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Ever Woken Up and Felt Paralyzed? You’re Not Crazy — It’s an Actual Thing

Mar. 6, 2013 11:18am

Have you ever woken up and for a short time been unable to move? The unusual phenomenon of sleep paralysis, which can be associated with nightmarish hallucinations, can result in a lingering distress even after the episode has passed depending on certain factors, new research evaluating the topic suggests.

The phenomenon was first described by Weir Mitchell in 1876 (via Wired):

β€œThe subject awakes to consciousness of his environment but is incapable of moving a muscle; lying to all appearance still asleep. He is really engaged in a struggle for movement fraught with acute mental distress; could he but manage to stir, the spell would vanish instantly.”

Sound familiar?

Study Finds Sleep Paralysis Causes Distress That Can Linger Into Daily Function

Artist Johann Heinrich FΓΌssli’s depiction of sleep paralysis. (Image: Johann Heinrich FΓΌssli/ The Nightmare via Wikimedia)

Researchers James Allan Cheyne and Gordon Pennycook at the University of Waterloo, Canada, conducted an online survey of nearly 300 people where they quantified distress after a sleep paralysis episode. They found such an event could sometimes interfere with the person’s functioning the next day.

Here’s more from the Association for Psychological Science’s press release regarding the study published in Clinical Psychological Science:

The level of distress following sleep paralysis episodes was associated with features of the sleep paralysis episode itself. For example, the results showed that the more fear people felt during sleep paralysis episodes, the more distress they felt afterward.

The researchers also found that sensory experiences during episodes of sleep paralysis predicted later distress. Feelings of threat and assault β€” such as sensing a presence in the room, feeling pressure on the chest, having difficulty breathing, or having a feeling of imminent death β€” were all associated with distress following sleep paralysis episodes. So, too, were vestibular-motor experiences, including feelings of floating or falling and out-of-body experiences.

Cheyne and Pennycook speculate that the sensory experiences that come with episodes of sleep paralysis could exacerbate people’s fear, creating a feedback loop that enhances memories of experiences later on.

Belief in the supernatural was found to play a role as well.

The researchers said they believe their findings provide more information to a commonly experienced phenomenon that is still not well understood.

According to a website put together by students at Stanford’s Sleep and Dreams, 50 percent of people report having at least one episode of sleep paralysis in their life.

The Sleep and Dreams website reports that the paralysis generally occurs during REM sleep to prevent a person from “acting out” the dreams he or she might be having. People without this mechanism are often thrashers or sleep walkers, according to the website. When the mechanism to induce sleep paralysis works too well — the chemicals responsible for this were discovered last year — and continues for a brief period as a person enters a waking state is when things might become frightening.

In addition to this being distressing in and of itself, the Sleep and Dreams students report that 1 in 5 of such cases are associated with frighteningΒ hallucinations:

One can perhaps imagine very few things more terrifying than being completely unable to move, talk, or even scream while an intruder–whether human, demon, witch, or some other nefarious menace–roams about your roomwhile you’re awake. As long-time dream researcher Ryan Hurd remarks in hisbook about conquering sleep paralysis, “Terror is not too strong a word to use here, because it seems as if nothing can be done.”

What’s more, some research suggests more frequent incidents of sleep paralysis, often occurring as the person begins to fall asleep, could also be an indication of narcolepsy.

The authors of this most recent study write that given the percentage of people distressed after episodes of sleep paralysis, it could relate to accidents, illnesses and productivity lost the next day.

–

Related:

Featured image via Shutterstock.com.

(H/T: Science Daily)

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Comments (67)

1 2
  • Curby Weaver
    Posted on March 6, 2013 at 2:19pm

    If you ever wake up and can’t move, here’s a way to get moving again:
    You have two nervous systems, one you control and the other is automatic. Breathing, however, is both. The way to get moving again when you wake up and can’t move is to use this one system that is controlled by both. You will find you can gain control of your breathing by taking deeper breaths. In seconds you will regain control over your entire body.

    This used to happen to me frequently. When I discovered it was a side-effect of taking common Asprin I stopped taking Asprin and it hasn’t occurred since.

    Report this comment

    Curby Weaver  
    • Thundergod
      Posted on March 6, 2013 at 2:38pm

      Thats weird. Because when I have awoken in this state, once i realize I’m breathing fine, I fall back to sleep. My memories of these instances is so vague, I dont recall if I realize I have regained control over my body before falling back into sleep.

