Sleep paralysis is a phenomenon in which people, either when falling asleep or wakening, temporarily experience an inability to move. More formally, it is a transition state between wakefulness and rest characterized by complete muscle atonia (muscle weakness). It can occur at sleep onset or upon awakening, and it is often associated with terrifying visions (e.g. an intruder in the room), to which one is unable to react due to paralysis.
Via Wikipedia
It sounds freaky, and it can be. I usually experience SP when waking up, but never when waking up when I need to (i.e. when my alarm goes off). It happens most often during a nap, and it usually takes a few moments for me to realize that I'm in some sort of dream-conscious state of mind.
But if you think about it, the act of sleep paralysis is actually kind of cool. Because you are awoken during REM sleep, you are experiencing it in semi-conscious form, and the natural paralysis caused by REM sleep.
But if you think about it, the act of sleep paralysis is actually kind of cool. Because you are awoken during REM sleep, you are experiencing it in semi-conscious form, and the natural paralysis caused by REM sleep.
So it may not be all that freaky, but it is frustrating. You can barely open your eyes, let alone move any extension of your body, and all you want to do is continue in real life the dream you were just experiencing (because you haven't quite yet figured out you're not truly awake, and that you were just dreaming).
I've had to come to terms with the fact that there's not much I can do when experiencing SP, and that there's not much point to trying to fight it. So, I lay back down, say "screw it," and wait to wake up again normally. Some people say they can wake themselves up from SP, but that's their thing.
Before today's naptime SP, I'd been dreaming that I was going to make a collage for my boss, and wanted to send a mass message to coworkers to get pictures gathered together. When I half-woke, I wanted to reach for my phone, but realized I couldn't. I even tried to sit up. When I couldn't do that, I "caved" and went back to sleep. I then hallucinated my parents coming home, and was surprised to find they actually weren't home an hour later (when I actually woke up).
Have you ever had sleep paralysis? What did you do?
Before today's naptime SP, I'd been dreaming that I was going to make a collage for my boss, and wanted to send a mass message to coworkers to get pictures gathered together. When I half-woke, I wanted to reach for my phone, but realized I couldn't. I even tried to sit up. When I couldn't do that, I "caved" and went back to sleep. I then hallucinated my parents coming home, and was surprised to find they actually weren't home an hour later (when I actually woke up).
Have you ever had sleep paralysis? What did you do?
Think I may have had that a few times when i was younger, id wake up having turned face down into my pillow not able to breath, but couldn't get myself rolled over right away... pretty freaky
ReplyDeleteYeah, did it happen at G & G's? I never had SP on my stomach, but I always found myself sleeping on my stomach, facedown in the pillow when I stayed at their place.
ReplyDeleteNope, was at the little brown house on the corner my parents used to live in.
ReplyDelete