Woke Up With Paralyzed Arms.

Odd thing happened last night. I was having a dream that I was inside a video game. In this game I had to punch these random objects that were floating my way from off screen. Things like cans, bottles would explode as I punched them, and would do damage if I missed and they collided with me. There was more to this game, but that's the only part I can remember clearly.

The incoming objects were increasing and I was having difficulty getting them all. Have you ever had a dream where you were trying to do some physical feat and your arms and legs seemed like rubber? That's what was happening to me. I felt like my arms should have been moving faster. Then I realized, "Hey! I can't move my arms at all." For some reason this realization brought me to instantly being fully awake. I looked over and saw what time it was on the alarm clock. Then I noticed that both of my arms were completely dead.

I've had one arm fall asleep when I laid on it wrong, but never both at the same time. It was a really weird feeling. I was able to move my legs and everything else just fine, but my arms wouldn't move no matter how hard I thought about it. I finally was able to wiggle the fingers on my left arm and then Boom! My whole left arm woke up with that awful tingly feeling that's a mixture between hurting and tickling. It took another min before my right arm would work. I could pick it up with my left and hand and it would just flop back lifeless by my side but it came around and finally woke up.

Thinking about the dream I was having, I guess it's a good thing I couldn't move my arms. I suppose I would have knocked my wife senseless. She sleeps a lot lighter than me and asked me why I was flopping around like a fish. I guess I was putting quite a bit of effort into getting my arms woke up. REM sleep is so odd. I've woke up from dreams before, but I never had a loss of motion like that. I guess some people wake up and are completely paralyzed . Boy that would be freaky.

[edit on 24-6-2005 by dbates]

That has happen to me, once i was dreaming my are was frozen, when I woke it was. LOL It was asleepy., laxk f blood flow and my brain was making up why.

Isnt this called sleep paralysis?
Ive had it happen a couple of times with my legs, i also get the feeling that i cant call out to anyone!

Theres a thread somewhere here on ATS, i'll link to it when i find it!

Mic


Edit to include Link!!!

Sleep Paralysis Thread!!!




[edit on 24/6/2005 by MickeyDee]

Yup Sleep Paralysis, I think its when brain is awake, but your body is a sleep. I've had this happen to me as well, I can't move my entire body, its really a scary feeling.

I read somewhere that sometimes when you're sleeping and you can't move in your dream, it's from you actually trying to move in your bed but the covers are preventing your arms/legs from moving. That reflects in your dream as paralysis. Just a though.

[edit on 6/24/2005 by DiabolusFireDragon]

I agree with everyone else, pretty much; it sounds like sleep paralysis. It's nothing to be concerned about - and I'm glad for your wife's sake, haha. :-)

I couldn't stop laughing after reading this. I'm back to normal I think.

I've had this happen with one arm quite a bit. It happens when I sleep on the arm in the wrong way. Sometimes I'm half afraid that I'll move it wrong and damage it. You can't feel anything in the arm at all so you're afraid that you'll twist it wrong or fall on it wrong. So you sit there until the feeling comes back. It just hangs from your shoulder like dead wood.

I've had this happen to my feet if I was sitting wrong. Hasn't happened very often though. Again... same fear that it'll be damaged since you can't use your muscles or feel anything.

It's kind o scary. Once I hit the funny bone on my elbow and had tingling in my arm for a couple months. I thought I had permanently damaged it. It did finally go away, though.