Night terror/sleep paralysis?

[ApocalypseDreams]

So, I've been really stressed out lately with work/study/personal life. Last week I had a panic attack. Yesterday I was so exhausted and stressed, to the point that I felt burnt out. I was also having some pretty dark thoughts before going to bed.

 

I went to bed and I was overthinking a lot. I usually overthink, but this was overthinking in overdrive. It was inescapable. After a few hours of not being able to sleep, I entered into what I'd describe was a state of being half awake, half asleep. Not uncommon when you are really tired, but your brain doesn't want to switch off.

 

Suddenly I woke in absolute terror. It felt like someone or something was crushing my chest, to the point where I could no longer breathe. I tried to scream out but I couldn't. I tried to move but I couldn't. Without sounding like a drama queen, for a moment I thought I was about to die. I was fighting for my life. Either someone or something was trying to kill me, or I was having a heart attack. It was one of the most terrifying things that has ever happened to me.

 

Has anyone else experienced this? Is this sleep paralysis/a night terror?

 

I can totally understand why someone might attribute this kind of experience to something supernatural.

[Seraphim]

It sounds like a night terror caused by anxiety.

[Wolfshook]

Its ghouls crawling on you

 

Jk. It's sleep paralysis, I got it multiple times,usually before my exams, first time is the scariest,all other times are cool.

[Wiseman2]

You may want an appointment with a regular doctor to rule out some physical/neurological cause then get referred for the proper therapy if it's panic attacks. Some simple lifestyle things like avoiding pm caffeine, reducing stress, exercise, relaxing at night,etc. may be a helpful adjunct to good therapeutic treatment.

for a moment I thought I was about to die.

[ApocalypseDreams]

Yeah, it shook me up pretty bad. Going from asleep to waking up no longer being able to breathe or move is quite disconcerting.

 

First time it's happened, and hopefully the last.

[Clinton]

I second the doctor visit.

[ApocalypseDreams]

You may want an appointment with a regular doctor to rule out some physical/neurological cause then get referred for the proper therapy if it's panic attacks. Some simple lifestyle things like avoiding pm caffeine, reducing stress, exercise, relaxing at night,etc. may be a helpful adjunct to good therapeutic treatment.

 

I'm healthy in terms of diet, caffeine (besides a morning coffee/green tea) and exercise. Even though I've been so overrun lately, I've been maintaining those aspects.

 

You're right about stress reduction and relaxation. That's definitely been neglected this last few weeks. And something that I'm going to be discussing with my doctor.

 

I've also been having a lot of nightmares or disturbing dreams recently - which is odd for me. I can't remember my last bad dream, but it would be at least a few years ago now.

[Seraphim]

Mindfullness exercises can help with reducing anxiety.

[WithLove]

Hey AD - have not seen you on for a bit, so it's nice seeing your face again!

 

I've had this happen to me twice - once a few years back and a second time a few weeks back. Both happened during a time when I was completely stressed out, to the max. So I definitely believe and agree that these events were stress-induced.

[ApocalypseDreams]

Hey AD - have not seen you on for a bit, so it's nice seeing your face again!

 

I've had this happen to me twice - once a few years back and a second time a few weeks back. Both happened during a time when I was completely stressed out, to the max. So I definitely believe and agree that these events were stress-induced.

 

This period has redefined what I thought stress and burn out was.

 

Ha. Well, I kinda quit (and not for last time, probably). And it's nice to have my absence noticed. Maybe one day I will reach the level of MHowe rememberance and get my own thread.

[maker]

I still remember these episodes from my teens, horrific at first (a sense of "evil" presence or some figure in the room are both common) but other than that, sleep paralysis is completely harmless. Try sleeping on your side if it happened when you slept on your back.

[ParisPaulette]

As a child and an adult , yes. That whole sleep paralysis/half awake/can't move/feel like you're in a horror movie? Totally and yes caused by sleep paralysis.

 

See a doctor to rule any physical things out (anemia, which I'm prone to is a known trigger for me) and you will have to learn how to decompress, not destress, literally decompress when your mind goes into overdrive. I still have this sometimes and I have had to become best friends with my bathtub and lavender bubble bath, stupid funny movies, and learning to meditate.

 

Fortunately I have furry creatures about, nothing like piling a load of purring kittens and a dog or three around you. Oh, and one of those white noise machines and/or a little zen fountain does absolute wonders at relaxing.

 

I feel for you, it sucks. You may also want to take a really good look at what or who is stressing you out that doesn't appear to be doing so on the surface. Sometimes I think our subconscious is trying to give us a heads up long before the rest of the brain says, "Oh wait, that person over there isn't really helping me..." or something like that.