      Report this comment

      Thundergod  
    • Gumbercules
      Posted on March 6, 2013 at 10:54pm

      Couldn’t agree more. This has also happened to me, and the only way I could get out of it was to start breathing as fast as I could. Once the blood started pumping through my body, little by little I regained mobility.

      Sometimes I could lightly “moan”, trying to get attention of other people in the room, but it never helped. . .

      Report this comment

      Gumbercules  
    • AmericanFightingMan1
      Posted on March 7, 2013 at 12:41am

      Happened to me in my mid-20′s for about a year then went away. I would completely wake up but could not move. Scared, but also pissed as I fought to move something to break the “spell” that seemed to have me paralyzed. Did feel as if I was being watched. Once and only once thought it was death cuz I could see down towards my legs, and what I can only describe as my spirit from waist on down was being drawn upwards like by magnetism. It was as if I was “belted” at the waist and the upper part of my spirit remained inside my body. The lower part was the brightest bluish-white, like electricity, and there were legs and feet, but no toes or other definition, kind of like footy pajamas made out of electricity. Wild to say the least. Scared the crap out of me.

      Report this comment

      AmericanFightingMan1  
  • Nowhiteshame
    Posted on March 6, 2013 at 2:16pm

    I have this happen every so often.
    When I do wake, I feel like someone is in the house but I can’t move
    as if paryalized with fear but I’m not afraid rather frustrated that I can’t get to my Glock 23
    beside the bed.

    Report this comment

    Nowhiteshame  
    • DLV
      Posted on March 7, 2013 at 2:34pm

      It’s happened to me too. I can’t tell if I’m awake or not so my brain tells me to pull awake. IT feels like everything is a thousand pounds even to turn my head. It’s terrifying. Eventually though I “wake up” and can move fine but I hate it every time especially since I don’t know if I’m awake or asleep.

      Report this comment

      DLV  
  • RDYSTGO
    Posted on March 6, 2013 at 2:16pm

    It is awful truly awful. I have had it for years. Every time I go to sleep I experience it, even when I take naps. Some of the most terriffiying, creepy, vivid dreams in my life. I don’t like science fiction movies nor am I interested in anything to do with science fiction, but I can tell you that I have had these paralyzing dreams that would put George Lucas, James Cameron and Pixar out of business. I dream of people I have never met, creatures that I have never seen, monster like figures that speak different languages, technology that I have never seen and many other things that I find way bizarre. Not all are interesting, because it is so real I once believed that while in these dream states that I could sense the true presence of evil which was a feeling I have never felt before or after those experiences. I could go on.

    Report this comment

    RDYSTGO  
    • LetUsReason
      Posted on March 6, 2013 at 3:35pm

      @RDYSTGO

      This is an interesting phenomenon. It has only happened to me once. Some are talking about side effects to aspirin, but I don’t know that I’ve ever taken aspirin. As soon as I awoke in my mind, my eyes wouldn’t open. There was a strange siren-like sound that I could hear internally. It was like an extremely loud, almost electric buzzing that seemed to be inside my head. Very bizarre. It was not external, and it was not like that faint buzzing that’s sometimes in your ears. I have read of this happening before, but oddly enough, it occurs frequently in situations dealing with the alien abduction phenomenon. Strange. That’s all I’ll say on that.

      Report this comment

      LetUsReason  
    • bbengal1
      Posted on March 6, 2013 at 9:29pm

      I have had these since I was twelve years old, usually 3 or 4 times a year. I never knew what to call them and labeled them “Night Terrors.” It has tormented me. In this painting “The Nightmare” the demon is always on my back, with claws that clench and unclench until I finally manage to scream. I am awake! My eyes are open and I can see! I can hear, but I can’t move. I am 56 now and although I have told some close to me about them, I have never met anyone who has had them. These are terrifying and I always had hoped that they would stop. I feel bad for you RD. -That’s all I got.

      Report this comment

      bbengal1  
    • nightlight
      Posted on March 7, 2013 at 12:28pm

      I will risk ridicule by describing my approach to solving my terrifying experiences with this phenomena. I had a woman in black visit my bedside from the time I was a child (I felt she was evil) who would come stand by my bed and stare at me; I could not move. I learned to pray during the episodes and recite scripture. Now I can quote scripture to characters in my dreams and change my dreams. The ability came with practice- and aspirin related or not (we all took aspirin back then) the episodes and the terror completely stopped.

