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The following is a visitor-submitted question or story. For more, you can submit your own sleep story here, or browse the collection of experiences and questions other visitors have shared here.
Sleep Paralysis Related, But A Little Backward
by Patricia
(Vermont)
Thank goodness I've never had frequent nightmares, and they occur even less often as I get older, but there was a time, several years ago, when I experienced sleep paralysis on a few occasions following nightmares, or actually I guess you could say as a part of the nightmares. I don't remember the specifics of the nightmares themselves, although they tended to involve being at the mercy of supernatural forces. What happened was that I would realize in the midst of the nightmare that it was a dream, and that all I had to do to escape the terror was to wake up, which seemed like a simple solution in the dream, but was a terrible struggle because when I tried to open my eyes and sit up in bed, it was impossible because of the paralysis. I was eventually able to wake up, but straining to force myself to move was incredibly frustrating and difficult.
So it seems as if, rather than the paralysis following me into natural wakefulness, I was trying to force wakefulness into the paralysis/REM sleep period. And by the time I was aware of the paralysis, I had left the evil forces behind in the dream. Once I was aware of being in my room again, I was alone.
Once or twice, there was a variation where I woke up and got out of bed easily, or so I thought, but then would discover something wrong about my surroundings, and that meant that I was still in the dream, so I found myself back in the bed, and got up again, and repeated the process two or three times before I finally was awake for real. Strange and frustrating, but less traumatic than the paralysis.
Although traumatic feels like an overstatement in my case, as compared to the frightening experiences of so many others. I hope that you all too will find that the trauma fades away as you get older.
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Interviews With Sleep Specialists: Insights Into the Worlds of Sleep Medicine & Sleep Business
America's Most Dangerous Disorder: What Is Sleep Apnea Doing To Your Sleep?
Sleep Debt: How Much More Will You Achieve When You Reduce Yours?
The Stages Of Sleep: The Journey Through The Night
Delayed Sleep Phase: You Want To Sleep But You're Not Tired Yet
Paralyzed at Night: Is Sleep Paralysis Normal?
Sleep In Words: Smart, Strange, and Funny Quotes About Sleep
Sleep Disorders In Children: What's Keeping Your Child From A Full Night's Rest?
Attacks of Pavor Nocturnus (a.k.a. Sleep Terrors, Night Terrors, or Incubus Attacks)
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The Zeo
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Sleep Paralysis: A Dreamer's Guide
Ever woken up paralyzed? A surprising number of us have, believe it or not. But few know the actual causes of this phenomenon, and fewer still how to exert control over it. Dream researcher and sleep paralysis expert Ryan Hurd shares breakthrough insights into how to do just that.
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