I have it too.   It's a type of sleep paralysis, though not the classic kind - which is when you awake and you can't move your body.   The kind I experience (and it sounds like you do too) is that I'm trying to wake up from my dream or I've quit dreaming purposely and it feels like I'm trying to "pull" myself out of sleep.  Sometimes when I feel I've almost "pulled" myself out of sleep, I "fall" back into the sleep.  It feels like I'm slipping.  It's such a strain to pull myself out of the sleep, only to fall back right at the precipice.  At any rate, my best friend has it, and until your post, we have never been able to find anyone else who has it.   Sleep paralysis - which sounds a little different - seems to be caused by bad sleep habits, insomnia and depression.  it's nice to know other folks have this... it's weird, but i've learned to deal with it and i just relax and pray when i'm trying to come out of the sleep, which seems to work.

mada4114

12/13/11 5:08am

wow.I thought looking this up was going to be a lost caus.

glad your post is the first thing i found.

the way you described it really hit the nail on the head.

i keep seeing all this "sleep paralysis" stuff but,its not quite explaining whats happening to me tho.when i explain it to someone i tell them that it happens right as i start to fall asleep and i feel like im starting to have a nightmare so i strain

really hard to try and wake myself up to avoid falling asleep completely and letting the nightmare happen.im always successful at waking up but it was a struggle.

i have to actually sit up in bed or go get a drink to fully wake up because im afraid it will continue if i dont fully get up and move around.

its freaky.sometimes i wonder if its some kind of paranormal stuff...

who knows.i would like to do something cool with it if i could..

Adam. -adamlong411@yahoo.com

jinajamm

2/16/12 5:01am

omg, i have battled this for years! I have BOTH sleep paralysis (the unable to move while fully awake aspect) as well as the having to pull myself out of falling asleep in fear that i am heading into a nightmare or that something evil is going to happen if i allow myself to fall into this sleep. Sometimes, after pulling myself out, (and i literally use every bit of my being to do this, straining to open my eyes, which feel like they are being forced closed) I sense an evil presence, like i'm being observed from somewhere in the room, by what, i don't know, but it feels evil. Despite my efforts in resisting sleep, i will fall right back into this falling asleep feeling fear thing and again, struggle like a mofo to pull myself back out again! sometimes this will carry on like 4 or 5 times before I finally get up out of bed, or turn the TV on or call my mom or someone who may be awake to talk. It's so dang scary and I feel like if I were to go with it, and allow myself to be taken into sleep, that something bad is going to happen, or that I will die.

Jamie

5/22/12 2:50pm

That "evil" feeling of a presence is a part of sleep paralysis.  Its freaky, but won't hurt you.  I've been waking up seeing weird lines and everything looking strange.....that's a form of sleep paralysis, too. 

jinajamm

2/16/12 5:05am

omg, i have battled this for years! I have BOTH sleep paralysis (the unable to move while fully awake aspect) as well as the having to pull myself out of falling asleep in fear that i am heading into a nightmare or that something evil is going to happen if i allow myself to fall into this sleep. Sometimes, paralysis does accompany this aspect, in the inability to pull myself out, feels like I can't open my eyes or talk or cry out for help (if anybody is home) Sometimes, after pulling myself out, (and i literally use every bit of my being to do this, straining to open my eyes, which feel like they are being forced closed) I sense an evil presence, like i'm being observed from somewhere in the room, by what, i don't know, but it feels evil. Despite my efforts in resisting sleep, i will fall right back into this falling asleep feeling fear thing and again, struggle like a mofo to pull myself back out again! sometimes this will carry on like 4 or 5 times before I finally get up out of bed, or turn the TV on or call my mom or someone who may be awake to talk. It's so dang scary and I feel like if I were to go with it, and allow myself to be taken into sleep, that something bad is going to happen, or that I will die.

flgirl

4/15/12 12:02am

this just happened to me...i have had it a few times before but this time i got really scared. i honestly thought iwas never going to fight off whatever had me locked down! now im trying to see what the hell this is and why i feel so scared. did ubfind any answers?

flgirl

4/15/12 12:03am

this just happened to me...i have had it a few times before but this time i got really scared. i honestly thought iwas never going to fight off whatever had me locked down! now im trying to see what the hell this is and why i feel so scared. did ubfind any answers?