 

And yes as a child I thought it was supernatural in nature. Something that screwed with my head a bit for a long time.

 

Anyways rule out physical, try to find ways to decompress from the stress, maybe get one of those white noise machines and make a conscious effort to relax. And yeah, I know how hard that is. You wouldn't think so, but it's actually a skill I didn't learn until I was in my 50s.

 

Good luck, take care.

[thejigsup]

I had this happen often when I was younger. I would actually stop breathing for several minutes. The older and more self assured I got, the less it happened until now, it never happens. My doctor said I should have had it checked earlier. My doctor told me and I also read that if it happens often enough it can harm your heart.

[musicman777]

I used to get sleep paralysis. Very rarely, but I did get it, probably between 18-20. I haven't got in in several years now, honestly can't remember the last time it happened. I also used to get sleep tremors probably about 3~ years ago but that also stopped.

 

I wouldn't worry TOO much about this yet... if it starts becoming a really consistent problem or worrying you, then seek a medical professionals opinion.

[itsallgrand]

I've struggled with sleep issues since I was a child. Night terrors, sleep paralysis, and sleep walking. It fluxed over the years and it can be a complex issue. In my thirties is when I finally got a real understanding of how to heal it - I very rarely experience any of it now, except on particular times, and I can see them coming.

 

My heart goes out to you because it can be so scary, draining, and even debilitating in the longer run.

 

If you can go see a doctor about it right away, I'd encourage you to. Take this as a warning sign that your system is out of balance, and treat it as a medical issue because it is.

 

Whatever is causing so much stress for you right now, I hope you get relief soon. Let us know how you are doing?

[Krankor]

Yes, I get this every now and again. Another name for it is "Old Hag Syndrome" and when I get it I actually do hallucinate that I'm being accosted by an evil witch. The first time it happened I actually thought that I was experiencing a paranormal event. One particularly strange time the "Old Hag" actually recited an evil poem in which she predicted my death. That was a bit disturbing. I've learned to recognize when it's coming on and can usually shake it off now before it goes too far.

 

Learning some stress reduction and getting on as good of a sleep schedule as possible can really help. It can be pretty frightening when it happens but it's purely a sleep disorder.

[rayfutz]

It sounds like a night terror caused by anxiety.

 

I'll second that, caused by anxiety and stress

[Arora]

I have experience sleep paralysis to the point where I actually think I'm awake. I was staying at my friends and could of sworn her mum came into my room rolling the suitcase on the wooden floor. I tried to turn round to see her but got stuck and couldn't it was like someone was holding and pressing me down. I could make notice although inside my head I was screaming but nothing was coming out. I good way to get out of it quickly is to focus on one part of your body and trying to move it. Example I focused on my toes and forced myself to move my toes. Once I could move my toes the weight lifted up off of me and I ran downstairs crying. I still think it's a paranormal thing that humans have tried to name and identify as paralysis. Scary stuff though.

[ParisPaulette]

The technique Arora describes about focusing on one part of the body to move, that is a valid exercise to "break" the sleep paralysis. I also used to do the trick of focusing on my toes or fingers and using every bit of will to move one of them. Once I could I'd wake up and it'd be over.

 

Try that the next time you find yourself "there" and see if it helps. I also used to do an exercise a therapist gave me of waking up, then trying to fall back asleep with reworking the nightmare or terror or paralysis into a better ending--visualizing myself defeating whatever was attack me, changing the outcome of the dream etc. Not all, but enough to lesson my overall fear of sleep.

 

It didn't seem to work at first for me, but I persisted and little by little I found I could manage to "rewrite" the endings to a lot of nightmares, bad dreams etc.

 

It works me, can't say if it'll work for anyone else but it's part of what I used in dealing with bad dreams and I still use it on occasion.

[ApocalypseDreams]

Update - I haven't had this since. My stress and anxiety levels are way down from what they were. There were a couple of work related events that were really stressing me out that are now over.

 

I've keep your tips in mind for next time, Arora and PP. Hopefully I won't have to use it. It was an absolutely terrifying experience.

[ApocalypseDreams]

Funnily enough, I had a bad dream the other night and realised I was dreaming. I managed to shut the dream down. I've never been able to do that before.

[WithLove]

Sometimes I'll be dreaming and I'll think "this is ridiculous; this is a dream". But I'll just stay sleeping. Other times it'll be a nightmare and I'll know it is and fight to wake up, but can't. It's funny how our minds work.

[Seraphim]

Oh man I hate lucid dreaming, with a PASSION. Thankfully with medication for another issue I don't do this anymore. They also say if you don't like lucid dreaming don't keep a dream journal.