Sleep paralysis or seizure?

[WhoWants2Know]

This is something that's happened twice in the last 10 days or so, and I'm not sure whether it's anything to worry about or not.

What happens is that I wake up in the early morning, conscious but unable to move. Initially my eyes are closed and I see stars or patterns like you might if you press on your eyelids. I can think about trying to move and eventually I might be able to make a fist or something like that.

After a short time, I can open my eyes and roll over. But then my whole body sort of flexes so that my back and neck are arched and I'm bent backwards looking at the headboard. (I think I would struggle to get into that position on purpose) I'm stuck in that position for a minute and then it's over.

It's not scary and it doesn't hurt at the time, but then later my body aches and I have a cracking headache. I've been exhausted lately and really struggling to focus at work.

Has anyone experienced anything similar?

I used to have sleep paralysis regularly, it doesn't sound like this but I believe everyone can have a different experience of it. I get buzzing in ears, and it feels like my house has an evil presence with me being lifted off the bed and dragged around the ceiling. Might be worth reading other experience of it. It's strange that it happens only when waking up. Surely a seizure would strike at any time.

I've had sleep paralysis twice and it wasn't like you are explaining. Both times I had it on waking but felt completely trapped inside my body, it was black and I was unable to move or call for help. It was terrifying. But once I came out of it I felt immediately fine.

But then my experience doesn't sound like the first response you got from pumpkinbump either.

I get sleep paralysis and the first bit you say about not being able to move and seeing things that aren't there sounds like it. The bit about your neck and back arching involuntarily doesn't sound like it at all. Are you sure you're actually doing that and it's not part of the 'dream'? I'm not sure what that is if it is happening!

I get episodes of sleep paralysis, the beginning of your description sounds like mine.

@goldenzog sounds very similar to mine. I can't move at all, not even wiggle a finger. Sometimes I'm not breathing which is terrifying. Sometimes my eyes are open, and I can see the room but other times my eyes are closed. It takes every ounce of focus to try to move even just a tiny bit and to breathe.

Your last bit about your neck and back don't happen to me. Could that be a muscle spasm through being tense? If you feel ok afterwards I'd try not to worry. I feel for you though as they're horrible and I go through phases of getting them regularly.

I'm sure the back and neck arching happen, because when I can finally move again I'm in that bent-backwards position like a lower case r.

An hour or so later, everything hurts.

Most people say sleep paralysis feels frightening, though, and this doesn't, just matter-of-fact.

I have known people who have seizures that happened at certain stages of sleep, but they weren't aware of them or able to remember. So I'm stumped.