When I was younger I used to wake up, and be completely paralyzed. It was a fairly terrifying feeling, far worse than any nightmare I've ever had. I would be totally conscious, unable to move any part of my body, and it would feel like I was not breathing. I would want to cry out for help, but nothing would happen. Fighting the state I was in only made it worse and more frightening.
Eventually I learned to deal with waking like this by thinking only about my breathing. I would focus on my diaphragm, and make it start moving in and out, once I started breathing consciousness would return, and everything would be fine.
Only recently did I learn that this is something that has a name, it's called hypnagogia, and it generally goes unreported by individuals unless they have a more severe sleep disorder occurring. It hasn't happened to me in years, but It's one of the things that has inspired me to work towards lucid dreaming.
Eventually I learned to deal with waking like this by thinking only about my breathing. I would focus on my diaphragm, and make it start moving in and out, once I started breathing consciousness would return, and everything would be fine.
Only recently did I learn that this is something that has a name, it's called hypnagogia, and it generally goes unreported by individuals unless they have a more severe sleep disorder occurring. It hasn't happened to me in years, but It's one of the things that has inspired me to work towards lucid dreaming.
wow, that sounds like something that's happened to me before.
That's happened to me too! I usually feel like I have to scream but I can't move a muscle- I can't even talk. I struggle to get out a sound and I usually wake up to find myself bolt-upright in bed yelling...
:-)
Thats sounds pretty scary, do they know what causes it.
"During the hypnagogic state, an individual may appear to be fully awake, but has brain waves indicating that the individual is technically sleeping." Thanks wikipedia ;)
I don't think they know what causes it... my guess is stress, but that's just a guess.