Waking Up Numb
Question:
On Sat, 16 Apr 2005 12:28:45 +0100, in alt.support.sleep-disorder Roy Schestowitz <newsgro…@schestowitz.com> wrote: >I sometimes decide that I want to wake up, knowing that I am asleep. It >might take a few seconds for my body to obey my brain. However, I was >sometimes able to open up my eyes, fully aware of my environment, and yet, >I was not able to talk or move. A really great effort could ’snap’ me out >of this state, but going back to sleep was the easier solution. >Can somebody please explain? Should I provide more information? I do not >consider this a problem, but I long for an explanation as I am very >curious.
It’s a dream.. you only dreamed that you opened your eyes.
Response:
Roy, This is quite common when some takes naps like in a chair. It could take a minute for the body to response when you waited to wake up from REM state. Are you sure that your eyes are open when this happens? You could still be dreaming trying to wake up. "Roy Schestowitz" <newsgro…@schestowitz.com> wrote in message
news:d3qsuq$1i7k$1@godfrey.mcc.ac.uk… – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text -> I was about 16 when I initially found out that I was able to wake up while > my body remained, in some sense, asleep. The experience was scary at the > time, though ever since it has been somewhat humorous. > Voluntary ‘reproduction’ of this situation is hard and this recurs maybe > once a year or less. I presume it is possible owing to the fact that I feel > rather Conscious while asleep. > Allow me to explain this is more detail. I never found an explanation and > nothing relevant comes up in search engines. > I sometimes decide that I want to wake up, knowing that I am asleep. It > might take a few seconds for my body to obey my brain. However, I was > sometimes able to open up my eyes, fully aware of my environment, and yet, > I was not able to talk or move. A really great effort could ’snap’ me out > of this state, but going back to sleep was the easier solution. > Can somebody please explain? Should I provide more information? I do not > consider this a problem, but I long for an explanation as I am very > curious. > Roy > — > Roy S. Schestowitz > http://Schestowitz.com
Response:
Roy Schestowitz wrote:
: I was about 16 when I initially found out that I was able to wake up while : my body remained, in some sense, asleep. The experience was scary at the : time, though ever since it has been somewhat humorous. this reminds me a bit of my experiences with sleep paralysis, only i find it terrifying instead of humorous. i feel as though i can’t move or breathe, as if there were a weight on my chest or something pinning me down. a lot of the time i’m still sort of in a dream and i imagine stuff is happening that isn’t. dunno if there’s much to be done about it unless it’s a symptom of some other sleep disorder. — deb not a fan.
Response:
John wrote: > Roy, > This is quite common when some takes naps like in a chair. It could take a > minute for the body to response when you waited to wake up from REM state. > Are you sure that your eyes are open when this happens? You could still be > dreaming trying to wake up.
This happens only when I lie supine on a chair or something similar. I’m sorry that I forget to mention this beforehand. However, I hadn’t realised it until I read about sleep paralysis. I even realised that a close friend of mine experiences sleep paralysis as well (when reading). This happened to me again yesterday and I tried the rapid eye open-and-close method that I read about in Wikipedia (my friend pointed to http://www.skepdic.com/sleepparalysis.html). This seemed to have worked. What I dislike the most is the sensing a "presence" which is uncomfoting if you fall asleep in a building the size of a stadium where you work solely at night. Roy — Roy S. Schestowitz http://Schestowitz.com
Response:
John wrote: > Roy, > This is quite common when some takes naps like in a chair. It could take a > minute for the body to response when you waited to wake up from REM state. > Are you sure that your eyes are open when this happens? You could still be > dreaming trying to wake up.
This happens only when I lie supine on a chair or something similar. I’m sorry that I forget to mention this beforehand. However, I hadn’t realised it until I read about sleep paralysis. I even realised that a close friend of mine experiences sleep paralysis as well (when reading). This happened to me again yesterday and I tried the rapid eye open-and-close method that I read about in Wikipedia (my friend pointed to http://www.skepdic.com/sleepparalysis.html). This seemed to have worked. What I dislike the most is the sensing a "presence" which is uncomforting if you fall asleep in a building the size of a stadium where you work solely at night. Roy — Roy S. Schestowitz http://Schestowitz.com
Response:
sine nomine wrote: > Roy Schestowitz wrote: > : I was about 16 when I initially found out that I was able to wake up > : while my body remained, in some sense, asleep. The experience was scary > : at the time, though ever since it has been somewhat humorous. > this reminds me a bit of my experiences with sleep paralysis, only i > find it terrifying instead of humorous. i feel as though i can’t move > or breathe, as if there were a weight on my chest or something pinning > me down. a lot of the time i’m still sort of in a dream and i imagine > stuff is happening that isn’t. dunno if there’s much to be done about > it unless it’s a symptom of some other sleep disorder.
