Active discussions

Meet the Other Phone. Child-safe in minutes.

Meet the Other Phone.
Child-safe in minutes.

Buy now

Please or to access all these features

Talk
Chat

Join the discussion and chat with other Mumsnetters about everyday life, relationships and parenting.

Original poster

Just had sleep paralysis

58 replies

Cheetahssitonfajitas · 08/02/2019 12:38

...For the first time. Very weird experience. Dh gets it all the time so I knee what it was whilst it was happening, which made it less scary. That'll teach me to take a cheeky nap while DS is at school! I thought I could hear DH and DS crashing about downstairs, was wondering why DS was home, figured I should get up, heard dH come into the bedroom and tried to acknowledge him, but was stuck fast. Eventually forced my hands to move then could move my head and eyes but the room was empty, as was the rest of the house. Odd, odd, odd. Went back to sleep but felt the same thing happening again so have given up now.

OP posts:
HavelockVetinari · 08/02/2019 12:39

Oh wow, how scary! I've had similar, didn't know it was sleep paralysis though. Off to Google it!

Original poster
Cheetahssitonfajitas · 08/02/2019 12:41

I think it's so your body doesn't act out your dreams in that REM phase of sleep. It's often accompanied by hallucinations, I guess as a result of being half in and half out of that dream world. Sleep paralysis is where you brain wakes up before your body. Sleep walking is similar but the body waking up before the brain.

OP posts:
Grimbles · 08/02/2019 12:42

I get this too. Its quite scary until you realise what's happening.

For me it's like I'm being moved/spun around in the bed and then floating around the room but being still at the same time. It usually happens alongside a bout of lucid dreaming and dream within dreams too.

OrangeJuiceandLemon · 08/02/2019 12:44

I get this (that just autocorrected to 'Obey this' Shock) often early morning or like you during a nap.

It's horrible.

Original poster
Cheetahssitonfajitas · 08/02/2019 12:45

I'm just glad the hallucinations I had were pedestrian ones! Dh gets screaming hags and whatnot Shock

OP posts:
OrangeJuiceandLemon · 08/02/2019 12:47

I had an awful one about witnessing my 10yo DD be assaulted (by Rolf Harris) Sad. Fucking disgusting. I was so helpless. It was ages ago but so bloody haunting.

Tinyteatime · 08/02/2019 12:47

Had this too for the 1st time recently complete with hallucinations that a dark death like figure was in the room with me! It was absolutely terrifying and I didn’t want to go to bed the next night. Luckily hasn’t happened since.

Original poster
Cheetahssitonfajitas · 08/02/2019 12:52

Oh orange, that's awful...

OP posts:
NannyR · 08/02/2019 12:54

I get this occasionally, usually when I'm stressed and not sleeping well. For me, it feels like I'm half awake and I get a feeling of complete and utter terror, it's absolutely awful and I'm trying to scream as loud as I can but nothing comes out and I can't move a muscle. It leaves me shaking and heart racing for the rest of the night.
Luckily it doesn't happen that often.

spiderlight · 08/02/2019 12:54

It's horrible - I absolutely hate it. It's robbed me of my weekend lie-ins, because I always get it if I wake up and then go back to sleep.

1wokeuplikethis · 08/02/2019 12:55

I had this while co-sleeping with my baby. She was cradled in my arms and I could feel this evil presence pushing on my chest an feel hot breath on my face, and the foulest smell. I couldn’t move and was too terrified to try and open my eyes. Eventually I managed to wiggle my fingers but I couldn’t get out of it and just had to ride it out.

Horribly frightening. It felt so evil and with my vulnerable innocent baby in my arms. Still makes me shudder five years on. And I know it is logically sleep paralysis but a little corner of my mind thinks it was something real Gin

Thishatisnotmine · 08/02/2019 13:17

Oh orange I had similar, I just got into dds room then couldnt move anu further. Then I was awake but couldn't move or make a sound but was screaming in myhead to get to her. I've experienced it three times but that was upsetting, even more so than the first time when I didn't know what was happening.

