The following is a visitor-submitted question or story. For more, you can submit your own sleep story here, or browse the collection of experiences and questions other visitors have shared here.

Important Question For You Guys - PLEASE Read & Respond

by Bill
(Western New York)

So after reading these & writing a post - its obvious that we're all having the same thing going on. Growing up - my favorite movies ever were (and still are) the Friday the 13th & Nightmare on Elm Street series. Anyhow - if any of you have ever seen them - we're all like the kids in Nightmare on Elm Street 3: The Dream Warriors.... All fearing the same thing trying to kill us in our sleep haha.........

Here's my thing - i'm going through the exact same thing as you guys except:

When i'm having an "episode" - i hear this Squishing-like noise. It gets louder & quieter... and as this happens, i feel like my brain get's tighter & looser or like pressure is building up inside my head... the louder the noise, the tighter it gets, and so-on & so-forth... It's scaring the shit out of me - like my heads going to explode or i'm gonna have an aneurysm or something. My question is:

Is this just me or is it you guys too? If it's just happening to me - i should prolly go see a doctor in case it's something serious.

Thanks for your help everyone.


Kevin: Hey Bill, I haven't heard anyone describe it quite like that before. I think you're right about going to see a doctor--that'd probably be a good idea. Can anyone else relate to the extra symptoms to sleep paralysis Bill's describing?




Comments for
Important Question For You Guys - PLEASE Read & Respond

Click here to add your own comments

May 30, 2011
Yes! I do!
by: Stephanie

In most episodes I have, I have this feeling in my head that I cannot explain. But you have just described it. I hate that feeling. My husband always tries to explain that it's ok, but I never feel ok during the episode.

May 30, 2011
Exploding head syndrome
by: Namida

that sounds like Exploding head syndrome has to do with sleep also, try wikipedia'ing it lol

Jun 29, 2011
ringing in one ear
by: Ralph R Talamantes

i get a low ringing in my left ear and it starts to get louder and louder along with a bright light that looks to have a bunch of changing faces,it hovers across my wall from left to right when it reaches the end of the wall it rushes towards me getting even louder like a bunch of screaming faces right into my left ear...it plays around in there for a while until im finally able to wake up... but most of the time its two tall dark shadow people, one standing at my head and the other at my feet as they try to push me off what i happen to be sleeping on, couch, bed. I get the feeling that if i hit the floor ill die or something really bad will happen to me so i struggle to wake up. i try harder and harder to sit up I know its a dream but is it I dont know Im not sure I see my room and everything is real I have my eyes open I just cant move or scream the only thing that seems to not be real but its there so it must be., is the shadow people...so finally i sit up and as soon as i know that i was able to finally awaken the shadows are gone but everything else remains the same I was awake or was I?

Jul 09, 2011
Heavy Mind
by: Andrew

I've never felt like my head was going to explode. Whenever I realize i am having and episode and i'm forcing myself to wake up it feels like I am pulling my whole body out of quicksand. My mind feels incredibly heavy as I attempt to wake myself as if its being held back by something. What is weird is that I have never experienced the trouble breathing.

Jul 26, 2011
Me, too.
by: Anonymous

My first episode was terrifying. I felt a pressure in my head and a loud "thrumm!" sound. Each time I heard the sound the pressure grew. But I went with it, as at first it was kind of pleasant, as if I was being driven deeper into sleep. Then I was suddenly floating over my bed, looking down at my sleeping form. This is when I attempted to wake up, and I slowly settled back onto my bed an "re-posessed" my sleeping body. I was now very frightened and tried to move, thats is when I realized I was paralysed. It took quite an effort to will myself to move. I ended it by crying out in my mind "help me, Lord." Since that time I would feel it coming on and fight it off, getting up and moving. Recently I am experiencing it almost every night. I am still unwilling to just "go with it". I am waking up tired.

Aug 25, 2011
Squishy brain...
by: Anonymous

Hey, as for the squishing sound and the pressure changes in my head... i went to the doctors cuz i had the same thing. My doctor told me its normal because when you sleep your senses are increased because your senses are what made you dream, its your bodies ways of storing information... with that being said, your senses and higher so your hearing all your bodies noises that you normally do hear when awake. Hope this helps.


Amanda

P.S What works for me when im in SP is try to move an arm to the edge of your bed so it falls off, that wakes me up every time!

Sep 23, 2011
where is my mind n my mouth?
by: Anonymous

Hey everyone,I too have episodes happen to me,and when I try to wake myself up it just laughs so creepy,when I begin to pray in my mind, suddenly I forget how to pray. N when I try to sing the songs that we usually sing at church my mouth completely vanishes.Has anyone else experienced anything similar??