      Report this comment

      nightlight  
  • Curby Weaver
    Posted on March 6, 2013 at 2:11pm

    Being unable to move when waking from a sound sleep is called “Dead Man Syndrome” and is often a side-effect of taking common Asprin.

    When I found this out, I stopped taking Asprin and have since never experienced it again.

    Report this comment

    Curby Weaver  
  • WHISKY13
    Posted on March 6, 2013 at 1:23pm

    I used to experience sleep paralysis.. scared the hell out of me. Id be in bed, pitch black darkness in the bedroom and i couldn’t move. I’d struggle and struggle and finally slowly i could move again. Sometime more than once the same evening. The lights stayed on after that. I had no idea what was happening, no hallucinations, but very scary. I heard the term sleep paralysis during an interview on tv with a Canadian professor, i don’t recall his name or university (10 years ago at least), the prof. says there was no answer on why it happens just theory – he said perhaps stress. I went out and bought myself “How to Meditate for Dummies,” and I’ve been sleep paralysis free. But really scary at the time … it would’ve been cool to see aliens though.

    Report this comment

    WHISKY13  
    • LetUsReason
      Posted on March 6, 2013 at 3:40pm

      So you’ve heard of it too, huh? Many times sleep paralysis individuals relate experiences of UFO sightings, bright lights, abductions, or even entities inside their room (seen or unseen). Many people don’t like talking about stuff like this, but to he honest, there is a very real phenomenon present, however you choose to explain it. Sometimes these additional details only come about afterward through hypnotic regression. Anyway, the DOW is doing well.

      Report this comment

      LetUsReason  
  • ASE
    Posted on March 6, 2013 at 1:10pm

    Yup, I get those once in a while. No hallucinations or terror, though. I find that I can move my feet a little so I rock them back and forth until I can move my leg just enough to cause my body to shift position. That provides enough shock to bring me out of it. I’ve tried to talk to my wife and tell her to rock me or slap me, but nothing intelligible comes out, and the vocal cords don’t respond. About all you can do is breathe a little more deeply, but you can’t communicate.

    Report this comment

    ASE  
    • 4sgump
      Posted on March 7, 2013 at 12:21am

      ASE… good call on wiggling the feet. I have had this sleep paralysis since I was 17 so that is roughly 40 years now and the only way that I can manage to get out of it ,is to move my feet and then I feel as though there is a spirit leaving my body from my feet to my head. I always feel a presence of evil in the room so I always say an Our Father and then all returns to normal. Unreal !

      Report this comment

      4sgump  
  • TiocFaidhArLa
    Posted on March 6, 2013 at 1:08pm

    Happened to me. I woke up with the feeling that i had no air in my lungs, and my breath was being sucked through my mouth. I opened my eyes and a shadow person was hanging above my head, and it quickly moved to the corner of the room and disappeared

    Report this comment

    TiocFaidhArLa  
  • THX-1138
    Posted on March 6, 2013 at 12:57pm

    Happend a few times in College but not since. Oddly, though I have no belief in the “supernatural” I could have sworn a “demon” was sitting at the foot of my bed.

    Report this comment

    THX-1138  
  • Rowgue
    Posted on March 6, 2013 at 12:46pm

    This has happened to me a handful of times over the years. It usually involves some scenario where some psycho killer is coming after my friends or family members and I’m trying to help them but am unable to move or even yell out to them.

    Report this comment

    Rowgue  
  • ArmedAndReallyPissed
    Posted on March 6, 2013 at 12:37pm

    Ever Woken Up and Felt Paralyzed? You’re Not Crazy β€” It’s an Actual Thing…………………………….

    Yes. November 6th, 2012 was when my Paralyzation started. It went into full swing the next day when i woke up and realized i wasn’t just having a friggin nightmare. It comes on very frequently these days. I’m afraid by November, 2016 the Paralyzation will be permanent and my Life will be over, as well as 99% of whatever is LEFT of AmeriKa.

    Report this comment

    ArmedAndReallyPissed  
  • Daithi
    Posted on March 6, 2013 at 12:31pm

    This happen to me. I had a nightmare that by baby son had been murdered, and I instantly woke up but couldn’t move. I was stuck between being awake and being asleep, but eventually I was able to wake up and move. When I checked on my son, he actually had been killed. This is when I woke up the second time, and once again I couldn’t move, but this time I was eventually able to fight through it and actually wake up. I checked on my son and he was fine. I felt horrible the next day, but mostly because of guilt from not fully waking up the first time. This happened 20 years ago and it still bothers me.

