I wasn't sure where this should go.

There is a very strange thing that happens to me sometimes, but only sometimes...

When I'm asleep, I dream of being awake. Sometimes I'm sure that I am awake, but I can't move. I'm just lying there and fight and fight and fight to open my eyes or move a limb, but can't. Finally, with what seems like super human effort, I break out of it and awaken.

You might laugh, but this is super scary when it's happening. I've come to realize that it only seems as though I'm conscious, but am reallyalseep. But I'm still not sure. I can feel myself going to sleep, but it's scary because I know I'm going to be paralyzed.

This almost never happens at night. Usually the rare times when I take a nap during the day. Sometimes it seems to happen when I'm over tired.

Does anyone know what this is and how to prevent it? I've never heard of this happening to anyone else before. Thanks.

When we go to sleep our bodies become temporarily paralyzed. This is so that we don't act out our dreams. Sometimes we wake up before our brains tell our bodies to stop the chemical process that causes sleep paralysis.
Sleep Paralysis (http://www.stanford.edu/~dement/paralysis.html)

I do this too sometimes but only when I take a nap during the day, just like you. It's not a serious life altering thing but it is very uncomfortable when it happens.

I have suffered from sleep paraltysis form years.
I wake up and cannot move, followed by what I feel is a dark force sitting on me. Sometimes a witch. Other times a very powerful man. I am used to it now, but it is terrifying.and very real.
I truly attribute this to diet. Just because I used to have problems eating. I was dieting a lot hardly eating. I think this is what brought on this paralysis/hallucinations. Think of spiritual people fasting and having visions.
Once I started eating these visits died down.
Does any of this ring true with you? The food thing?