Sometimes I can't wake up.

I have this recurring dream quite often. Actually, I'm not sure if it's a dream or a state of mind. But in this "dream" I am asleep and I know I am asleep and I am trying to wake up but I cant. I try to tell myself to move my hand...but I cant. So then I move to the eyes. I tell myself "Open your eyes" and I cant.

Now I am really concentrating on opening my eyes. I cant. I start to panic because I know I'm awake but I cant wake up. I try so hard to open my eyes that it physically hurts me.

It is the creepiest most horrible feeling. I know it's happening when its happening but there is nothing I can do about it. Finally I will wake up, glad that I have. But I always know the dream will come back again. It gives me the heebee geebee's just thinking about it.

How can I get rid of this "dream"?



[Edited on 24-3-2004 by John bull 1]

This exact thing has happened to me twice in the last month :


I'm asleep and dreaming that I am asleep and dreaming..., ( does that make sense ?


I'm dreaming that something / someone is trying to get me and I'm laying in bed and can't move and can't hardly talk, only mumbles will come out, finally, I am able to shout out something and that wakes me up.

I did it just last night, My girlfriend said that I was mubmeling jiberish and then said "mmmmoom" and Mommy"...and I woke up...

it's very strange...

Yes, it is a terrible horrible feeling. I often wonder if that is how it would feel to be under anesthesia and not be able to move but can feel every cut.

Is it possibly night terrors? i've had these my whole life, sometimes they are fine to deal with othertimes its a bit worse. Anyhow, before bed I usually have some valerian mixed with fennel, seems to help somewhat with my conditions.

Yes, i've been told i spoke gibberish sometimes as well.

[Edited on 24-3-2004 by thedarkprojekt]

I don't think that they're night terrors, not that dramatic, at least to me anyway.

My Girfriend has night terrors and it's something else...

see here : www.abovetopsecret.com...

It only happens to me about every 8 months to a year, or so. It started about 10 years ago and I've only had the dream about 7 times. It's just that I know it will eventually come again. I dread it. Maybe vitamins of some kind is the key. Never thought about that. Thanks!

Its called sleeps peralysis.
Medical condition.

oops....
Double post

[Edited on 25-3-2004 by Eternal]

I get sleep paralysis mostly when I don't get enough sleep.

Except I got it a week or two ago for some reason... I woke up, couldn't move and heard my door slowly open and someone (or something ) started walking to me... creppy stuff. Anyway I managed to wake up before it got me.

Wanna know how to wake up from sleep paralysis? I bet you do don't you

OK here it is (at least this works for me): Focus on moving a big toe. Simple as that its the easiest part of the body to move and once you do it the whole thing ends.

Ciao.

Sleep paralysis happens when you're already awake. These guys are still sleeping when they experiencing that.

lucid dreaming... they know they dream.. try controlling the dream, like.. try to fly

It'll still work! Try it

Originally posted by TheBandit795
Sleep paralysis happens when you're already awake. These guys are still sleeping when they experiencing that.

Maybe the dream is sleep paralysis but in a different way.

Anyway, the night I had sleep paralysis i woke and heard people talking but i couldn't move.

So I knew I had to wake up, and the only thing i could do was breath.

The obvious solution: breath harder.

I started to breathe very hard and fast and so I finally woke up, and started to hallucinate because thats usually what happens after you wake up from this state.



[Edited on 25-3-2004 by Eternal]

Originally posted by Faceless
OK here it is (at least this works for me): Focus on moving a big toe. Simple as that its the easiest part of the body to move and once you do it the whole thing ends.
Ciao.

I will definately give it a try next time it happens, thanks for the suggestion.

Originally posted by TheBandit795
Sleep paralysis happens when you're already awake. These guys are still sleeping when they experiencing that.

I think this is more what occurs, Bandit. That is why I put "dream" in parenthisis [sp] because I could swear I'm awake but I can't open my eyes or move.


I had never heard of sleep paralysis before. I have a doctor's appointment already for the end of March, so now that I can put a name to it, maybe the doc and I can do something about it.


Maybe it's not even curable but knowing that I'm not the only one helps. And now I know it has a name....wonderful!


Thanks again.

I experience sleep paralysis very often, usualy I try to go back to sleep. It works the best.

I don't mean to get personal but sometimes depression can cause this type of thing. I'm not saying that you are but maybe you should look into it.

I get this whenever I have a bad dream. My bad dreams always end with me being aware that I'm dreaming, and shouting at myself to wake up-- but it's like I get caught in the dream. It takes what seems like a half hour to snap out of it, but I'm sure it's just a moment in actual time.

I agree that the feeling of being awake, but unable to get up is likely lucid dreaming. What you really are is asleep, and unable to wake up.

I've woken up from dreams feeling like I've gone through the terror or grief or pain or whatever, tears running down my face and heart pounding. It can be really draining.

The worst, however, is when I THINK that I've woken up, gone to the bathroom, gotten a drink, etc....only to learn that I'm still sleeping. That really sucks.

The way this has happened with me in the past is that I am sleeping...and I realize that I am dreaming but I want to wake up. I try to open my eyes and only one eye opens very slightly...it's like I cannot move or open my eyes. Then I try to scream...and it comes out in slow motion and muffled.....everything moves in slow motion. The more I struggle to open my eyes and wake...the harder it gets to do it. I feel my heart pounding and I get very anxious. Then when I finally do wake....I open my eyes and my body feels completely calm and relaxed. Does not make any sense. I hate when I have this happen.

This is so cool iv had these sort of dreams so many times but didnt think anything of them... i remember the other night when i was asleep (dreaming)and i heard the phone ring so i picked the phone up spoke to my girlfriend and went back to sleep now this was a dream because my phone actually rang later and woke me up and guess who it was?? Yep my girlfriend! Hope you all understand me.
I even once had a dream where i was looking down on myself and i just seemed so peaceful with some r-kelly music playing and when i woke up it was just so the same feeling and my bedroom was exactly the same as was in my dream except the music.

I dont really know anything about these sort of dreams maybe they are just extremely deep sleep sort of experiences...
I have also had the same sort of dreams where i know im dreaming and cannot wake up but i usually wake up quite quick from these sort of dreams and iv never had fast heartbeat because i couldnt wake up.... maybe its because you try too hard to wake up and panic because you cannot wake up.
Maybe the next time your in this state dont try and wake up instead try to realise you can control your dream and try not to wake up dont have the fear of not being able to wake up just focus on having a nice dream!

Hope all this made sense im kinda tired at the moment and need some sleep.