Tirone

4/ 2/12 3:03pm

I'm 17 as well and this has happened 3 times in the past month...everytime at school, it took about 5 minutes for my teachers to wake me up and then I woke up all scared and felt exactly how everyone here felt...I tried to explain it to them but they all just said that it was weird..

mark A

4/21/12 7:36pm

it is so weird that other people experience what i have been experiencing, i thought i was in it alone. through out my life ive dreamed i was awake but couldnt talk, move or get anyones attention to help me escape that scary situation. only to awaken myself some how and find out it was only a really weird dream. the other night it happened to me three times in a row, i found myself in that situation trying to pull myself out of that dream and wake up. after the third time i was so scared i felt my daughter was not safe in the middle so i decided to move her closest to the wall because i felt that was the safest spot for her on my bed. how do i over come this? or is it something i have to cope to because it is a really scary feeling and my girl fails to realize how scary it really is ?

Yes. It happened to me last night. It was as though i was seeing myself asleep but wanted to wake up but felt paralyzed. I could not open my eyes and could not move. I struggled so hard to move and wake up and open my eyes and couldn't. I heard noises and thought it was a friend and i was bearly able to mutter his name. I heard footsteps walk out but no one was in the house except for me. As i struggled to move my arm i was bearly able to wake up and got up very paniced and out of breath. Still now i am very paniced and outof breath. This only happened to once before a long time ago. What is it? What happened to me?

Salvador

3/22/10 2:50pm

The exact same thing happened to me just the other night. I have no recollection of any "real" dream just prior to the event so it seems I suddenly became concious during sleep and experienced the same sort of " paralysis". It felt as though I was trying to force my eyes open and was slightly successful as I could barely see my surroundings. My girlfriend and I were asleep in the living room. I on our unfolded futon and she on the sofa. I could slightly see her and tryed to call out to her but could not make any sound come out of me. I could feel myself straining trying to move but could not do so. I could definately also feel the "panic" it seems others are associating with this. It was very real. It feels as if someone or something is trying to force me to stay asleep. This has happened to me before more than once with very long periods of time in between and first started when I was young. I never really looked into this until now and feel slightly relieved that I may not be the only person experiencing this strange "phenomenom"(i guess that's what this may be considered). Hope to see more posts affirming this as I am adding this page to my favorites.

marcola06

6/23/10 2:49pm

omg this happened to be like four times before once when i was younger and then again through out the years i thought i was the only one expericing this what does this mean its kind of crazy i did this in class once and couldn get up when the bell ring super embarassing....

Eich

7/31/10 9:38pm

It's nice to hear others have experienced the same thing.. it's not something u would wish to somenone else, but it feels good to know i'm not the only one.. I think I started experiencing it about 2 years ago, but this year it has happened to me like 3 times so far.. it's always the same.. i see myself in the same place i put myself to sleep, and it feels quite real, like i have awakened or sth.. but then i feel like i can't move.. i try to call someone, maybe my roomate who I know is sleeping in the top trunk, but i cannot make a sound.. and then i feel like someone is holding me against the bed, so i cannot move.. that's when i panic and try to wake myself up.. it's hard but eventually i do... and when i'm actually awake it's hard to tell whether it was a dream or not.. it's freaking scarry, if u think about it!!! i hope one day we can find a solution... if i ever find sth bout it, i'll sure post it here!!

Oh yes! I'm SO glad I found people who share the same experience! I know I'm in a dream and I fight so hard to pull myself out.. and even IF I do, I'm so tired out by the effort that I drop back into dream-mode again.

And I'm always panicking because I can just feel that one of the pillows is on top of my head, or my arm is getting cramped, or I just can't breathe deeply!

When this happens and I finally do wake up for real, I'm so exhausted, and I stay exhausted for the rest of the day.

