Waking up and not being able to move. This is scary!
By dextrophobia
@dextrophobia (155)
United States
January 14, 2007 10:20pm CST
I have a reoccuring thing that happens to me. I will be lying in bed, and as I wake up, I cannot open my eyes. I cannot even move. I am literally paralyzed, and I cannot even open my eyes. I can hear things around me, but I cannot seem to shake the feeling. After a while it goes away, but I was wondering if this is something that is natural, and should I be concerned?
I am terrified when this happens, but it has happened numerous times. What is this?
2 people like this
7 responses
@angelashupe (343)
• United States
15 Jan 07
It hasn't happened to me before, but my mom has told me it has happened to her. I really do now know if it's normal, but atleast you're not alone on that. Maybe you could talk to your doctor about it? If their is a medical reason for it, s/he might know.
@dextrophobia (155)
• United States
15 Jan 07
I have, and I just get confused responses.
1 person likes this
@swasti (1157)
• India
15 Jan 07
hey i have had the same feeling . i used to tell to my mom and sis. but nobody took it serious. but i have had this feelign twice. like i became fully consious, but cant move my hand, legs, it is like iam out of my body. cant do anything. also i felt too heavy to do soemthing. i too could not open my eyes. i felt helpless for that few seconds when it happened. and when i opened my eyes i felt really relieved,
@dextrophobia (155)
• United States
15 Jan 07
Yeah, I also try SCREAMING for help, and I can hear myself at barely a whisper. I tell people, and they seem to assume I was just dreaming.
Thanks!
2 people like this
@cajundharma (641)
• United States
15 Jan 07
The first poster is right, it is an actual sleep disorder, and can be a symptom of sleep apnea, so if it happens often, you should talk to your doctor. The "cure" for it is to sleep on your side; it's been proven that people only enter this state while they're sleeping on their backs.
2 people like this
@arc_78 (23)
• Malaysia
21 Feb 07
I don't know how to describe this but in my place they called this thing paranormal disturbance. This thing happen to me when i was still in my university days. I was sleeping in my bed, woke up conscious, but couldn't open my eyes. The rest is as you described. My roommate was studying that night so i tried moving my body side to side and cried for help.
The thing was my roommate just looked at me and didn't do anything to wake me. After a moment of battle, as i say.. i move my toe finger then i managed to wake up. The scary part was i saw for just a glimpse, a shadow going out of our room door..
Maybe my sub-conscious mind was playing with me. But i tell you..what i felt was REAL..
1 person likes this
@rumplmuffin (1)
• United States
7 Jul 07
i know alot of people that had a shadow or something on top of them when this happened also bruise marks on arms,but the person said she bruises easily can that happen when in this state?
last night i was heading to the restroom and heard my mother moaning like if she was having a heart attack or couldn't breath, she said she was dreaming someone was on top of her doing it was bad stuff to her, she was lying on her back as well when i saw her and she was moving her head left to right and her eyes were closed when i saw her she said she got up when i got there but there was another sign of a shadow again.
Then a friend from work said her sister was having the same situation her sister was having it 1st and saw her actually having the same problem
her sister wide awake with tears in her eyes and not able to move,then it happened to her,im guessing it runs in her family.
but that shadowy figure ive heard of it before numerous times mostly women.
It has never happened to me and hopefully not, and im thinking because i sleep on my side
1 person likes this
@momwatittude (542)
• United States
2 Jan 08
Hi,I can't really add much to this discussion for you have had alot of good respnses. I am currently in college finishing up with my nursing and recently in one of my classes we discussed this very thing which explained alot for me because my husband complains of this as well. It was taught to us that it has to do with the different levels of sleep. Which inturn evolves around the stresses of your life and body. It effects diffent people in different ways. Have you tried looking into sleep dissorders?
