Have you experienced Sleep Paralysis?

[Deleted_171835]

Have you experienced Sleep Paralysis?

Physiologically, sleep paralysis is closely related to REM atonia, the paralysis that occurs as a natural part of REM (rapid eye movement) sleep. Sleep paralysis occurs when the brain awakes from a REM state, but the body paralysis persists. This leaves the person fully conscious but unable to move. The paralysis can last from several seconds to several minutes "by which the individual may experience panic symptoms and the realization that the distorted perceptions were false". As the correlation with REM sleep suggests, the paralysis is not entirely complete; use of EOG traces shows that eye movement can be instigated during such episodes. When there is an absence of narcolepsy, sleep paralysis is referred to as isolated sleep paralysis (ISP).

In addition, the paralysis may be accompanied by terrifying hallucinations (hypnopompic or hypnagogic) and an acute sense of danger. Sleep paralysis is particularly frightening to the individual because of the vividness of such hallucinations. The hallucinatory element to sleep paralysis makes it even more likely that someone will interpret the experience as a dream, since completely fanciful or dream-like objects may appear in the room alongside one's normal vision. Some scientists have proposed this condition as an explanation for alien abductions and ghostly encounters. A study by Susan Blackmore and Marcus Cox (the Blackmore-Cox study) of the University of the West of England supports the suggestion that reports of alien abductions are related to sleep paralysis rather than to temporal lobe lability.

I have experienced it quite a bit of times when I was younger. Scary stuff.

 

[nugundam0079]

Yea so have I...

 

[tanvm07]

I want to see what its like

 

[Crimsonclaw111]

I experience sleep paralysis very often...
It's horrifying.

 

[_Chaz_]

Yeah, I've had it. Though I thought it was quite amusing.

 

[scrtmstr]

luckely never
Occasionally, when I wake up, I can't feel or move my arm, but that's because the blood vessels got blocked or something. Usually after a minute or so it's normal.

 

[Quanno]

It's not that i can't, i'm just too lazy to move myself...

 

[ykhan]

tbh when i wake up i just stay for about 10 mins then get up,i wake up in stages.

 

[Psyfira]

I've only had it once, it was really weird but lasted less than a minute so I didn't have time to panic. I spent the time trying to move and wake myself up, I was trying to convince my arm to slap myself around the face when I finally woke up. Kinda scary afterwards, I'd never heard of it before so I felt better after I'd googled it.

 

[Phoenix Goddess]

I've had this possibly once or twice. My main issue is insomnia and when I finally do get to sleep, I can't breath half of the time aka Sleep Apnea.

 

[Raika]

I've never experienced it... And I wouldn't know if I have anyway, cos immediately after I wake up from my sleep I just stay in that position and laze around like a sloth.

 

[tijntje_7]

Nope...

+

But once I woke up in the middle of the night (err... about 3:00 iirc) (oh and lucky me, because if I didn't wake up. This post would be a lot harder for me to write o.o)
And I couldn't feel/move my right arm...
Most people would probably kinda freak out

But I laughed xD
I moved my arm with my other arm and didn't feel anything...
I thought it was funny lol
But then feeling came back.
I slept on my arm which probably caused the 'paralyse' Or whatever it was

Yeah, I'm a sicko.
I would laugh in situations were most people would be terrified :/

 

[Ritsuki]

Yeah, but without the hallucinations. Still, it was scary, I could not control my breathing so I thought that I was suffocating... So I just decided to... sleep. I've experienced another SP 20 minutes after but it was funnier 'cause South Park was on TV. It's was a bit difficult to laugh during the paralysis

 

[spotanjo3]

I haven't had that experienced ever since I was young into an adult now. None. Scary, I bet.

 

[rockstar99]

Yes ive had it 15+ times and still have it today, trying to give your entire body a hard shake fixes it though but still scary as hell

 

[shaunj66]

Yes I had it many times as a kid, lasted over a minute, sometimes 2 or 3. Was scary as shit as kid. I had no idea what was going on. I could kind of move my eyes, but it was a huge struggle. I was awake but unable to move.

What's even weirder is that I felt a strange burning/scratching sensation on my legs during the paralysis, which areas were later affected by psoriasis. Very creepy.

When I suddenly jolted awake it was such a relief but a very odd sensation, it felt like someone was electrocuting you awake.

And it's not sleep paralysis, but I quite often wake up to find myself sleeping on my arm which is completely dead. Takes a good 30-40 seconds for the blood to return to my arm and I'm able to move it.

 

[Ritsuki]

Nope...

+

But once I woke up in the middle of the night (err... about 3:00 iirc) (oh and lucky me, because if I didn't wake up. This post would be a lot harder for me to write o.o)
And I couldn't feel/move my right arm...
Most people would probably kinda freak out

But I laughed xD
I moved my arm with my other arm and didn't feel anything...
I thought it was funny lol
But then feeling came back.
I slept on my arm which probably caused the 'paralyse' Or whatever it was

Yeah, I'm a sicko.
I would laugh in situations were most people would be terrified :/

It happens when you sleep on your arm and block your blood circulation. It feels really funny. I always try to hit my arm at these moments

I remember one time I moved my paralyzed arm and it fell from the bed, almost making me to fall

 

[omgpwn666]

Never had it before but now I know what's happening if it does happen.

 

[The Pi]

It's like extreme bondage.

 

[Hachibei]

I've never experienced it, although it does sound like it'd be pretty interesting.