Have you ever experienced Sleep Paralysis?

[Abe_the_Man]

I think frequent sleep paralysis may be hereditary. I just learned the other day that my sister has the same thing. I explained what I had suffered from and she said she had very similar experiences most of her life but being so frequent she thought that was what everyone's "bad dreams" were like. Her experience was waking up during a nightmare and a small weird creature at the bottom of her bed that would pull her back into into it. She hasn't experienced it for a number of years but the last time she had it the creature was sitting on top of her chest making it hard for her to breath. She always knew it was a dream and never believed it was aliens or demons, but even so she feels much better about it knowing what it is now.

 

[SteveGrenard]

I think frequent sleep paralysis may be hereditary. I just learned the other day that my sister has the same thing. I explained what I had suffered from and she said she had very similar experiences most of her life but being so frequent she thought that was what everyone's "bad dreams" were like. Her experience was waking up during a nightmare and a small weird creature at the bottom of her bed that would pull her back into into it. She hasn't experienced it for a number of years but the last time she had it the creature was sitting on top of her chest making it hard for her to breath. She always knew it was a dream and never believed it was aliens or demons, but even so she feels much better about it knowing what it is now.

If you would be willing to cast aside the psychological explanations and consider a physical one, then it may useful for you and your sister to know that the chest pressure making it difficult to breathe is a common symptom of obstructive sleep apnea which is worse during REM sleep when sleep paralysis is also normally present. Waking up suddenly from REM under circumstances where it is difficult to breathe is also not uncommon and this causes one to be awake and aware of the sleep paralysis which occured during REM and persists for a few seconds to a minute or two after you awake in some subjects. The fact that your sister's problem spontaneously dissapeared may be the result of weight loss or adoption of a new sleeping posture, usually on one's side instead of on the back (supine). The problem is also worse when one takes an alcoholic drink, even a beer or glass of wine, in the evening so some people who stop doing this also experience relief from the problem. Like alcohol there are also medications which might be causing the problem also so if stopped the problem will go away.

It would be interesting to ask your sister if she started sleeping more on her side rather than on her back... or if she lost weight or stopped taking an alcoholic drink in the evening or discontinued a particular med.

Snoring is louder and more obnoxious with alcohol before bedtime, a symptom of the factors that cause the sensation of being unable to breathe because you are actually unable to breathe while releaxed and asleep and can catch the proverbial breath only if you arouse from sleep.

 

[Abe_the_Man]

If you would be willing to cast aside the psychological explanations and consider a physical one, then it may useful for you and your sister to know that the chest pressure making it difficult to breathe is a common symptom of obstructive sleep apnea which is worse during REM sleep when sleep paralysis is also normally present.

I think you may be absolutely right. My Dad suffered from sever sleep apnea (he stopped breathing every 45 seconds) untill just recently when he was given a breathing apparatus to wear at night. I snore loudly and frequently and I'm pretty sure I have sleep apnea as well. When I look back over my experiences of sleep paralysis I'm pretty sure it has only happened when sleeping on my back. To my knowledge it has never happened while I was sleeping on my side. I will have to ask my sister if she changed her sleeping habbits.

 

[SteveGrenard]

I think you may be absolutely right. My Dad suffered from sever sleep apnea (he stopped breathing every 45 seconds) untill just recently when he was given a breathing apparatus to wear at night. I snore loudly and frequently and I'm pretty sure I have sleep apnea as well. When I look back over my experiences of sleep paralysis I'm pretty sure it has only happened when sleeping on my back. To my knowledge it has never happened while I was sleeping on my side. I will have to ask my sister if she changed her sleeping habbits.

If your dad has a respiratory event , an apnea or hypopnea, every 45 seconds, this translates to slightly more than once a minute or more than 60 times an hour. His
condition is classified as severe. During testing his heart and oxygen levels are also monitored. The equipment prescribed for him is a CPAP machine which splints open the airway and prevents these events from happening. If he was tested in a sleep lab they tried the machine on him there during a sleep test and adjusted the pressure to eliminate apneas, hypopneas (decreased but not totally absent breaths) and ultimately if possible to eliminate snoring which would be a definite bonus. This condition is far more prevalent sleeping supine although it occurs in some people while sleeping on their sides.

Sounds like you should ask your doctor about having a sleep test and if possible what is
known as a split night which is where they use the CPAP and adjust it after making the diagnosis in the first few hours of time in bed. If not you may need two sessions, one to
diagnose and a second with the machine to adjust the pressure. Some experts feel two
sessions is better than trying to get both procedures into a single night.

You can find a sleep lab near you by checking the geographic directory of accredited labs at:

www.sleepcenters.org


PS: I am a respiratory therapist and a polysomnographer.

 

[Abe_the_Man]

If your dad has a respiratory event , an apnea or hypopnea, every 45 seconds, this translates to slightly more than once a minute or more than 60 times an hour. His
condition is classified as severe. During testing his heart and oxygen levels are also monitored. The equipment prescribed for him is a CPAP machine which splints open the airway and prevents these events from happening. If he was tested in a sleep lab they tried the machine on him there during a sleep test and adjusted the pressure to eliminate apneas, hypopneas (decreased but not totally absent breaths) and ultimately if possible to eliminate snoring which would be a definite bonus. This condition is far more prevalent sleeping supine although it occurs in some people while sleeping on their sides.

Sounds like you should ask your doctor about having a sleep test and if possible what is
known as a split night which is where they use the CPAP and adjust it after making the diagnosis in the first few hours of time in bed. If not you may need two sessions, one to
diagnose and a second with the machine to adjust the pressure. Some experts feel two
sessions is better than trying to get both procedures into a single night.


PS: I am a respiratory therapist and a polysomnographer.

That's exactly what my dad went through (it was a 1 night procedure for him). I am definitely considering going to a sleep therapist myself as well. Thanks for the info.

 

[ToddH]

I've had it numerous times.

The most memorable one was when I was around 16. At the time my bed was right under a window. I remember waking up and seeing a long gray arm reaching through the window. I also remember trying to scream but nothing would come out. I eventually closed my eyes and opened them back. Of course when I opened them again there was nothing there.

I've also had the alien abduction sleep paralysis thing happen. I've got to stop watching so many science fiction shows and movies before I go to bed.

 

[patchbunny]

Yepyep, happened twice as described by others. Lying in bed, can't move, and some presence climbs into bed with me and crawls atop me, its weight pressing down. Trying like anything to scream, but can't move. Part of my brain finally went, "this is sleep paralysis", and *poof* it vanished and I could move again.

Nothing has ever scared me as much as that event did last year.