Okay...

Well a couple weeks ago I was trying to sleep, and I have ALOT of trouble sleeping, it takes me literally forever for me to fall alseep...anyways when I actually fell asleep, about two hours later I woke up and I couldn't move my body. I couldn't move anything and I was panicking...I knew I was awake and breathing and everything but I just couldn't move a muscle. After like a minute I was able to move and I thought I was just having a bad nightmare that shocked me or something but I couldn't remember if I was having a nightmare or anything...

This happened to me once when I was in school too. I was in class and I fell asleep with my head on the desk. I woke up when the bell rang and I opened my eyes and I couldn't move or anything. It was really scary. After like 30 seconds I was able to move and all. It was super scary for me because I didn't know what was happpening...

Other sleeping problems I have are I can't sleep! I try to sleep but I just can't. If I'm lieing in bed trying to sleep it takes me atleast 2-3 hours just to drift off. I try reading before going to bed, watching movies in bed, even tried some sleeping pills that I bought from Wal-Mart. Never works.

This is getting really frusterating because I need to be up early for school. If I fall asleep around 3am, and when my alarm goes off, I just don't want to get out of bed. Sometimes if it's like 3 or 4am, I don't even bother trying to go back to sleep, I'll just get up and do regular stuff like go on the computer or go watch TV and just stay up all night and wait till I have to go to school. I try to keep my sleep patterns regular but I can't sleep!

It also might be the fact that on weekends I go to sleep really late like 4 or 5 am and wake up again at 4 or 5 pm...like today. That usually happens every weekend. I also work late like till 11pm on weekdays and till 1am on weekends.

Those not moving things during sleep or right when I wake up really scare me though. Feels like I am paralysed for a couple minutes...

Any advice on what I should do would help alot...I just want to be able to sleep normally again.

Thanks.

chloroform-x,

First off there is a condition called sleep paralysis that you should look into.. basically your mind wakes up before your body is able or wants too.. thus the delay in control of your body.

Next all sleep MD's recommend to try sleeping, but if it is a no go get up after 30 minutes of trying and work for at least an hour then try again. Some sleep patterns are the result of habitual behavior. Nurses, Doctors, and others that work nights and odd shifts are subject to this. You should see about getting a consultation for your sleeping habits. Some of the recommended sleep hygeniene techniques are as follows:

You are not alone in suffering with sleep problems — nor are you alone in seeking solutions. Others have found relief for insomnia through a vast range of approaches; one or several of these may work for you:
General Tips:
* Promote sleep with relaxation techniques and other lifestyle changes:
**perform some cardiovascular excercise (min. 30 min) with in the 3 hour period right before your desired sleep time.
**take a hot shower for a duration of 15 minutes, before going to bed.
* Avoid certain foods and drinks:
**no caffine after 12 pm
**minimize sugar intake after 12 pm.
* Discover patterns in your sleep habits:
**How often do you wake up at night?
**Restlessness?
**Snoring?
**Multiple nightly potty trips...etc

Things you can try right now, the following tips (from my sleep MD's specific instruction list to me) that might help you:

1. Drink a glass of warm milk. It turns out there’s a scientific basis for your grandmother’s old-time remedy. Milk contains tryptophan, a chemical that may promote sleep in some people. Chamonile Tea is another natural sleep aide.
2. Have a light snack, but only if you’re hungry. Going to bed hungry can affect your sleep. High-carbohydrate snacks, such as crackers, pretzels, or a plain bagel, are good bedtime snacks. Pair with turkey also containing tryptophan. But be careful not to overeat; indigestion can interrupt sleep.
3. Stay out of bed until you feel tired enough to go to sleep. Whenever you’ve been lying in bed for 20-30 minutes and can’t fall asleep, go into another room and do something relaxing, such as reading a book. Return to bed only when you’re sleepy.
4. Certain scents have been known to aide sleep. Lavender is the leader on the list. Downy has a new lavender scented detergent softner... ounce may as well.
5. Do not watch TV in bed. Do not fall asleep to the TV. (MD's order to me and my husband.. He said, "The bedroom should have two uses, sleep and sex." The lights and noise can cause interrupted sleep patterns.
6. Make room as dark as possible, extraneous light sources can prevent the ability to achieve REM sleep and thus promote addition sleep complications.

Sounds to me that you are not getting enough high sleep and that over time your body rebels, resulting in short bouts of sleep paralysis.

Respectfully Yours,
MG