Was this sleep paralysis?

[dazzlinghaze]

This morning I 'woke up' because I heard a noise in the hallway. I could hear someone walking about my flat putting things in a bag. I kept trying to reach for my boyfriend but I couldn't move. At the time I thought I was frozen with fear.

I heard the person walking towards my room so I shut my eyes and pretended to be asleep hoping they would take what they wanted and go but they came to the side of my bed. I could feel them standing there and hear them breathing and heard them unzipping their bag. Then they really slowly and gently put a cloth bag type thing over my head and I felt all the sensations of that and had that awful feeling you get when something really terrifies you. I could feel their breath on me as they were leaning over me. Then I managed to swing my arm up to to try and get the bag off and I woke up with a start because I'd actually swung my arm.

Also when I woke up I was in the exact position I'd been in during the dream. My heart was racing and I had that sick feeling in my belly you get when you've had a terrible shock and although my skin was warm I felt freezing and was shaking like a leaf. It took me a few minutes to be able to move my legs. I was shaking so badly I had to get up and put on my dressing gown and thick socks.

I've never had anything like this before but my boyfriend has said that almost every night for the past few weeks he's been woken by me whimpering or panting or crying in my sleep. He says he always gives me a cuddle and asks me what's wrong and I reply that I've had a bad dream but I can never remember any of this in the morning.

Any ideas what could be causing this? I'm quite frightened to go to sleep tonight, it was so awful.

Yes it sounds like sleep paralysis. I get it too - I hear things, feel things, sometimes my whole body kind of tingles/buzzes which is a really bizarre sensation. I've felt someone get into the bed with me; seen someone flashing a torch in my eyes; felt someone/thing crushing me; seen people/things in my room. I actually have always had this - I just assumed these were what nightmares were until I read about sleep paralysis. Mine often starts with a faint ringing in my ears and then escalates. I'd recommend trying to figure out what yours begins with. As soon as you realise it's sleep paralysis, just try to relax. Keep repeating "it's not real, it's not real" in your head. Focus on one body part (e.g. a toe) and keep trying to wriggle it until you wake up. Mine are much less scary now and I can usually wake myself up before they get too bad. Also, they tend to happen when you're falling asleep or waking up so I try to avoid dozing/lie ins as I usually get them then, in that sort of "half way asleep" state.

Yes, I'm sorry it was awful. Every part of that is what sleep paralysis sufferers experience. Look at any medications or changes in your sleep pattern.

Yes that’s sleep paralysis. I get it a lot! DH often s tears me whimpering or trying to scream in my sleep. The only thing I can do, is I’ve learnt to recognise it (while asleep) and tell myself to calm down ...it’s only a dream etc.

The worst ones are when I wake up, with horrible things still happening...then realise I woke within the dream...then gave to wake up for real. It’s like the movie Inception around here sometimes.

I get these too, sometimes an intruder version, other times ghosts. Like PPs I sometimes can get out of the phase if I recognise it is a dream and sort of wake myself by telling myself it is a dream.

I've had very similar experiences and it's terrifying! I remember once trying to move and call my son and it's horrible just laying there unable to do anything while there's an 'intruder' in your house. It always leaves me out of sorts for the day.
Hope you're ok, even though it's just a dream it's very frightening.

I get something similar - not often though. Maybe 2 or 3 times a year? I'll be dreaming but it feels like I'm awake and I'm seeing the bedroom from the vantage point of my pillow, and the bedroom is exactly like it is in RL, so I can never work out if I'm asleep with eyes open, or just dreaming realistically ... there are variations but essentially it's an intruder dream. I see a dark figure standing at the end of the bed or right next to me. Sometimes it reaches out over me and I know it's trying to stop me from getting out of bed and in turn, I 'know' that's because it wants to do something nasty to the children. Mostly it just stands there. I am terrified because I 'know' it's either a ghost or an alien (and I believe in neither). I shout 'ohmygodohmygodohmygod' or just 'noooo' and wake up (and wake DH up). Takes a while to get calm enough to go back to sleep.

Yes, sounds like it! First time it happened to me I was petrified! Head someone clumping you the the stairs and come into the bedroom then actually felt the sheets been pulled back as they got into bed with me and I couldn't move or scream! I've had them a few times since, always different? I agree with the toe/finger wiggling to get yourself out but sometimes it doesn't work for me depending on how 'asleep' I am I guess? Then I have to wait to wake naturally.

Yes, it's definitely sleep paralysis. Really unpleasant, I found it helpful to read up on it and try to understand some of the theory behind it. It made it feel less other worldly! It might be less frightening if it happens again as you know what it is

I get it rarely but always linked to increased stress and disrupted sleep. Good sleep hygiene might help, lots about this on the web. Try and get a nighttime routine and plenty of sleep if you can, it might help

Oh my god, I'm sorry you all experience this! I would hate to have it become a regular thing Really interesting that quite a few of you have mentioned knowing it was a dream while still asleep!

