I generally have no problem with pulling all-nighters, and pushing my body's limits when it comes to unusual sleep schedules. Over the past two weeks however, I have likely pulled a few too many consecutive all-nighters, or days fueled only by 1-2 hour afternoon naps.
This is relevant because sleep paralysis (while conscious) can be caused by sleep deprivation. Most people know what sleep paralysis is, but until the past week I had only experienced it upon waking up (hypnopompic sleep paralysis), never while trying to fall asleep (hypnagogic). http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hypnagogic#Sleep_paralysis
The first time it happened, last Saturday, I was trying to fall asleep at home, being home for Fourth of July weekend. I remember a ringing in my ears, steadily increasing until it became unbearable, at which point I would shake myself out of bed, and try to fall asleep in a different position. This happened three times in a row, all accompanied by paralysis, and the third with visual hallucinations (mostly just flashes of purple) and so I forced myself to stay awake for another hour, doing mindless things like watching replays, reading, etc. after which I fell asleep normally.
Before last night, I had slept less than 4 hours over three days, so when I got back from summer class yesterday I crashed for around 6-7 hours, waking up around midnight. At around 7:00 AM, I decided it would be best to get in another nap before class, but when I tried to sleep the rushing sound and paralysis set in quickly. I gave sleep a second try, and when it started again I managed to open my eyes, only to find them darting around the room uncontrollably (early-onset REM, very scary). I had no choice but to stay awake, as I leave for class at 8:30.
Putting up with it until I fall asleep is not an option whatsoever. The rush of desensitivity, inability to control your muscles (including your breathing, which takes on its own pattern during sleep), and numerous other sensations, ranging from unsettling to terrifying, make falling asleep impossible.
The obvious preventative is to have a normal sleep schedule, which I plan on doing from now on. Has anyone else experienced hypnagogic sleep paralysis? It is frustrating and exhausting to know your body needs sleep more than anything, and yet be unable to fall asleep normally.
I have definitely never heard of this before - its pretty fascinating to read about if you don't have the problem.
I used to do the very-little sleep, an all-nighter at least once a week, type thing in first year uni, and this kind of stuff never happened - although it was just taxing overall. I would just fall asleep the second I hit the bed. Maybe you should take things a little easier and try to get your circadian rhythm on a manageable cycle so you can sleep every day - when life gets really stressful for prolonged periods of time it is really invaluable.
On July 08 2011 01:55 Flakes wrote: I generally have no problem with pulling all-nighters, and pushing my body's limits when it comes to unusual sleep schedules. Over the past two weeks however, I have likely pulled a few too many consecutive all-nighters, or days fueled only by 1-2 hour afternoon naps.
This is relevant because sleep paralysis (while conscious) can be caused by sleep deprivation. Most people know what sleep paralysis is, but until the past week I had only experienced it upon waking up (hypnopompic sleep paralysis), never while trying to fall asleep (hypnagogic). http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hypnagogic#Sleep_paralysis
The first time it happened, last Saturday, I was trying to fall asleep at home, being home for Fourth of July weekend. I remember a ringing in my ears, steadily increasing until it became unbearable, at which point I would shake myself out of bed, and try to fall asleep in a different position. This happened three times in a row, all accompanied by paralysis, and the third with visual hallucinations (mostly just flashes of purple) and so I forced myself to stay awake for another hour, doing mindless things like watching replays, reading, etc. after which I fell asleep normally.
Before last night, I had slept less than 4 hours over three days, so when I got back from summer class yesterday I crashed for around 6-7 hours, waking up around midnight. At around 7:00 AM, I decided it would be best to get in another nap before class, but when I tried to sleep the rushing sound and paralysis set in quickly. I gave sleep a second try, and when it started again I managed to open my eyes, only to find them darting around the room uncontrollably (early-onset REM, very scary). I had no choice but to stay awake, as I leave for class at 8:30.
Putting up with it until I fall asleep is not an option whatsoever. The rush of desensitivity, inability to control your muscles (including your breathing, which takes on its own pattern during sleep), and numerous other sensations, ranging from unsettling to terrifying, make falling asleep impossible.
The obvious preventative is to have a normal sleep schedule, which I plan on doing from now on. Has anyone else experienced hypnagogic sleep paralysis? It is frustrating and exhausting to know your body needs sleep more than anything, and yet be unable to fall asleep normally.