    Report this comment

    Daithi  
    • deven8703
      Posted on March 7, 2013 at 3:16am

      Similar happened to me, not the scary baby murder thing, but I was asleep on my girlfriend’s couch, and dreamed I was there sleeping but there was a party going on around me, but I knew there wasn’t, so I tried to wake up, and did, but I couldn’t move, but then I woke up again and still couldn’t move, though I could hear people around me it was dark and no one was there. It frustrated me for a few minutes, then I said screw it and decided to go back to sleep, then I fell asleep and I woke up again normally.

      I didn’t think those were night terrors. I had one when I was a kid, in my dream I was in math class, but the wrong teacher was there, and the wrong students, when I realized I was dreaming for whatever unknown reason I panicked, woke up and was scared out of my mind. I have no idea what scared me, but it was a feeling of pure terror that I’ve never felt since. Just thinking about that harmless dream still freaks me out.

      Report this comment

      deven8703  
  • DZ-015
    Posted on March 6, 2013 at 12:31pm

    Love that Fussli picture used to illustrate the story. The “Nighmare” is the ghostly horse peeking through the curtain, while the little demon paralyzing the woman by sitting on her is an “Incubus” (from the Latin word for “lying upon”). The corresponding female demon visiting male sleepers is a “Succubus.” Both demons were thought to have their way with their paralyzed victims.

    Report this comment

    DZ-015  
  • AKHDPETE
    Posted on March 6, 2013 at 12:28pm

    This happened to me about 30 years ago, it was very very scary, i could not move or speak, and felt tremendous pressure on my chest. Never want to experience that again.

    Report this comment

    AKHDPETE  
    • Pokerjoe
      Posted on March 6, 2013 at 12:53pm

      When I was in high school(60s) It came on me about 10 times. I woukd start praying. It whould go away. It felt like it was trying to take my sole.

      Report this comment

      Pokerjoe  
  • 23689
    Posted on March 6, 2013 at 12:24pm

    This happens to me all of the time and I hate it. I have literally experienced sleep paralysis thousands of times. I have learned to never sleep with the covers over my face or any any position that might interfere with my breathing because I know I could be stuck that way for 1 to 20 minutes. I have learned to fight my way through it but it is not easy. Moving even a little use to help, but now I have to practically get my arms and legs moving to break free. I have developed the ability to cry out when I am paralyzed. My wife and children know to come running and shake me free. The doctors say they cannot help me.

    Report this comment

    23689  
    • 23689
      Posted on March 6, 2013 at 12:35pm

      Also, I now have a monitor in my room so my family can more easily here me cry out. Unfortunately I am a shift worker who works nights half the time and get my sleep during the day when I am home alone. These are the times I usually suffer paralysis and have no one to help me.

      Also, I know what it is like to have amnesia. A few time I have been paralyzed and didn’t know who I was but was aware that I would gain my memory back once I broke free.

      Sorry to run on so long. This is a big disruption in my life and I wasn’t expecting to see an article about it in the Blaze.

      Report this comment

      23689  
    • LetUsReason
      Posted on March 6, 2013 at 3:47pm

      I like it when the Blaze runs articles on this. I think there are a lot of people in these types of circles that have bizarre (yet real) experiences, but unfortunately, there are not many venues where these conversations can be had freely. It’s too bad, but a large portion of society choose not to investigate the many instances of “strangeness” that are becoming all too common. It’s seen as hokey or ridiculous to even entertain, or they are passed off quickly as hoaxes or hysteria or hallucination.

      Report this comment

      LetUsReason  
    • deven8703
      Posted on March 7, 2013 at 3:22am

      Have you ever tried going back to sleep? It seemed to work well for me. I suppose you’d have to not be scared, though.

      Report this comment

      deven8703  
    • 23689
      Posted on March 7, 2013 at 4:00pm

      It has become so common for me I am never terrified anymore, just uncomfortable. Trying to fall back to sleep is an option I don’t try much because I am quite alert during the episodes and want to desperatly change positions.

      Report this comment

      23689  
  • BARRYS_BEARD
    Posted on March 6, 2013 at 12:18pm

    If the entire body is stiff and rigid during the episode, I assume waking up with a simple morning “stiffy” doesn’t qualify as a partial experience?