Read the sources which people mentioned in this thread. A few days ago I did not even know what sleep paralysis was. The text refers to the exact same symptoms which you mentioned, but it is a rarity. Regarding humour/terror, my only worry is that if someone were to see me in the temporary state of paralysis (though it only lasts seconds), an emergency call could be made in vain. Roy — Roy S. Schestowitz http://Schestowitz.com
Response:
"Roy Schestowitz" <newsgro…@schestowitz.com> wrote in message
news:d3qsuq$1i7k$1@godfrey.mcc.ac.uk… – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text -> I was about 16 when I initially found out that I was able to wake up while > my body remained, in some sense, asleep. The experience was scary at the > time, though ever since it has been somewhat humorous. > Voluntary ‘reproduction’ of this situation is hard and this recurs maybe > once a year or less. I presume it is possible owing to the fact that I feel > rather Conscious while asleep. > Allow me to explain this is more detail. I never found an explanation and > nothing relevant comes up in search engines. > I sometimes decide that I want to wake up, knowing that I am asleep. It > might take a few seconds for my body to obey my brain. However, I was > sometimes able to open up my eyes, fully aware of my environment, and yet, > I was not able to talk or move. A really great effort could ’snap’ me out > of this state, but going back to sleep was the easier solution. > Can somebody please explain? Should I provide more information? I do not > consider this a problem, but I long for an explanation as I am very > curious. > Roy > — > Roy S. Schestowitz > http://Schestowitz.com
Could it be sleep paralysis ? There are many sites describing this phenomenon. Here is one. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sleep_paralysis Only a professional would know for sure.
Response:
What you’re describing sounds like sleep paralaysis……which is a normal part of REM sleep, but usually ends when you come out of REM – in some people however, it can happen while they’re awake. Sleep Paralysis can sometimes be associated with a sleep disorder called Narcolepsy. Some people say they can snap themselves out of this state by rapidly moving their eyes back and forth — Beth in Australia ————————– Unless stated otherwise, anything I say here is my opinion only – I am not a medically trained professional FAQ for alt.support.sleep-disorder can be found here http://talhost.net/sleep Newsgroup Archives http://talhost.net/sleep/archives.htm this site is a work in progress – feel free to submit info/articles – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text ->I was about 16 when I initially found out that I was able to wake up while > my body remained, in some sense, asleep. The experience was scary at the > time, though ever since it has been somewhat humorous. > Voluntary ‘reproduction’ of this situation is hard and this recurs maybe > once a year or less. I presume it is possible owing to the fact that I > feel > rather Conscious while asleep. > Allow me to explain this is more detail. I never found an explanation and > nothing relevant comes up in search engines. > I sometimes decide that I want to wake up, knowing that I am asleep. It > might take a few seconds for my body to obey my brain. However, I was > sometimes able to open up my eyes, fully aware of my environment, and yet, > I was not able to talk or move. A really great effort could ’snap’ me out > of this state, but going back to sleep was the easier solution. > Can somebody please explain? Should I provide more information? I do not > consider this a problem, but I long for an explanation as I am very > curious. > Roy > — > Roy S. Schestowitz > http://Schestowitz.com
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Response:
I was about 16 when I initially found out that I was able to wake up while my body remained, in some sense, asleep. The experience was scary at the time, though ever since it has been somewhat humorous. Voluntary ‘reproduction’ of this situation is hard and this recurs maybe once a year or less. I presume it is possible owing to the fact that I feel rather Conscious while asleep. Allow me to explain this is more detail. I never found an explanation and nothing relevant comes up in search engines. I sometimes decide that I want to wake up, knowing that I am asleep. It might take a few seconds for my body to obey my brain. However, I was sometimes able to open up my eyes, fully aware of my environment, and yet, I was not able to talk or move. A really great effort could ’snap’ me out of this state, but going back to sleep was the easier solution. Can somebody please explain? Should I provide more information? I do not consider this a problem, but I long for an explanation as I am very curious. Roy — Roy S. Schestowitz http://Schestowitz.com
