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
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.