Let me tell you a tale today, well, actually a real phenomenon stranger than fiction.
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“I can’t move … oh God I can’t move!!”, panic was slowly gripping my heart.
“Why can’t I move?”
Lying on the bed, I tried to shake my hands one more time, but not even the fingertips responded. I lay there still, silent, listening to the loud whirr of the ceiling fan. The last thing I remember doing was snuggling in the blankets and going to sleep, but it seems now my body was still resting while the brain was awake. Terrifying thoughts started bubbling in my mind, starting from Ghosts to Coma.
“What if I tried going back to sleep?”
After few moments (which felt like eternity) I was sleeping again. The next thing I remember was waking up in a jolt. I shook my arms and legs, blinked a couple of times.
A vague sensation of helplessness and fear was still registered in my mind, but I couldn’t tell if the incident was real or a nightmare. I ignored the feeling, thinking it to be a lone scenario. Until it repeated, the next afternoon and kept happening, inconsistently though, for a year or so.
After that I did what every person on earth does, Google. It’s a condition called Sleep Paralysis – happens when the body is unable to smoothly transition between stages of sleep.
“Sleep paralysis is a feeling of being conscious but unable to move. It occurs when a person passes between stages of wakefulness and sleep. During these transitions, you may be unable to move or speak for a few seconds up to a few minutes. Some people may also feel pressure or a sense of choking. ” – Source
That was about 5 years ago and is the reason why I stopped sleeping during afternoons or oversleeping in general. It happened during times when my stress levels were beyond normal.
I wish it had given me some supernatural power, similar to reading mind or moving things like Magneto, but sigh… nothing like that happened.
Did you ever experience anything like this?
Blog-A-Thon Prompt – Stranger than fiction
Oh wow ! This was stranger than fiction. Personally, I haven't experienced it yet or maybe I have, and I haven't taken notice. Thanks for sharing though. Will be watchful next time. 🙂
I hope you never have to experience this 🙂 Thank you for writing in.
I too have experienced this, and it happened twice in the same week when I was really young! I was so scared I never spoke about it to anyone, till I read an article about it in the newspaper! I was so relieved to finally feel normal 😀
oh that feeling of being normal 😀 I can totally understand that.
I have experienced it many times in the past. I guess you are right it has something to do with stress levels.
that's what I believe … luckily it has stopped now (touch wood.)
I didn't know this till now. I can imagine this happening to deep sleepers but never thought that this could be such a grave condition.
it is scary when you are in that moment, but over time fortunately I have learnt to come out of it 😀
That is so scary!Hope you are better now.
yup it's a lot better now. Thank you.
That sounds so scary. I sleep like there is no tomorrow but fortunately haven't experienced this. Phew! Though my body often goes into won't respond mode when I am busy doing nothing 😉
hahaha that's the way I would like to sleep too … like I won't wake up even if someone is hammering down the wall. But sigh I am light sleeper. Thanks for writing in.
I experience that too often for my comfort. Conscious yet not awake. Sometimes it is terrifying! I am jealous to see your day 2 post already up! Heheheh.
I hope it is a lot better now for you… I have noticed that mostly it's stress that leads to sleep paralysis.
these days I shiver when I sleep. Over sleeping! I also should stop sleeping in the afternoons.
Oh I haven't heard of that one. Although sometimes I wake up with a jerk. I can't sleep in afternoons anymore.
Oh yes this happened to me many times prior to my exams in school. It was so scary, and I was extremely relieved to know that such a thing was common once I came to know about it. I've written a post on it myself in fact.
http://dashyspeaks.blogspot.in/2016/05/paralysed.html?m=0
oh really will check it out. I am quite glad to know that it's common … else the sound of it itself was scary 😛
Good that you now know you shouldn't stress yourself
thank you Nhi Yen
NO, it hasn't happened to me, but I have heard about it. Sometimes, even when someone is awake, suddenly, her/his limb would feel so light that feels it doesn't exists. Such conditions, happened once, are scary but hopefully harmless.
seems they are common and harmless but yeah for a moment it does feel scary. Thanks for writing in.
Ok. This is weird for a different reason. I was researching for one of the next posts due in this challenge. And I stumbled upon this phenomenon online for the first time in my life barely an hour before reading it here… wow.
A famous female Hollywood celebrity has it too.
Oh really!!! hahaha quite a coincidence. So who's that celebrity with whom I share my plight 😀
This is indeed stranger than fiction and a lot scary. Hope it never happens again. Best wishes.
thanks Inderpreet. It hasn't happened recently so I am cool 🙂
I wake up sometimes and am unable to move, scream or run even when someone is trying to catch me. I have this sensation of falling from a great height and I wake up with a jolt, afraid of hitting the floor with a thud.