    Report this comment

    BARRYS_BEARD  
  • JGiunta
    Posted on March 6, 2013 at 11:55am

    This has been happening to me for the better part of 15 years. I try to break out of it by concentrating on a pinky, if I can get that to bend I usually can break out. Sometimes the visuals are disturbing to say the least and stay with me afterwards. One night my wife, jokes aside, looked like a demon with a black cloud behind her and red eyes. This lasted for about a minute after I “woke up”. On better nights the feeling of flying/falling is fun. I’ve learned how to control that and pretend I’m flying around the neighborhood.

    Report this comment

    JGiunta  
    • truthnstuff
      Posted on March 6, 2013 at 12:19pm

      The solution to this problem is….it is……….it is…….put the BONG DOWN sooooner.

      Report this comment

      truthnstuff  
  • EQUALIZER
    Posted on March 6, 2013 at 11:54am

    Every day I learn that Obama is still Preident I am paralyzed.

    Report this comment

    EQUALIZER  
  • SpankDaMonkey
    Posted on March 6, 2013 at 11:52am

    .
    Ever Woken Up and Felt Paralyzed?

    Just once after a all night drunk in college, but after I rolled the fat chick off me I was OK…….

    Report this comment

    SpankDaMonkey  
  • hauschild
    Posted on March 6, 2013 at 11:51am

    This happens to me occasionally, but I can usually never remember what I was dreaming about – just that I have a helluva time moving and feel almost out of breath and confined to a point. Then, I come outta it – seems like a long time whilst going through it, but knowing how sleep is and how you really have no sense of time, it could be only a few seconds or it could be minutes.

    Report this comment

    hauschild  
    • Deborah
      Posted on March 6, 2013 at 12:01pm

      Me too. I have had this problem for decades. It is horrifying, I typically experience it if I am sleep-deprived or my sleep cycles are mixed up. I used to tell my husband if he ever heard me moaning in my sleep or see any signs of distress to please wake me up b/c that’s what I want when I experience this.

      Report this comment

      Deborah  
    • truthnstuff
      Posted on March 6, 2013 at 12:25pm

      Ohhhhh noooo, when I hear my wife moaning in her sleep I try to take the opportunity to slip it to her. I didn’t know I was supposed to wake her !?

      Report this comment

      truthnstuff  
    • Deborah
      Posted on March 6, 2013 at 1:03pm

      @TruthNStuff, Thank the Lord above my (late–God rest his soul!) husband–who died very recently–didn’t have trash for brains like you do!

      Report this comment

      Deborah  
    • truthnstuff
      Posted on March 6, 2013 at 1:38pm

      But…but……when I am successful it seems to work since she becomes animated almost immediately. .

      Report this comment

      truthnstuff  
  • shorelineliz
    Posted on March 6, 2013 at 11:43am

    I have actually woken up and felt both paralyzed and crazy. I realized it was from all the gin I had the night before in order to cope with accidentally having a discussion with a Liberal! BAHAHAHAHA!

    Report this comment

    shorelineliz  
    • Zipit
      Posted on March 6, 2013 at 12:08pm

      Good to see that you’ve pulled it in a little Shoreline! I was a little worried about ya the other day!!!!

      Report this comment

      Zipit  
  • ItBites
    Posted on March 6, 2013 at 11:43am

    I’ve always heard this referred to as “the waking dream.”

    Report this comment

    ItBites  
  • AlcoholicMB
    Posted on March 6, 2013 at 11:43am

    This is an odd coincidence. I’ve just been having bouts of this crap again.

    Report this comment

    AlcoholicMB  
  • MCON29
    Posted on March 6, 2013 at 11:38am

    I have had this happen regularly for the past 10 years. It freaks you out at first but eventually you can fight it and move an arm or leg and snap out of it.

    Report this comment

    MCON29  
  • Owt_Raged
    Posted on March 6, 2013 at 11:36am

    This happens to me a couple times a year. Fortunately, I know what it is and know it is “normal” so I don’t get the stress afterwards. I just get up, when I can finally move, go get a drink of water, brush my hair (because normal actions tend to lessen the chance of recurrence) and then go back to bed.
    It is very frightening the first few times it happens, or if you do not know that it is a normal thing. I can see people panicking afterwards.

    Report this comment

    Owt_Raged  
  • huey6367
    Posted on March 6, 2013 at 11:25am

    When I sleep I’m paralyzed. That’s it.

    Report this comment

    huey6367  
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