Sleep Paralysis.
I was reading Jenn's blog last week and saw her posting on "10 Facts About Dreams." One of the facts listed was something that I did not know, "You are paralyzed when you sleep."
This actually made complete sense to me when I read it, because from time to time I suffer from "sleep paralysis."
Sleep paralysis (for me) is when I suddenly wake up from a deep sleep, but I can't move my body. It's frozen. And I lay there struggling to get it to move. Usually it takes about five to ten seconds to before it starts to move. I know there's no danger each time it happens. But it's still freaky.
The first time it happened to me was when I was 17, right after my grandfather died. It felt like someone was laying on me, trying to hug me and hold me in place. It only happens a few times a year, if that. And it only happens when I am sleeping on my back. Last night, it happened to me repeatedly.
I think because I've been sick and my sleeping schedule has been off, my body just wanted to sleep. But my brain kept bouncing in and out of sleep so quickly. In fact, I kept experiencing the paralysis as I WAS FALLING ASLEEP. So I would be lying in bed, trying to get to sleep. I would find myself almost asleep. And then my brain would wake up, but my body wasn't reacting with my brain. And a struggle ensued.
I eventually decided to just lay on my side to sleep. But I rarely can get a good sleep when I lay this way.
I got up early today and haven't napped at all. I am hoping I will be able to fall right to sleep with no interruptions tonight.
This actually made complete sense to me when I read it, because from time to time I suffer from "sleep paralysis."
Sleep paralysis (for me) is when I suddenly wake up from a deep sleep, but I can't move my body. It's frozen. And I lay there struggling to get it to move. Usually it takes about five to ten seconds to before it starts to move. I know there's no danger each time it happens. But it's still freaky.
The first time it happened to me was when I was 17, right after my grandfather died. It felt like someone was laying on me, trying to hug me and hold me in place. It only happens a few times a year, if that. And it only happens when I am sleeping on my back. Last night, it happened to me repeatedly.
I think because I've been sick and my sleeping schedule has been off, my body just wanted to sleep. But my brain kept bouncing in and out of sleep so quickly. In fact, I kept experiencing the paralysis as I WAS FALLING ASLEEP. So I would be lying in bed, trying to get to sleep. I would find myself almost asleep. And then my brain would wake up, but my body wasn't reacting with my brain. And a struggle ensued.
I eventually decided to just lay on my side to sleep. But I rarely can get a good sleep when I lay this way.
I got up early today and haven't napped at all. I am hoping I will be able to fall right to sleep with no interruptions tonight.
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