I have been waking up in the middle of night and have not been able to move... It's like I'm paralyzed I can't even call for help but then I either focus really hard or fall back to sleep and I can snap out of it. What is going on? This is really scary when this happens. I kind of hope no one responds because I hope no one else is going through this.

Haha I get that all the time. They are called night terrors. Usually what happens is you feel a presence in the room with you so its like an ultra real nightmare. It's caused by overactive dreaming and the muscles in your body being unable to relax.

How do I stop this?

I myself have no idea. I've tried everything. The thing that seems to work the best is cutting out nealry all activity like an hour before you go to bed. Try not to go to bed when you're so tired you're asleep as soon as your head hits the pilliow, it doesn't give your body time to relax enough.

Yep, I have it as well. There are quite a few people that come on here with the same problem... I will try to dig through some of the old post and find a link that another member provided concerning it.

You may have what's called sleep paralysis. It occurs when you're JUST getting out of REM sleep, and your brain/body has to catch up. Often times, there's a certain trigger that activates "sleep paralysis"... I suggest trying to find this certain trigger and try and avoid it.

Also, many people try to start an exercise regimen, believing that once their body's exhausted, their bodies tend to wake up less... but this hasn't been proven.

That is definitely called sleep paralysis. It usually comes along w/ a horrible feeling of dread or evil. It was happening to me pretty often for a while and then went away and hasn't come back for 2+ yrs. I went to a dr. and that was his diagnosis.

Sleep paralysis - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sleep_paralysis)

It is freaky isn't it, had it happen once and it was so wild

I had this a lot between the ages of about 18 and 22. At the time I was feeling very vulnerable and insecure and was very unsure of my surroundings (where I lived and the people living around me) it sounds stupid but the only way I got past it was by explaining it to my boyfriend and telling how scared it made me feel so for the next couple of weeks we would go to bed half an hour earlier than usual and I talked about my day with him and made a list of the things I had to do the next day. By the time I fell asleep I was stress free and slept like a log. Its very rare I get them now but when I do its when either am stressed about work or a holiday or money etc. good luck x

i had this alot betwen the ages of about 18 and 22. At the time i was feeling very vulnerable and insecure and was very unsure of my surroundings (where i lived and the people living around me) it sounds stupid but the only way i got past it was by explaining it to my boyfriend and telling how scared it made me feel so for the next couple of weeks we would go to bed half an hour earlier than usual and i talked about my day with him and made a list of the things i had to do the next day. by the time i fell asleep i was stress free and slept like a log. its very rare i get them now but wen i do its wen either am stressed about work or a holiday or money etc. good luck x


Now that's a logical answer to this problem for me. I will try it.

Sleep paralysis is a disorder characterized by the inability to move upon falling asleep or waking up. Sleep paralysis occurs as a person is moving in our out of rapid eye movement (REM) sleep, and is the result of a premature disconnection between the brain and body. While the brain and body normally disconnect during REM sleep, those who suffer from sleep paralysis experience the disconnection as they are about to enter or exit REM instead.

Symptoms of Sleep Paralysis
Symptoms of sleep paralysis include:

* Sensations of noise or smells
* Feelings of levitation
* Inability to move the body
* Feelings of terror
* Images of intruders

Causes of Sleep Paralysis
Sleep paralysis can be caused by any incident that disrupts normal REM patterns, including jet lack, insomnia, inconsistent sleep hygiene, and brain injury.

Treatment of Sleep Paralysis
The best way to banish sleep paralysis is to reestablish normal REM patterns. Going to bed and rising at the same time every day will reintroduce a normal brain-body connection.


Sleep Paralysis - Brain Spinal Cord Org (http://www.brainandspinalcord.org/spinal-cord-injury-types/sleep-paralysis/index.html)