[seeking]

On and off I get the weirdest nightmares.

Still asleep I would start calling out for help because I cannot breath. I physically stop breathing, get heart palpitations, skin goes hot and I cannot move at all. It is very scary.

By this time my husband would be in a semi-awake state and I would wake up completely, but terribly frightened, heart pounding etc. I would lay there trying to fathom what had just happened to me.

Sometimes I also dream that I am dying. I get so panicky while asleep/awake (don't really know). It feels like I am REALLY dying, physically, not in my dream. I would call out 'please help me, I am dying'. I wake up scared witless and close tears.

Anybody got anything on this?

[WHISPER]

I myself have bad dreams all the time. I have never had anything like what you dream about. You should talk to your doctor. Or have you already. Good luck

Whisper

[pebblypoo]

There's a very real phenomenon called 'sleep paralysis', which is completely normal and sounds like what you describe. It is a normal part of the sleep cycle of which we are usually unaware, but for some reason the part of our brain that is usually "asleep" at that time is awakened and we become conscious of it.

It started happening to me in my early twenties and scared the hell out of me! It usually happens just as I am falling asleep but I remain calm and tell myself that I will be able to open my eyes and will be able to move in a minute or two, and to just keep breathing, that I'm okay. Occasionally I felt like I was being suffocated too (maybe my face was buried in the pillow partially?) but usually I can breath normally and just focus on that and try to move a finger, then the hand, etc. Before I know it I'm awake and usually drift right to sleep. It seems to happen to me when I'm under a lot of stress (ha ha) and am very sleep deprived.