[seaecho]

This has happened to me before, but in the last couple of months, it's happened three times. I am in the paralyzed form of sleep, seemingly half asleep and half awake. I can't move, but I'm afraid, and want to wake up. So I start trying to call out. It's very, very difficult, but I keep trying. It seems to go on forever, and eventually I can cry out louder and louder, and my husband, who was in the opposite side of the house, in another bedroom, finally heard me and woke up, and came in to wake me. The other bedroom is about 40 feet away, and I woke him up! I swear, it seemed I was struggling to cry out for nearly an hour! I was afraid the cops would show up at any minute, as my window had been open. That's how loud it was.

I told my T about this, and he prescribed Prazosin. I'm afraid to take it. I've tried several different antidepressants in the past, and each one caused HORRIBLE panic and palpitations where my heart went up to 180bpm. So now I have a phobia of meds I haven't had before. After finally waking up, my throat is sore from all the yelling, and completely dry.

Does anyone have any suggestions of how to deal with this without taking any meds? Is there anything I can do at the time it happens? I sometimes have lucid dreams, so I wondered if it were possible to wake myself up? I can wake myself out of a nightmare, which I have frequently, with success most of the time. But I can't wake myself out of this half-asleep state. This last one was the worst I've ever had in my life and it really scared me. I'm afraid it'll get even worse. I'm almost afraid to go to sleep at night now. Any suggestions from anyone?

[Travelinglady]

Have you tried talking to a therapist? Maybe there's something that can help you to relax.

What you're experiencing is, as it sounds as though you know, sleep paralysis. I used to have this & it is terrifying. I would try to cry out for help, & I would think I was crying out, but my wife (who was right next to me) would not hear anything. So I presume I wasn't actually making any sound. What I finally learned to do was to focus my attention on one finger & keep trying to move it until it would actually move. Then I'd go on to another finger. Generally by this time I had awakened. I also told my wife that if she ever did hear me making any kinds of sounds in my sleep to awaken me.

I haven't had one of these "attacks" in quite some time now. I've been on 120 mg. of Cymbalta for about 2 years now. I don't know if the Cymbalta has had anything to do with the fact that I haven't experienced this in some time or not. Unfortunately, I can't recall whether or not the incidents stopped around the time I began taking the Cymbalta.

[seaecho]

I know what you mean, Skee. I try and try to yell out, but nothing comes out (at first). As times goes on, and I keep trying, with every breath, to yell, I finally do start yelling out. It takes a tremendous amount of effort. My husband also knows to wake me if I'm making noises in my sleep, but on this night, he'd fallen asleep watching TV, so he couldn't hear me in the early stages. I don't remember even looking at my hands or fingers when this happens. All I saw was the corner of my fish tank when I opened my eyes. I don't seem to look around when this happens. Yes, I realize it's sleep paralysis. I don't see how I can look at a finger if I don't see them when this happens, but I'll try, next time it happens, and see if it helps.

I will also be talking when I'm asleep, absolutely sure I can be heard, but my husband says I don't make any sound. But that's not during a night terror. A night terror is the only time I scream out loud.

Hi Seaecho: I didn't / couldn't look at a finger. I would just focus on it in my mind & keep trying to make it move, (bend it) & gradually it would. Once it did move, then I would wake up fully pretty quickly. It was sort-of the same process you'd use in relaxation exercises except in reverse. I never had any kind of hallucinations during sleep paralysis episodes. And my eyes were closed. So I couldn't see anything. I was just simply awake (sort-of) & unable to move or cry out for help. I remember fearing that people would think I was dead & would proceed to do the things that are done with dead bodies.

[seaecho]

Hi Skee--Okay, I'll try imagining moving one of my fingers next time it happens. I'm willing to try just about anything. Oh my...that would be so terrifying to think that people would think you're dead, and proceed from there. That's a big fear of mine anyway--that I'll be dead and no one would know it.

Fingers crossed for you, Seaecho!