Aniseteph

Hi all - I've heard of this one. Apparently it is described in different ways by different cultures (the only one I remember is it being described as a grey hag sitting on your chest ) but is pretty universal.

I think the explanation was to due to the physiology of sleep and how your body goes into a sort of paralysis so you don't act out the dreams. Normally the going to sleep bit happens first, then the paralysis. And to wake up, the paralysis stops before you wake up - that way you're never aware of being paralysed. But if the timing of your sleep processes is a bit off you can end up being conscious while the paralysis is still there - very scary.

I don't know about the loud noise thing - I wouldn't be surprised if it's another physiological trick as your hearing goes into sleep mode.

Moon

I've had a similar experience myself. When it happened, I tried to scream for help but no matter how hard I tried, my voice was no more than a very soft whisper.

miss_shimmy

you could go to holland and barrat,and get some homeopathic aconite,it helps with bad shocks,bad dreams,and such,its worth a try.

Aconite – nightmares with intense anxiety and fear, also. add Rescue Remedy


its worth a try!i use homeopathy lots for myself,kids and animals,and have been amazed by its effect,the wose it can do is nothing.



i pray you are eased soon and able to sleep peacefully,


miss shimmy
xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

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bodylicious

Yshka

I had the weirdest night. I was lying on my bed at about 1 am, I hadn't dressed for the night yet but just was lying there. Then at about 4:10 am I 'woke'. It felt like I had been asleep, but when I woke up it also felt like I had experience the entire time of lying there, or at least seen or felt myself lying on the bed. Though it seemed that I had slept, I could remember seeing myself lying in the dark room... was really weird. could it be that what you described? I felt like I was lying there fully conscious.. but still in sleep mode.
I don't really know if I had 'experienced' the entire 3 hours or just a short while..

Aniseteph

Hello all

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sleep_paralysis
Scroll down a bit and it's got loads about the cross-cultural grey hag I mentioned in the earlier post. I thought I hadn't made her up...

And a good article about seeing ghosties and ghoulies at the sleep/wake interface:
http://observer.guardian.co.uk/life/...596608,00.html

Doesn't help stop it, but at least you know there's a lot of it about - you're all NORMAL!!!!

Sara

Thanks Aniseteph. I think the first experience I had of them sounds a lot like the second article one, but the newer ones are a bit different.

I had a nice long discussion with my mum tonight, and she said she has the same things sometimes too, so she's helped me calm down a bit. She says when she was little they used to stand by her and talk to her too but she never understood them. I think after reading that article, the only scary part now is when they actually talk to me. The difference between what I have and that article is that I can move. I don't feel like I can't move, cause at times I've moved about and ended up in funny positions in the house. Like Yshka- I think I'm awake for hours but then I'll wake up. Thats where the confusing part is.

Good idea about Holland and Barrats. I'll try that next time I'm out.

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With a little bit of this and a little bit of that, now shake your bum.... :P

Aniseteph

Hi Sara - have a look at the link about hypnagogic hallucinations (there's a spelling test for Demelza!) - it takes you here: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hypnagogia

It mentions auditory hallucinations (voices, noises etc.), and that sleep paralysis doesn't always go with it... Scary at the time, but it's just brains not doing things in quite the right order, and doesn't seem to be uncommon. People just don't talk about it, like so much else, so we all go round worrying instead . So you're doing the right thing talking about it. There may even be some support group sites out there with some techniques for dealing with it.

I must wish you sweet dreams now , and go to bed myself (sleep deprivation due to forum addiction looms...)
A xxx

Lydia dubai

Hi Sara, bad dreams are terrible ,i think all sleeping problems are bad because beside the bad feeling, you can get up in the morning still feeling not rested when you hade bad dreams....i hade sleeping trouble and bad dreams in the past ,but somethings changed in my life and its much much better now....so i think it has to do with what is in your mind,even things you dont realize are bothering you can give you bad dreams....it helps for me aswell if i put a waterbowl next to my bed with relaxing oil in it like lavender, so its evaporating during the night...and try to think what you eat i get bad dreams after eating some foods just before i sleep ,,like cheese if i eat arabic cheese what is a heavy cheese i get bad dreams....aswell when i dont eat enough,i keep on waking up during the night,...in most farmacy,s you can get herbalthee,s like dr stuart,s that are relaxing and are special for people with sleeping problems....hot bath with relaxing oils is not bad either,and drink hot milk is another thing that helps some people,....and dont watch yakky scary or depressing tv or news clips late at night....i know its sounds all like common sence,but we dont think sometimes about the little things and sometime,s it can make a real differance.....regards Lydia

Lydia dubai

I just forgat about this ....You can teach yourself how to wakeup out of a baddream that is what i do now when it happens,or how to control your dreams and letterly just fly away...if you think that you wanna give that a try and learn how that works just mail me private,i will explain how to go with that...i dont think its interesting for others that dont have this problem,and ofcourse has nothing to do with dancing....so perhaps not suithable to post ,i already took a lot of space....Lydia

AliPies

I'm sorry that you're having such nasty dreams Sara! Aside from everything everyone else has said (which all sound like great ideas), I have a little (somewhat silly) advice. As for the nightmares, I know awhile ago I used to be facinated with lucid dreaming. That's when you're asleep, realize you're dreaming, and can decide what course your dreams take. I only got it to work a few times, but it was totally amazing when it did, I flew, rode horses, all sorts of lovely stuff. Maybe if you could get yourself to realize you're just dreaming you could make all the bad stuff go away! I used to ask myself throughout the day if I was blinking, so I get used to thinking about it. I know it sounds very silly, but you don't blink in dreams, and so in my dream I realized I wasn't, and therefore had to be dreaming. That sounds a little complicated, but it's very cool if you can figure it out. Anyway, my other tip is to help you fall asleep. This is going to sound really REALLY silly. But yes. It works for me. I suck my thumb, which is a baaaad habit for anyone over the age of 3. I'm 18 now, and I never grew out of it. BUT I rarely have nightmares, and most of the time they're only when I'm sick. I also fall asleep REALLY REALLY fast. Kind of a pain for anyone on the phone with me at night. But really, I fall asleep very very fast. I'm talking like under 5 minutes. I remember I had asked a friend to call me back in 10 minutes because I was getting ready for bed. So I took 5 minutes and changed into PJs and brushed my teeth, then crawled into bed and waited. I woke up the next morning with a missed call from them, they had called on time, but I had slept through it.

Hope you feel better tonight!