Surely there's something that can be done to prevent this :(

I just had this experience - yet again.  It is like the fifth or sixth time.  I went to take a nap and thought I woke up, but I couldn't move my body, not really.  I felt heavy, like drugged, could barely keep my eyes open and tried to move but fell off the bed (not literally, but in the dream) and then back into sleep. It is like a dream in which I keep waking up (but never in reality).  In these dreams it seems so real and there are sometimes people there that I don't know.  One time I felt this heavy weight on my chest.  This most recent one I said a prayer to protect myself without even realizing that was my intent.  There were two people in my dream, my niece and another person - a femal celebrity, I don't remember who now.  I asked them both to pinch me because I knew I was asleep.  They did but I didn't feel it. 

I then, I finally wake up and I feel exhausted, scared and my heart is racing.  This dream was two and a half hours ago and I still feel anxious.  I looked it up on the internet this morning and that's how I came to this site, but I also saw info on sleep paralysis.  The descriptions match my experiences but it doesn't make sense with how I feel.

ZaneInTally

7/ 1/10 7:09pm

Most of the comments I read indicate it usually happens when taking a nap.the first time I had the experience was while taking a nap between working a split shift.That was over 40 years ago.I've noticed that I usually have the problem when I am afraid I will over sleep.I can see shadows of other people and hear them talking but no one is physically in the room.I feel I am screaming at the top of my lungs but have been told I sound despatate for help.As I get older, it is more terrifing because it seems to last longer.My mother was 89 when she passed and she had the problem although I did not know it.I would hear he calling out in her sleep but did not wake her because she was having such a hard time falling asleep.Had I know she was going through the terror I feel, I would have shaken her awake.I have told my family to keep shaking me until I am conscious because sometimes I can't come out of "it" even with help. Some times I am afraid to go to sleep.I am really terrorfied.If anyone has found relief, please let the rest of us know.

I'm the original poster and I'm happy to say that I've only had this experience happen to me once since I wrote this post.  This time it included the screaming out that many others have mentioned.  When I finallly did wake up, I asked my SO if I had said anything or screamed (I talk and giggle in my sleep a lot) and he said no. 

Looking back I also noticed that it happened more when I took a nap.  I did a little research and the only think I could come up with was try to not sleep on your back and try to remain calm when it's happening.  I wonder if it has anything to do with anxiety becuase back with I made the original post my life was much more stressful than now.  Ugh, it just feels so terrible when it happens and I still get anxious when I'm getting ready to take a nap that it will happen again. 

Thanks for eveyone's comments, I'm glad we're not alone in this.

Chris

7/30/10 8:13pm

I think you are right you about this happening more often in the afternoon when napping.  I am someone who rarely ever dream.  I just saw the movie Inception last night and I have been dreaming like crazy, and long dreams.

I just took a nap and had a lot of trouble waking up from my dream.  First of all I was dreaming about something, then woke up from it, and was positive I walked over to the kitchen and started talking to my brother.  Then at this moment I realized that was a dream because my brother does not live at home. 

That's when everything went wrong.  I tried opening my eyes and they wouldn't open. After about 30 seconds of trying they finally popped open... and I was left there VERY confused. 

Apparently I had slept for 2 hours.  I spent what seemed like an entire day in my dream, and I remember it very clearly.  Usually when I had dreams when I was younger they would feel like only a few moments.  This one seemed way too real, but too weird so I knew I was dreaming.  Thats when I "Woke up" and walked over to the kitchen, then realized that was a dream too and I woke up after quite a struggle.

I didn't panick, I was just left speechless when I woke up.  I didn't know what day it was or what I had to do today, and to be honest I didn't feel a need to care about the real world for a few moments.

I think most people would be scared to have such control of their dreams, and to dream within a dream.  I'm really excited because I never have been able to dream in my past.   I can't wait to see what happens tonight.....   Setting an alarm will definitely be needed though, so this never happens again.


I should also say I have not been getting that much sleep recently.