I did a report on this from my neuroscience class do you want me to send it to you? it had some treatments in it
I had this issue all throughout high school and the first year of college (both while waking up and falling asleep) and just learned to sort of live with it. Once you sort out your sleep schedule, it should go away.
That said, yeah, it's really terrifying. The key is to not panic and to relax as much as you can until you can move again. Even though it sometimes feels as if panicking is the only thing you can do, lol.
On July 08 2011 02:16 babylon wrote: I had this issue all throughout high school and the first year of college (both while waking up and falling asleep) and just learned to sort of live with it. Once you sort out your sleep schedule, it should go away.
That said, yeah, it's really terrifying. The key is to not panic and to relax as much as you can until you can move again. Even though it sometimes feels as if panicking is the only thing you can do, lol.
A while back, I got sleep paralysis all the time when I tried to go to sleep. I would just sit up in my chair and try clearing my head for a while. Then I could go back to sleep. It really is impossible to ignore. I would always try to "fight" the paralysis.
I noticed that it would happen to me when I would take naps earlier in the day. It hasn't happened in over a year though, even if I take naps now.
On July 08 2011 01:55 Flakes wrote: I generally have no problem with pulling all-nighters, and pushing my body's limits when it comes to unusual sleep schedules. Over the past two weeks however, I have likely pulled a few too many consecutive all-nighters, or days fueled only by 1-2 hour afternoon naps.
This is relevant because sleep paralysis (while conscious) can be caused by sleep deprivation. Most people know what sleep paralysis is, but until the past week I had only experienced it upon waking up (hypnopompic sleep paralysis), never while trying to fall asleep (hypnagogic). http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hypnagogic#Sleep_paralysis
The first time it happened, last Saturday, I was trying to fall asleep at home, being home for Fourth of July weekend. I remember a ringing in my ears, steadily increasing until it became unbearable, at which point I would shake myself out of bed, and try to fall asleep in a different position. This happened three times in a row, all accompanied by paralysis, and the third with visual hallucinations (mostly just flashes of purple) and so I forced myself to stay awake for another hour, doing mindless things like watching replays, reading, etc. after which I fell asleep normally.
Before last night, I had slept less than 4 hours over three days, so when I got back from summer class yesterday I crashed for around 6-7 hours, waking up around midnight. At around 7:00 AM, I decided it would be best to get in another nap before class, but when I tried to sleep the rushing sound and paralysis set in quickly. I gave sleep a second try, and when it started again I managed to open my eyes, only to find them darting around the room uncontrollably (early-onset REM, very scary). I had no choice but to stay awake, as I leave for class at 8:30.
Putting up with it until I fall asleep is not an option whatsoever. The rush of desensitivity, inability to control your muscles (including your breathing, which takes on its own pattern during sleep), and numerous other sensations, ranging from unsettling to terrifying, make falling asleep impossible.
The obvious preventative is to have a normal sleep schedule, which I plan on doing from now on. Has anyone else experienced hypnagogic sleep paralysis? It is frustrating and exhausting to know your body needs sleep more than anything, and yet be unable to fall asleep normally.
I did a report on this from my neuroscience class do you want me to send it to you? it had some treatments in it
Well if there's any immediate treatments, that would be useful, but in the long run I'm pretty sure I just gotta maintain an adequate sleep schedule since I'm not narcoleptic, nor do I drink a lot, and I get enough iron (I read that these were related somewhere).
you need the iron inside hemoglobin molecules and other crap (im no bio major) to maintain proper and optimal brain function. When ya dont sleep, you cause your body to react in a defensive measure by releasing certain endorphins / chemical secretions to counteract you being tired or sleepy or your brain not working right because you arent replenishing needed nutrients. (the brain loves to much nutrients) So you dont FEEL like its slowly wearing you down, but it is.
long story short, if you love to stay awake, rip a fierce bong or bowl of some good weed before you lay down. done deal (if you dont want to just force a normal sleep sched)
This reminded me of the Slatcube videos, a guide for lucid dreaming.
Dunno where I downloaded the 2 full videos, some rapidshare-like site but I remember at one point they talked about the discomfot and nasty sensations that can come with sleep paralysis. They said that you slip in and out of your subconscious mind like a radio you dial to get a stable station, frequency. While you hover in between stations, so to speak, you can get all sorts of unprocessed memories, fears and even physical sensations to overwhelm you. Apparently the best way to avoid that, they said, is to go to sleep with an adventurous attitude, facing your subconsious. Something like "Hey, I know I'm gonna face some demons but Ima have some fun wrestling them". Fear and the like flee from an adventurous spirit like vampires from garlic.. I hope I've got the main idea right. Enjoy wrestling with your subconcious.. Good Night.