Sep 23, 2011
where is my mind n my mouth?
by: Anonymous

Hey everyone,I too have episodes happen to me,and when I try to wake myself up it just laughs so creepy,when I begin to pray in my mind, suddenly I forget how to pray. N when I try to sing the songs that we usually sing at church my mouth completely vanishes.Has anyone else experienced anything similar??

Oct 28, 2011
The Shadow People and The Light of Faces
by: Anonymous

With my experiences there are always 3 Shadow People and 1 Ball of light(the ball of light isn't always in plain site, sometimes he is in the back round) but the Shadow People are always there.
they seem to always touch and pull on me in someway, sometimes they are playful other times they are malevolent, the voices are that of women and men. once it felt like they were playing tricks on me by moving my unconscious body from my physical body. almost every time i feel the sudden feeling of free falling or being pulled very fast to somewhere very far. what i don't like is when they don't seem to speak English, when it sounds like they are speaking gibberish. and the physical sensation of them touching me and grabbing or pulling me makes me feel very uncomfortable, in a strange way i feel violated by it. the most frightening and violent experience was when i opened my eyes and saw them, then felt as if my eyes were being covered and was be strangled. i felt as if i was swinging my arms around but they kept being held down. my legs felt like they were being held down as well. i tried to yell but my throat had so much pressure nothing would come out. i could only see little bits of blurry figures without being able to open my eyes fully again. it went on for what felt like several minutes until i heard what sounded like a door slam and was able to move again and look around at the dark loft around me. in all honesty these experiences have scared the hell out of me for the most part. only when the strangers are playful do i not become overwhelmed by the situation.

Nov 09, 2011
My body; My Coffin
by: Chris Lang

I know a few tricks to preventing it.
1. Almost all pictures and videos of people experiencing SP are lying on their backs. Sleep on your stomach and side if you can help it.
2. I wouldn't know this from personal experience, but sleeping disorders and drug problems can help cause SP. One major cause is narcolepsy. Alcoholism and use of hallucinogens are also linked to SP
3. I am not superstitious, but my SP started when I threw away an SP-prevention trinket a fellow class mate gave me when she gave a speech about the topic. I know a few trinkets that can help you superstitious folk out. Find me of Facebook if you want to share stories. Chris Lang. Hebron KY. NKU physics major.

Mar 18, 2012
can you learn to control it? NEW
by: DL

The first few times I had sp it scared the hell out of me.I would try to move my legs and eventualy I would pop up damn near throwing myself out of bed.Then one night I decided to not freak out and just go with it.The next thing I knew there was a very intense vibration for a minute then everything got calm,I saw my own body laying in bed.It didnt last long it felt like I got sucked back into my body.Has anyone else had a similar experience?

Click here to add your own comments

Join in and write your own page! It's easy to do. How?
Simply click here to return to Sleep Paralysis Stories







Enjoy this page? Please help us pay it forward to others who would find it valuable by Liking, Sharing, Tweeting, Stumbling, and/or Voting below.


Like This Page? Share It!


Site Sponsors

Our sponsorship policy


RespShop.com
Lowest CPAP Prices. World Wide shipping. 866-939-3754.

A Note On Visitor-Submitted Questions:

Publishing sleep stories and questions from our visitors is meant to create a forum for open and proactive dialogue about an extremely important portion of our lives (one that occupies 1/3 of it and affects the other 2/3). It is not meant to substitute a trip to the doctor or the advice of a specialist. It's good to talk; it is not good to avoid consulting someone who's profession it is to help you with this kind of stuff.

If you are in any way concerned about your sleep health, don't wait for an answer on here, and don't necessarily rely on them. See a sleep specialist in your area as soon as possible.

More Questions:

Ask | Answer

Sleep Resources

Ready to take your sleep game to the next level?

Track Your Own Sleep With Zeo Zeo - Personal Sleep Coach
Pro-grade personal sleep data
Essentials of Sleep Knowledge: A Free Book By William Dement Dr. Dement's Essentials
Free for joining our newsletter
Sleep Paralysis Treatment Book SP: A Dreamer's Guide
A breakthrough new e-book

Who We Are

Stanford Sleep & Dreams

Welcome! This site is continuously being created by students of Dr. William C. Dement's Sleep And Dreams course at Stanford University.

Hover your mouse over this area for more about this site and its mission.

Or, you can learn more about the team behind EYSD here.


Please Note:

The information found on this page and throughout this site is intended for general information purposes only. While it may prove useful and empowering, it is NOT intended as a substitute for the expertise and judgments of healthcare practitioners.

For more info, see our
Terms of Use.