I've experienced this phenomenon many times.  I know exactly where I am, what I'm doing, but I can't wake up.  Exactly as everyone described.  I think it is due to us being in some sort of hyper sensative state, while we sleep, where we sense....dare I say it.... spirits or ghosts.  I come to that realization when just a few days ago during my struggle to wake up from my dream I felt a chill down my spine and heard a little girls voice.  The voice whispered "mom, she's over here".  That was the first time I've heard a voice.  The voice came form my wife's side of the bed with my back towards her.  I said a prayer in my dream and I slowly felt me coming out of the dream state and slowly calming down.  As soon as I felt the presence or spirit leave, I was able to wake up.  I was completely freaking out and scared.  I am a God fearing man, who is a little skeptical about spirits and ghosts.  But, that was too freaky.  I never told my wife this because I didn't want to freak her out too.  This happened again this morning.  I started praying during my struggle to wakeup but, I panicked and was stuck in the dream state.  I struggled with all my might and strength but, I couldn't wake up.  In all the frenzy, I woke up my wife.  She said she tried to wake me up several times but, I would not wake up.  She had to really shake me to wake me.  She said I sounded like I wanted to cry.  She mocked me as she demonstrated.  We laughed about it this morning but, to me it was a little too freaky.  It feels freaky each and every time it happened to me.  Know one else has shared their opinions as to what they think it is.  I think it's a spiritual thing but, I may be wrong.  - Spirit sensor

Cherz

5/13/12 4:13pm

Hi Eddy,

It could be spiritual. I'd suggest you pray before you go to sleep. Where two or three are gathered in Christ's name... If it turns out not to be, at least you covered all the bases. I had an episode this morning and it was too real cause I felt I was not going to wake up from this one. I felt like was being pressed down to my bed. Still unable to move. When I finally woke up, it was very calm. Like you, I keep feeling that I was not alone, so I prayed. I started to look on the internet and I found this site and all your comments.

dang this just happen to me 5 mins ago. I just woke up but felt paralyzed. I could not open my eyes all the way or move. I struggled so hard to move and wake up and open my eyes and couldn't. I heard noises and thought it was a girlfriend and i was bearly able to mutter her name at first. I heard footsteps walk in the room and climb in the bed with me but no one was in the room except for me. As i struggled to move my arm i was bearly able to wake up and got up very paniced and out of breath. Still now i am very paniced and out of breath. This only happened to once before but like 7 months ago. What is it?

I can relate. This seems different from the description of sleep paralysis. I can't find anything on the internet either that describe what I get. Only on this site. What happens to me is I'll be dreaming and I'll wake up but can barely move or even see. I try to "pull" myself awake. I feel so heavy and drugged and try to will myself up. never works. i'm like stuck in a dream (not necessarily a nightmare, but usually an unpleasant one) and aware that i'm in bed trying to wake up. I've felt a few times before like I was floating. It feels like this lasts a long time. I've never felt panicked, as I'm aware that I will eventually wake up, but it is an unpleasant experience. I work midnights and I notice this only happens when I'm taking a nap before I leave for work at 7pm. This has been occurring at least once a week for several months now. I guess I need to stop taking naps before work!

deepsleeper01

3/25/11 7:43pm

I know this is an old post but just wanted to give my thoughts on this. I experience this usually in the morning right before i am getting up. I have been experiencing this feeling for years since i was young and noticed it mostly occurs when i am completly exhausted where my body cant even hold any stressfull state. it feels like i am floating inside the shell of my body. What usually snaps me out of this state and makes me panic is when i become fearfull of unexpected things that happen in this state like familiar voices or real like things that only happen when you are awake. i have noted that sometimes the voices that you might hear are not ghosts or spirts but real people who are dreaming and talking in there sleep. Dont take my word for it but next time you experince this ask your partner or someone ho is close to you what they were thinking about and you will be amazed if they remember, that it was related to what you herd. Its almost like telepathic communication. I continue to always try to stay in this state longer becasuse i am curious how deep i can go without panicing. if anyone can stay in this state for long i would be curious how they do it and if its is simply by not letting fear get the best of you. what can i expect. is it harmfull to stay past the fear. thanks!

jinajamm

2/16/12 5:42am

" is it harmfull to stay past the fear."

