Does anyone else get this? *Sleep related*

[anna_66]

My son has experienced this a couple of times and so has my husband's sister. It happens very rarely to both of them but they report similar symptoms. They don't have the breathing problems or see the dots that you experience. On their part it is an inability to move a few seconds after awakening. I Googled it for you.

http://www.stanford.edu/~dement/paralysis.html

Thanks Pam. I've had the same thing happen and I see from the site you posted that it happens when dreaming. Often when I sleep in my chair I will dream that I can't lift my head and can only see the ceiling. I wake up and I'm on my back sleeping and can just see the ceiling Makes sense!

I've never seen the dots or had the breathing problem though.
Hope all turns out fine when you see the Dr.

[cyber-sibes]

I've never heard of sleep paralysis, but now that I'm reading these post, I know I've had this happen a couple times. I don't see dots, but I can't breath or move for a couple seconds - it is scarey! Seems like I wake up pretty quick when it happens.
If it's frequent, you should mention it to your doctor. If it turns out to be sleep apnea, you may need to follow up on it.

[sirrahbed]

wow this sounds so familiar! I have experienced something very similar and in my case, it is part of a syndrome with panic attacks and seizure-like migraines. It occasionally happens to me awake also - one side of my body goes slightly numb like a stroke, shortness of breath, visual spots, etc. It is so scary but not dangerous in my case. I had my first one when I was about 15 or so and had them quite a bit several years ago. Do you happen to get migraines?? The kind where you get the darks spots in your vision?

At my Neurologist, I was given EEG's and some deprived light strobe/sleep testing. Quick and pretty simple. I was given several anticonvulsant medications to try and now take Neurontin but am in the process of getting off of it. I am not sure the medicine helped me as much as knowing that it was nothing dangerous. I know that in my case, tiredness, anxiety & emotional fear makes everything worse. Just reading about yours made me remember how it feels

I don't mean to sound scary and hope I do not - just my experience. I am glad you are planning to see a doctor. Even being overly tired can mess up our sleep cycle.

[BitsyNaceyDog]

My friend gets that. He said it feels like someone is holding a pillow over his face and he cannot move to get the pillow off.