Curious if this is sleep paralysis or something else... - Sleep Disorders Message Board

Araminta · 06-08-2002, 09:18 AM

...when I was younger, I used to wake up and not be able to move for several minutes. As I grew older, I could move, but I couldn't feel myself move. I would shake my limbs for several minutes in attempt to bring myself out of it, but I just wouldn't feel anything. Lately, I just wake up shaking with a pressure in my chest and a "squeezing" feeling. Sometimes it is hard to breathe depending on the pressure in my chest. I read that a lot of sleep paralysis victims have pressure in their chest, but I've never had a single hallucination. Does this sound like sleep paralysis, or something more serious?

Levy78 · 06-08-2002, 05:36 PM

Araminta,

I am no doctor, but all that you say fits sleep paralysis exactly. I use to have hallucinations when I would have sleep paralysis, however, I don't haven them anymore. Also, I think you are describing 'phantom' movements, which is the feeling of you limbs moving when in reality they really are not. This is very common and happens to me every time I have sleep paralysis. On this board, a few post down, I wrote a few short paragraphs on my experience with sleep paralysis.

I have never heard of anyone dying from sleep paralysis, so I wouldn't worry if I were you, though it can get annoying at times. However, if you aren't sure, definitely go to a doctor and get yourself checked out. It is always better to get a professional opinion.

Araminta · 06-08-2002, 09:16 PM

But I can feel and SEE myself move...am I hallucinating?

It's so weird; I can feel the twitching, but at the same time, I'm numb. I can't explain it!

[This message has been edited by Araminta (edited 06-08-2002).]