Sleep paralysis - have you experienced it?

[lolly1970]

Hi all, another post on here reminded me of my sleep paralysis episodes. Its only happened to me a couple of times but its very scary. You're laid in bed you feel fully awake but then you get the sensation someone or something is in the room. For me this thing laid next to me in bed and told me not to be scared but to let it enter my body. I was powerless to move (the paralysis bit), I pretended to be asleep and it eventually went. I'm not really a believer in ghosts so it scared me to death. A friend of mine then told me what I'd experienced was sleep paralysis a state where your body is asleep but your mind is awake but susceptible to hallucination (I believe it's called a hypnogogic state). It makes sense that fm sufferers might experience this more due to our erratic sleep patterns so I just wondered if any of you have had this or similar experiences?

[dawny]

i know where ure coming from lolly, sometimes im afraid to go to sleep x best wishes x

[shiron]

Hi lolly, ive had fm for 12yrs now and also experienced sleep paralysis on 3 occasions now, i too thought i was being suffocated although i could only sense a presence. i could not see or communicate it really is quite scary. I dont think the episodes last long it just feels like it when you are in that state.If you look up sleep paralysis there are different explainations as to what it could be. Having said that most people with fm are succeptable to all kinds of strange and unusual experiences love to all x

[debzo]

Hi lolly, I think I may of had this last year? My mum just past away a few months before and I was lying on my bed and It felt as if someone got on the bed behind me and lay down and put there arm around me. I remember not being able to move and whatever it was was ice cold. i thought or rather hope

this was my mum don't know now?x

[Sarah-Jane in reply to debzo]

I would love to think of it as having been your mum, and why not hang onto that because no one can tell you otherwise. My stepfather died on 20th December and left my mother alone apart from a cat and a dog. She thought the dog had decided to sleep with her when she felt someone/thing behind her so she ignored it and went back to sleep. When she woke she found that she had been tucked in and that there was no bed on that side. I think it was my step dad and that sleep deprevation allowed her to sense it. We put up far to many barriers and look for far too many reasons - don't let anyone take that lovely memory away, besides, you also had an arm around you. Best of wishes and soft hugs.

[debzo]

thank-you so much sarah-jane. yes I do hope so !!! sorry to hear about your stepfather. I totally agree with you about the barriers we put up. soft hugs xx

[Bobby16]

I had sleep paralysis all my life. Always thought it was normal until lately. I wouldn't of thought it was associated to fibromyalgia.