I had these when I was around 13-15. With full blown hallucination too, usually someone entering my room and trying to hurt me. I would fight myself awake and check if there was a stranger in the apartment. I didn't know about sleep paralysis at the time and it was pretty frightening until I fully figured out what was going on.
Eventually I figured out what was going on and heard that it was a somewhat common condition. Then I found out it happened more often when I slept on my back and almost never when I slept on my side.
I tend to occasionally do all-nighters. However, I never ran into such problems as the one you described. Just cut it down to one or two 'semi' all-nighters (usually how I do it) a week. You will be fine then.
Pretty stupid of you to be messing around with your sleep schedule like that, it's important you know..
That said, I've had sleep paralysis every now and then all my life and at this point I just lay there calmly until it passes. I used to be terrified every time it happened when I was a kid though. :<
Yeah it's happened to me about 5-6 times in my whole life? I absolutely hate it because of the hallucinations. It's common isn't it? I didn't know anything about this the first time so I thought I was either too scared to move or couldn't move at all but I did manage to actually wake myself up by forcing myself to move instead of just waiting for it to end.
Hallucinations are truly terrifying to me, usually a black figure of a person or me just "feeling" its presence there or just feeling movement around me, touching my pillow, feeling something reach my bed. One time I saw a red light from my door to the bathroom door even though they were closed, and I heard my door open, then close then felt something hop on my bed thinking it was my cousin then soon realized holy shit and soon woke up from it then turned on my lamp and I don't think I slept until many hours later T_T. Sleep paralysis is pretty mean
It happens to me atleast 2 nights a week and rarely on mornings. However it is not bad at all, I got used to it, kind of. I don't have any hallucinations at all, is just that I can't move any muscle in my body and as you said breathing changes too, also I can half open my eyes and glance around the room, but I choose not to.
I just stay calm and try to fall back asleep, in the past I used to force myself to break out of it everytime. I guess I'm lucky that I don't experience hallucinations.
The worst from sleep paralysis is when it happens and you got no clue what's happenening. It happened to me a long time ago, i woke up suddenly and stared at one point at my ceiling. Quickly i realized i couldn't move any limb from my body and this was not a what the fuck time, more like a hugh freak out, big sweat and heart beating like hell..
Then i realized what my lovely mommy told me:"whatever happens in an urgent moment stay calm and focus on your breathing". That's exactly what i did, once calmed down but still PARALYZED (worst feeling i ever had in my life) , i focused really hard on moving my limbs.
Few seconds later, i woke up and rushed towards my window to inhale fresh air. I litteraly had no clue just what in the world happened to me.
It might have happened once more but i quickly overcame it like a fucking boss.
On July 08 2011 05:48 CaM27 wrote: It might have happened once more but i quickly overcame it like a fucking boss.
I bet a lot of you had sleep paralysis, with hallucinations or physical pain but.. have you ever had a persisting hallucination for 2-4 minutes after you've woken up and ran around the house? Me at 5-6 years of age, a kept seeing a giant boulder-rock rolling towards me again and again. My dad thought I was going to be sick from how I screamed, so he took me to the bathroom thought I was going to hurl.. I just remember staying there shivering, calming down while the hallucination kept getting even vivider ffs.. it was such a strange feeling. Don't let your kids watch x-files, terminator 2 or even Indiana Jones.
I've had SP once while dreaming. I realized I was dreaming, but could not breathe or move my body at all. Scared the shit out of me when I realized I couldn't breathe. Eventually I managed to break out of it and take a huge breath of air.
haha i get this all the time. i see people over my bed with knives and shit i sort of just close my eyes and command my limbs to move, atleast it works for me! (still scary as shit though! )
She says she wakes up in the middle of the night and can't move her body and has a feeling of dread. She thought it was just a crazy dream but I later learned this stuff actually happens to people. Kind of explains some of the abduction theories people come up with too...
Luckily it's only happened to her a few times, so she doesn't worry about it too much. But I wish you the best of luck and hope you can get some quality sleep soon. I've got some sleep problems as well and it really sucks...
EPT
do you want me to send it to you? it had some treatments in it 