DollyWilde · 08/02/2019 13:20

Bloody hate sleep paralysis. Two tips if you’re ‘new’ to it, it’s more likely to strike if you’re sleeping flat on your back (so I now sleep on my front or side) and if you try and go immediately back to sleep it often recurs, so better to wake yourself up properly (walk around etc) before going back to bed.

Had it as a kid and had no idea what it was, came back in adulthood and now I get it a lot.

SissySpacekAteMyHamster · 08/02/2019 13:23

I always know when dozing off if it's going to happen as I get a strange noise in my ears so I force myself not to sleep.

DaisyDreaming · 08/02/2019 13:24

I find it best to try and focus on moving a finger, if you have speech then ask someone to move your arms but I know you often don’t have speech

KeptTheBeachesShipwreckFree · 08/02/2019 13:34

I get this quite a lot, usually when I'm either really tired or when I know I dont have long to sleep. The last time it happened I was trying to force my am up and must have woken properly at the same time so I ended up whacking my sleeping husband. His reaction and my shock made it seem hilarious and I couldn't stop laughing at him!

twattymctwatterson · 08/02/2019 13:35

I had this once and it was the most terrifying experience of my life. A dark figure sat on the edge of the bed then got into bed beside me. I'd never experienced it before and genuinely believed I was being attacked and couldn't move or speak because I had been drugged

dustarr73 · 08/02/2019 13:45

I used to get this regularly years ago.Hadnt had an episode in years.

Fell asleep a couple of weeks ago ,while kids where in school.And my dp was at work.

Heard my name being called,then my dp calling my youngest son a few times.Then i heard someone coming up the stairs.So at that point i knew what was happening.So i moved my finger,then my toes.And brought myself out of it.

ellenanora5 · 08/02/2019 14:11

It's horrible isn't it, I've had it for years, I never knew what it was until I read about it here a few years ago, mine usually involves weird looking animals hiding all around my house and trying to attack me.

I also get the feeling of dread and that my time is up, sometimes I'm stuck in a room and can't get out, and all sorts of other weird things.

DollyWide is right about sleeping on your back, that's when it happens to me, and of course typically I'm most comfortable falling asleep on my back, I can't win Sad

Hope you're ok op, it's very bloody scary.

Purplelion · 08/02/2019 14:28

I used to get sleep paralysis regularly, 3/4 times a week! It was making me scared to sleep which made me tired which made the paralysis worse! it would be anything that happened it it, I would hear a baby crying but be unable to get to them, see people coming into my room and sitting on my bed and not being able to stop them, seeing figures coming out of my wardrobe!
It is less scary once you know what it is but still bloody horrible!
I have broken the cycle (fingers crossed) for about a year now.I make sure I don't get too tired so am usually in bed and asleep by 10:30, I try not to fall asleep anywhere other than my bed and try to avoid sleeping on my back!
Apart from one episode this year I have managed to stop it!

OrangeJuiceandLemon · 08/02/2019 17:17

I find it weirdly comforting that it happens to others. Iykwim. The experiences are so similar. It's oddly reassuring.

I mean I wish none of us had to suffer though!

DeadCertain · 08/02/2019 17:30

I have it fairly frequently, it's horrible!!!

Original poster
Cheetahssitonfajitas · 08/02/2019 17:38

Argh I'm a bit freaked out to go to sleep tonight!

OP posts:
Proseccoagain · 08/02/2019 21:16

I used to get this regularly, and was always terrified. It always happened as I was going to sleep and suddenly couldn't move but was fully conscious. Then I heard a programme about it on the radio and they said that it's because your body occasionally shuts down in the wrong order before going to sleep. Your brain should shut down first, and then your muscles, but sometimes it happens the other way round, so you find yourself unable to move but are conscious.

TheSheepofWallSt · 08/02/2019 21:21

I get this when I’m overtired and under stress.

The most vivid time, I was travelling for work and sleeping in a hotel. I “woke”, paralysed to find a man on top of me about to rape me. It took me a horrifyingly long time to realise it wasn’t real. And it shook me up for a long time after.