 

I ask myself that same question. I always wanted to know what would happen to me if I allowed myself to go with it, and just let it take me wherever it wants. But I get too scared and pull myself out. I'm afraid that if I allow myself to go with it, that I'll never come out of it and be trapped inside this state for the rest of my life.

Anthony Lopez

4/ 4/12 5:55am

It's 5:35 am and I'm reading all these post because I'm finally scared. And about an hour ago I had a struggle getting up and trying to say something but all that comes out my mouth Is like a sound as if I'm a zombie . I'm actually trying to reach out to my brother in the other room but he ignored me. I try moving and my body is almost held down I actually try to swing my arms like if I were fighting an evil spirit I always fight it I never let it consume me in fear of being subdued by this entity or disorder . I'm 25 years old as this been happening to me since I was a kid I Lways had nightmares I always loved watching scary movies aswell I don't know if this is a sleep disorder but I always felt like I was alone on this, now I see there's more people out there with the same issue. I grabbed the rosery that I had my grandmother bless when I went to see her 2 weeks ago and I never held them tighter. I don't go to church but my grandmother and grand father were strong Catholics believers. My grandpa was my best friend he passed away thanksgiving day 2010 and I need a solution to this problem because it messes with my head . I hope u guys respond to my post god bless

manu

5/24/12 5:58pm

helo, i had also the same problem when i was like 17-19 i had those nightmares a couple of times, tryed to move but couldnt, heard weird noises and like something was around you, tryied to scream, couldnt move my lips and rest of body, got nervous and closed my eyes and try to think of something else, that helped a little.

im not a very christian type of guy, but my father had a bible, i tryed to read it before i got to sleep and i didnt had those nightmares after reading it, and i also left it close to me, on the side table of bed or under sometimes, it helped me out.

I just had my worst experience yet with this sleep malfunction everyone is speaking of on here.  This pulling myself out of dreams/nightmares has happened many times and really started only a few years ago for me and I HATE THEM.  But they seem to happen more frequently than I'd like.  hum?

I have had these experience for my entire adult life, and I'm 51, and otherwise in perfect physical and mental health.  The experiences are still frightening, but not as much as they used to be! 

I used to think that I was dying, and said to myself, "OK, this is how it is all going to end."  But then I struggle - really STURGGLE -  to force myself back to reality (literally) and after maybe a half dozen attempts, where I "fall back" into this odd nether-world, I finally succeed in getting myself to "return to the world of the living" as I tell myself. 

When I was younger it happened early in the morning; from my 30's or so, onward, it only happens when I take afternoon naps.  I can't explain why this change occurred, but once it did, it never happened in the morning, and only happened during naps.  Before, it was 100% the opposite.

It is all so unexplanable - kind of frightening, but kind of "special" in a way.  I guess unless you've experienced it, you just can't really understand it.  I think I've done a poor job of explaining it here, but it is one of those things that just defies explanation, I think.

Glad to see I'm not alone..................

Exactly the same thing I've been through just about 3 hours ago. I think I've experienced it for about 3 times. It's just so hard. I'm seeing my room, but I don't think my eyes were open. I thought I was already reaching my mom, but  I was not. I like to call out for help, but I can't. I thought I'm screaming, but in reality, I am not. I thought I'm gonna die. I don't want to experience it anymore. It's just so hard to pull out yourself from that state and you can't even move. It's like half of my spirit is floating and when I already back in reality, it's like my spirit came back to my body again. It's like there is two dimension, the dream and the reality, it's like you'll be choosing to be in a dream if you don't fight to go back to the reality. The dream is continuous and it's like you have a choice, you stay with the dream or fight getting yourself out of the state. Earlier, what wakes me up, I just said this many times, Jesus, I wanna wake up, consistently and firmly. It worked. After several minutes, I just cried and cried because I don't like what was happening to me. I think that force that pushing us down is the devil or evil spirits. We now have to always pray before we sleep that Jesus would cover us with His precious blood and ask the Holy Spirit to protect us. Even if you're not really close to God, you have to believe. God loves us and He doesn't want us to be in that state. It is the dark forces. I'm now talking about the spiritual realm because when we are in sleep, it's already a spiritual thing. You see dreams. Your soul is the core thing. This is spiritual things. We are spiritual human beings. So ask God for protection. God bless everyone. Hoping that it won't happen again. Have faith. Jesus is the solution. :)

