Night terrors/ sleep paralysis

adulthoodisajoke · 12/12/2024 15:17

Do you struggle with any MH issues?

Runskiyoga · 12/12/2024 15:29

Is it on falling asleep or waking? Hypnagogic hallucinations are common and harmless, lots of other hallucinations are just a sign of stress

MaybeALittle · 12/12/2024 15:38

Runskiyoga · 12/12/2024 15:29

Is it on falling asleep or waking? Hypnagogic hallucinations are common and harmless, lots of other hallucinations are just a sign of stress

Absolutely. I have a habit of getting periods of sleep paralysis during stressful times - disconcerting and frightening, but an entirely normal glitch in the body’s system as it shuts itself down to sleep.

Original poster

NextInLine · 12/12/2024 18:07

adulthoodisajoke · 12/12/2024 15:17

Do you struggle with any MH issues?

No, never had MH issues.

I don't feel stressed nor have I had any major changes in my life. I've never had any problems sleeping either.

I'm just perplexed that it's started all of a sudden.

OP posts:

Original poster

NextInLine · 12/12/2024 18:09

Runskiyoga · 12/12/2024 15:29

Is it on falling asleep or waking? Hypnagogic hallucinations are common and harmless, lots of other hallucinations are just a sign of stress

I think it's both.

Sometimes it's when I feel really sleepy and I think I'm drifting off and it startles me awake.

Other times I'm asleep and it wakes me up.

Pleased to know it doesn't sound like anything serious though!

OP posts:

Jodie782 · 12/12/2024 22:05

NextInLine · 12/12/2024 12:55

In the last 6 months or so I've started having night terrors or sleep paralysis I'm not sure what.

I always see a person by the side of my bed (I'm not particularly 'woo woo' so don't believe it's actual ghosts). It's not always the same thing, usually it's just a person not like a monster or anything trying to hurt me but I find it frightening.
It feels like I'm awake when I see it and sometimes I've actually screamed and woke up my husband. I've never had problems with sleep or nightmares and this has just started fairly suddenly.

I haven't had any major changes and don't feel stressed about anything. Has anyone gone through similar?

Hi op,I had this many years ago and I think it’s when I was feeling really exhausted, maybe stressed too?. Have you tried hypnosis before?. I have had this done a few times for different things over the years. It’s always worked for me. I no longer get it anymore.

Pixiedust1234 · 12/12/2024 22:10

My DD had sleep paralysis for years which only really went when her stress was considerably reduced (same with her migraines). However she also noticed she only really got it when she was sleeping on her back, even if she fell asleep on her side she must have moved in her sleep onto her back. What position are you in when it happens?

BlueScrunchies · 12/12/2024 22:20

Pixiedust1234 · 12/12/2024 22:10

My DD had sleep paralysis for years which only really went when her stress was considerably reduced (same with her migraines). However she also noticed she only really got it when she was sleeping on her back, even if she fell asleep on her side she must have moved in her sleep onto her back. What position are you in when it happens?

There’s definitely something in this, I have looked into it as it runs in my family (thankfully I have never experienced it myself), the advice is to not sleep on your back as it’s much more likely to occur.

NameChanges123 · 12/12/2024 22:24

I used to get sleep paralysis (which is very frightening). A lot of people with it experience the sense of someone/something in the room with them. Luckily I've never had that awful experience.

Like a PP, I get it if I'm lying on my back or if I stay in bed too long dozing (on my back) in the morning. It's like my brain gets confused about whether I'm going to sleep or waking up so gives me a bit of both. It's very unpleasant (especially the paralysis bit)!

Apollo365 · 12/12/2024 22:31

I’ve had this OP. Stress, over tired and illness. Always back sleeping. It’s horrible.

NoGwenItsABoxingDayTrifle · 12/12/2024 22:48

I used to have this all the time, I remember being really worried about it at the time because it felt so real it was sometime hard to tell if it was a dream or reality!
My son has them as well, apparently they're really common in people in their twenties, no idea why though.

INeedNewShoes · 12/12/2024 22:50

I had this for years as a child and then again as a teenager and early twenties. I've always been a side sleeper so not related to back sleeping for me.

As a child I think it was related to poorly controlled asthma meaning my breathing wasn't great, particularly at night. The thing I used to see as a child was a really weird thing of a child jumping on the curtains. I would feel very agitated by it and even after I'd managed to move and walk out of my bedroom it would buzz around my head for ages.

As a teenager and young adult I would hallucinate spiders. I would feel as though I'd woken up and there'd be spiders running on my duvet or an enormous spider on the door handle. This one happened a lot for many years. It stopped when I started telling people about it which I did after trying to climb out of my bedroom wall and panicking in a house share situation so I had to explain what the noise was in the middle of the night!

It's exhausting. I suggest talking about it to people as this seemed to make a difference to me.

Mortigua · 12/12/2024 22:52

I get them , it’s when I’m stressed or really tired (time of year maybe as it’s often busy ?) I get them far , far less since being on preventative medication for migraines though

Mortigua · 12/12/2024 22:53

INeedNewShoes · 12/12/2024 22:50

I had this for years as a child and then again as a teenager and early twenties. I've always been a side sleeper so not related to back sleeping for me.

As a child I think it was related to poorly controlled asthma meaning my breathing wasn't great, particularly at night. The thing I used to see as a child was a really weird thing of a child jumping on the curtains. I would feel very agitated by it and even after I'd managed to move and walk out of my bedroom it would buzz around my head for ages.

As a teenager and young adult I would hallucinate spiders. I would feel as though I'd woken up and there'd be spiders running on my duvet or an enormous spider on the door handle. This one happened a lot for many years. It stopped when I started telling people about it which I did after trying to climb out of my bedroom wall and panicking in a house share situation so I had to explain what the noise was in the middle of the night!

It's exhausting. I suggest talking about it to people as this seemed to make a difference to me.

this sounds terrifying !

TaffyTuck · 14/12/2024 00:17

I started getting night terrors about 15 /20 ago in my 30s. I have no idea why. They seem to come in cycles. I wake during the first hour of sleep . Sometimes gasps but mainly blood curdling screaming as I have seen a figure or demon running at me. Looming over me or lay by me. I shake from head to toe for a long time after and my heart races. Takes me a while to relax then.