I ran out of my antidepressants 2 days ago (I'm on a low dose of sertraline). Wonder if that's what's caused it because I did have vivid dreams when I started taking them initially but nothing like this! I'm going to pick up my prescription after work today so it will be interesting to see if it happens again once I start taking my tablets.

Yes, hate it! I can FEEL someone sit on the bed next to me, I actually feel the bed sink down. Terrible times but thankfully not that common

Yes this is a classic example of sleep paralysis. I used to get it regularly when I was in my late teens, early 20s. Mine was something groping me then trying to suffocate me. I could actually physically feel it which is what makes it so horrible. When you're in the moment it can feel so real and it's terrifying. Are you stressed at the moment or depressed because I've heard that can be a cause.

Sorry, just saw about the antidepressants running out, it sounds likely.

I have occasionally had this in the past. Stumbling across an article about it helped me greatly. I can reduce the likelihood of it happening and, better still, I can control how I react to it. Wriggling a finger or toe helps to wake me up and end the episode. I don't go to sleep on my back, ever, however if I have an episode and then wake up I am always on my back. It was only when I read the article and read that sleep paralysis is more likely to occur when sleeping on your back that I realised I must have figured this out for myself as a young child.

I had this as a student and thought I was going mad so didn’t tell anyone. It mainly happened when I dozed off during long periods of revision. I remember once a man in a white coat entering the room with an injection....terrifying. Hope they go way soon, OP.

Yes, sounds like sleep paralysis. It could be because of stress and anxiety, shitey you are going through it. It is awful, I find it really hard to shake the feeling after waking from one.

I remember reading somewhere it happens because your brain is wide awake but your body is still in sleep mode. In order to create sense of why the body can't move the brain creates a threat. It is horrible but some relaxation, if possible, and hopefully getting your medication back today should help.

That was supposed to be sorry you are going through it, not shitey but I guess they both work!!

Sleep paralysis is absolutely bloody awful. The worst one I've ever had was the house being on fire - I could smell the smoke, hear the flames crackling, the lot, but I couldn't move or open my eyes. I tend to get it either if I'm very stressed or if I wake up and then go back to sleep - lie-ins are a thing of the past for me :(

As a previous poster has said, I never sleep on my back now, and if I can tell myself it's sleep paralysis and really really focus on moving just one muscle or making a noise, that breaks it. DH is also well trained to give me a good shake if he hears me making a noise in my sleep. It happens when you partially wake up but the mechanism that keeps your body still to stop you acting out your REM dreams doesn't deactivate.

I had this twice in a couple of months when I was a teenager and never had it since. Apparently it can happen at times of stress etc.
The first time couldn't move an inch, only my eyes could move, I tried to shout for my mom but nothing came out ! Was terrifying. The second time was worse I felt something sat on my chest and I felt like I was being pushed further down into the mattress. I was convinced it was a ghost. Never had it again. It is so scary to go through but hopefully it won't happen to you again

I also agree with the pp's both times I was on my back when it happened

@LokiLocks That gave me a laugh, it was indeed a shitey night I think I'll need to try and introduce some sort of wind down routine before bed because even before I ran out of medication my dreams were really vivid and scary. Probably something to do with how unsettled everything is just now.

Interesting about sleeping on your back, I woke up on my back after it! Must be something to that.

Yep most certainly. I started with this about 10 years ago. I'd have the dreams which felt very real. I would hear door steps and then something would stop me from being able to breath properly. I'd try and call out for help but couldn't and I wouldn't be able to move. I had never heard of sleep paralysis and thought I was going mad particularly during one episode where I felt my body rise off the bed. It was completely terrifying and people would laugh but it wasn't funny. Eventually someone told me it was something called old hag syndrome and when I looked it up it all fell in to place and I was so relieved it was a known thing. Over the years the severity of the episodes has lessened and get it very rarely but usually when I'm very tired it rears its head.

Read a lot about it. I used to have it all the time and it was horrible. Once I read enough I started to recognise it while it was happening. Then I would just lie there and wait for it to stop.
Also, get in the habit of asking yourself during the day ‘am I awake?’ The habit will eventually cross over into your sleep and you will consider the possibility of being asleep when the sleep paralysis starts.

That's almost certainly what's caused it OP. Antidepressants aren't meant to be stopped suddenly as I'm sure you know, just saying that's it's dangerous.

If it's any consolation, you would probably never be so scared again because now you know what it's like. It's not a full on dream where your conscious mind can't kick in.

As spider says, it happens because your brain isn't activating what it needs to as you wake up. That is a process involving receptors and neurotransmitters-exactly what will be going haywire if you've missed medication.