this is crazy, the experiences written about here are pretty much exactly the same as my own.  it has been happening to me for about 4-5 years now.  it never happens at night, ONLY when i nap during the day.  I realize i am sleep, want to wake up, struggle with everything inside of me to wake myself, often i think he hear someone (usually thinking it is my partner) and i will say their name - sometimes scream their name (which i am not really doing because he has been around when this has happened and later said that i made no sounds), I THINK i am awake.. will head to the bathroom to brush my teeth, or sit up in bed and start telling my partner that it happened again, and all of a sudden i realize i am not awake, i'm still sleeping... i go through this cycle 3-6 times before i FINALLY really wake up, and even then it is still a struggle to fully wake and lots of times i fall asleep again quickly (because i literally can not keep my eyes open, even though this time i am for sure waking)... and the cycle starts again.  sometimes when i finally do for sure wake up, its like my eyes pop open and i have to sit right up and get out of bed quick for fear i'll fall asleep again.  i have done lots of research and can not find anything official on this, i have no other major issues with sleep, i sometimes talk in my sleep (only at night it seems) and i sometimes have pretty realistic and frightening dreams. so weird!!

I'm glad to see I am not the only one!  It comes and goes but is always scary!  I used to sleelpwalk as a toddler but grew out of it by age 7  I do have vivid dreams sometimes as do others in my family.  the past couple years though my sister and I both started experiencing this nightmare paralyzed sleep - mine would be I would find myself in a nightmare and be trying to scream at the top of my lungs and sometimes if I could scream in the dream then I would start to pull out of it kind of like peeling away one layer.  My lungs actually hurt from trying to scream - only one time was someone there when it happened this fall - my ex woke me up because he said he had this feeling that I was trapped in a really bad dream so he woke me up.  This afternoon I took a nap and experienced it again its a different dream but this time I fel like I sort of departed I tried in my mind to jump through my bedroom window but it was like I was stuck in the space between awake and asleep.  I know sometimes when I do dream it is like travelling across time and space to different places and guides take me there and send me back but the nightmares I don't know where they come from or what triggers them - possiby when you expand your spiritual awareness and awakening to see through the different veils of reality the darker side wants to scare you or you wind up lured into a place where they try to harm me and then I can't wake up or call for help.  does this make any sense????

Rick13245

5/ 1/12 3:14am

Yes it does medical practice calls it sleep paralysis i call it astral projection i have recently found out that i subconsiously do when i sleep in the last 2 years. Its like riding a bike you don't think about it you just start peddlin. I did a study of my own researched it and tried it what i did was started recording what i thought were dreams one night i ran into someone from my childhood in elementary i didn't know what she looked like i hadn't seen her for over ten years i didn't even know what she looked like i seem her so when i woke up i immediately got on my computer record what had happened and looked the girl up on facebook. I was shocked to what i had found, i was looking through her pictures and i found a picture of her in the exact clothes she was wearing in my projection i was kinda freaked out stunned if you will. Call me a cooke if you want but it is real and there are good and bad spirits in the astral realm good and bad things happen

i also do have these kind of sleep problems that i almost cry of panicking that i cant wake up myself, how much im trying to just move a finger or utter a sound.before when im using Jesus or praying it helps but recently it doesnt.I also feel like I am being possess wd demons or too frightend from a devil or ghost.I know what is happening and i know that i was sleeping that i can even see myself how i am sleeping.It also appears like a triple dream thing i was awake already but im not.It always happen mostly when im having a nap during my breaktime.I started having this since highschool and im 34 yrs old now still it happens that makes me afraid to sleep most of the time.A while ago my mother wakes me up coz im screaming.I always feel so tired, nervous and frightend after it happens.I am planning to consult a therapist to help me and im glad that i see your post.