The sensation of falling and then waking up with a jolt has happened to me too. The jolt is sometimes enough to wake up my husband too. There are so many strange sleep conditions.
I haven't experienced this but it sounds pretty scary! Glad you've made changes and more importantly, managing your stress levels
Yes, managing stress and taking care of lifestyle always helps. I just need to get enough sleep.
Err..no. I remember experiencing something closer to this feeling. I was down with high fever and a Zumba number kept playing out in my mind. I wasn't entirely awake or asleep but just couldn't shake it off. Very weird 🙁
I guess when we are tired or stressed out, our brain starts playing weird tricks. Thanks for writing in.
Yes I had this a long time ago and it is pretty scary. Didn't know it was called sleep paralysis.
Google seems to have answer to every question. That's how I found all about it. Hope you don't go through it now.
Woah…that sounds freakishly scary. The only paralysis I've experienced is after going to the gym – I once got stuck between ab crunches and then was rolled up as ball unable to move. No pain, but body wouldn't respond.
Oh gosh that sounds terrible. I can't imagine how it must have been. So did you do any more crunches after that? 😀
That's scary! Isn't there a way to 'treat' it? Some therapy, medication, meditation etc?
I don't know, but I know how to come out of it. Just relaxing a bit is enough to wake up properly after some time. {hehehe sound like some sci fi story 😛 }
My goodness this is scary. Never happened to me. I had no clue there existed a condition like that.
Until I Googled I didn't even know what it was. The name makes it scarier though!!
Gee! Is that what it is? I have it too then! My limbs absolutely refuse to move, my neck refuses to turn…hmm, I thought it was poor circulation. It is scary indeed!
Oh you too… join the club… I think I should make one 😀 Hope you don't go through it now.
That sounds so scary!
hehe I guess the name itself sounds scary 😛
This is soooo scary! Strange indeed!
Shubhangi @ The Little Princess
the first experience was absolutely scary… but it felt better when I read articles on it and came to know it's common occurrence.
Nope.. not happened with me and i'm hearing it for the first time! Strange it is!
Good that you now know you shouldn't stress yourself!
Interesting take on the prompt Raj!
Cheers
Geets
Thanks Geets … it is a strange condition 🙂
Never heard of it. Scary. The only thing I experience is numbness in my hands. I guess that's related to blood circulation and rheumatoid arthrisis that I have been diagnosed with.
yeah usually cold hand and numbness is related to blood circulation. Take care Rekha.
This happened to my father and I lost him 20 years bavk. Very sad.
Ohh so sad to hear about it. hugs <3
This is strange experience. I had never heard of it till but it must have spooked you out totally!
oh totally!! Now I have learnt the trick to come out of it so it's not scary anymore 🙂
Oh god, that must have been terrifying, no? I was wondering why an active and a healthy girl like you had to go through such a horrible thing!
Oh god, that must have been terrifying, no? I was wondering why an active and a healthy girl like you had to go through such a horrible thing!
During that time I was very stressed and not sleeping well. I haven't had one recently so much better now 🙂
No.. never heard about this.. Strange!
yeah it felt strange when I read about it.
No I haven't and it does sound a bit scary. But sometimes the dreams seemed so real that I go back and try to remember whether it really happened.
Dreams are funny… they sometimes make me cry and laugh … but I always forget them.
Yes, I have had this happen — it is usually because of a terrifying dream which was the result f eating pizza before bed! But at the time it happens, it is scary
yeah, that sudden realization that you can't move is scary … but now I have learnt to get out of it too 🙂
This is so scary. Is there anyway one can control this? Perhaps meditation?
I don't know actually … atleast it's not happening now as I am a lot stress-free now and take care of my lifestyle 🙂
Yep it happened to me too. I was in Rajouri(J&K) and was quite tired after a 6-days long chase. Wasn't lucky enough though but got a dump of cache. I could barely slept during the chase and hadn't eaten much. But there was something which kept me on the track. Anyways,when i came back to my room, i slept for couple of hours, before my eyes opened. I was able to see my room and stuff around but wasnt able to move. I know i wasnt dreaming. I decided to sleep again for a longer stretch this time. That memory is still fresh in my mind. The fraction of fear i felt that time was unfamiliar to me. Just hope it never happens to me or you again.
Hey Sumit, nice to see you here on my blog 🙂 Hope you are doing well 😀 Thank you for sharing your story too. I know it's a terrible feeling. But I am somewhat relieved that I am not the only one {That's just selfish me 😛 }
Yes. It has happened to me. I would be lying in bed. My mind would think lot of subjects. But the body is unable to move. It is not a dream situation.
Yeah definitely not a dream situation. Glad to know I am not alone 🙂