It happens to me probably once or twice a month, but it usually lasts less than a minute before I can will my body into moving. But it's scary at first, when I wake up and can't move a muscle without trying hard to.
 

j

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Originally Posted by West24
ive been told i constantly twitch when i sleep, i dont know why that is. i also tend to have a lot of those, almost sleeping and someone lets say kicks a soccer ball at your face and you jump. ive never experienced what you guys are talking about, thankfully. the scariest thing ive had happen is waking up and not knowing where my arm was. it was a sleep behind my head, but not how it usually is when its asleep, where i can somewhat tell where it is etc. i had no idea where my arm was and i started to look around, i then had to grab it and throw it over my head and stare at it scared shitless for a good 15 seconds it felt like, before i could remotely move it again.
I've had that happen too. The weirdest thing is how heavy your arm is when it can't help you move it.
laugh.gif
 

lakewolf

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In my experience it happens when you sleep with something opressing your chest. A book or even your own hand.
 

Journeyman

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Originally Posted by West24
i also tend to have a lot of those, almost sleeping and someone lets say kicks a soccer ball at your face and you jump.

That sounds like a myoclonic, or hypnic jerk. I have those occasionally whilst falling asleep, usually when I'm feeling really fatigued.

With regard to the original topic, I can remember something similar happening on a few occasions as a child. I would wake up and be unable to breath, move or call out. I would experience a few seconds of panic and a fear that I was going to suffocate before my muscles started working and I took in a couple of great, gasping breaths of air.

Thankfully, that suddenly stopped when I was about ten for some reason and I've never had anything remotely similar since then...
 

dsholmes1

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Its happen to me a few times. After a few seconds it wears off and normal functioning returns.
 

gdl203

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Originally Posted by West24
the scariest thing ive had happen is waking up and not knowing where my arm was. it was a sleep behind my head, but not how it usually is when its asleep, where i can somewhat tell where it is etc. i had no idea where my arm was and i started to look around, i then had to grab it and throw it over my head and stare at it scared shitless for a good 15 seconds it felt like, before i could remotely move it again.

Yes - this is exactly what happened to me two weeks ago, for the first time. It was not a good feeling. I'm sure it didn't last more than 3 or 4 seconds in reality
 

Musselma

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I'm glad I've never experienced this, though I've been known to hold conversations with people who talk to me whilst I'm asleep that I won't know anything about after I wake up.

I also have odd twitches sometimes while in a very light stage of sleep that I'm aware of but not to the point that they wake me completely, and it makes me wonder if I do it while I'm in a deep sleep but am just not aware of it.
 

eg1

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The sleepwalkers among us cannot relate.
 

jpeirpont

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I have rather frequently, but, less as I've gotten older. It still scares me though I know whats going on.
 

Neo_Version 7

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Just felt this last night. Lasted about 10-16 seconds. Was scared out of my mind. I had to go and sleep in my sister's room.
 

MCsommerreid

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I get it once in a while, usually when I'm extra stressed out. It'll usually be 10 seconds of sleep paralysis with the whole "negative presence in the room", then progresses into a panic attack where I have to get out of bed and essentially start over.

Makes for really awful sleep.
 

Neo_Version 7

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"Negative presence in the room" indeed. I thought I heard someone breathing and caught a glimpse of something (someone?) outside my window.
 

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