I suffer from sleep paralysis every so often. It’s really scary! It’s where you wake up in the middle of sleep, you are aware you are awake, but you can’t move, talk, etc. and then you’re brain freaks out.
I haven’t heard of anyone else suffering with this and a vestibular disorder. I’m just wondering if they can be linked? If anyone else suffers from both? Since they both seem to deal with chemicals of the brain, I figured maybe the two can be related?
I’m seeing a new neuro-otologist soon and I was wondering if I should bring it up. I haven’t mentioned it to any of the doctors I’ve seen in the past because it happens every so often, not every night. I didn’t know it was a real thing, until I just looked it up online and got a name for it.
don’t think there’s a connection as I know people who get this without ever getting a migraine in their life. Most got it when they were kids and grew out of it, but some get them on ocassion.
I’ve never actually gotten it while awake, but I’ve been in that state many times upon awakening, I still dream but the dream is basically that I’m lying in bed and can’t move, and once I finally push myself to move… I wake up.
“Exploding Head Syndrome”??? What the hell is that and who named it? Imagine taking a day off work with the excuse, “Sorry boss, my head exploded”. Yeah right, and a dog ate your homework…
I had this at the age of 16 when I was going through exams at School. I had it on and off for years after. I only very rarely get one now. They are horrible. I fight myself awake otherwise I can feel myself sinking deeper and deeper into it.
Dont go to bed hungry. I read a book on it once and stick to this rule. Hunger can bring one on. They used to happen when I was very very tired as well. Odd that, as when I get the bad vertigo I am very very tired with it. There may be a connection. I think its to do with the dream sleep and the fact that you are paralyzed so you cant live out your dreams. Trouble is part of us isnt in tune with that.
I think the two can be related for me. (VD and SP). I think our brains are just wired differently. We all have this defect (VD) and it affects our brain chemistry differently. We all have some of the same symptoms, but some of our symptoms differ.
I’m SO affected by sleep, and I feel like no matter how much sleep I get - it isn’t enough. I just feel like I don’t fall in that cycle I’m suppose to. REM sleep? I can’t remember. Either way – I’m sure the sleep paralysis is all part of that. It happens whenever I have anxiety, and the anxiety is caused by the VD.
I just think its all related. I could be wrong. I’ll ask this new neuro-otologist I’m about to see.
Stace. Are you on a tricyclic as part of your treatment? When i have gone up in dose of dothiepin i have had sleep paralysis which is transient and settles once i have adjusted to the new dose. It is very annoying and also frightening. I got to the point where i was used to it, and would realise what was happening and calmly try and move until i was able to wake my body out of it and open my eyes.
I used to get that a lot upon waking – my brain would wake up but my body was still asleep and I would feel it vibrating. It was freaky at first but then I realized that it went away when I fully awoke. I think it comes, in my case, from having the brain be too diligent that it wakes up while another part of the brain is still sleeping. Since I have been on antidepressants it happens very rarely now.
I have had these short nightmares on and off for years, where I can’t remember what really happens in them, but I end up knowing I’m dreaming, I am really scared, trying to wake up, but can’t. But the last few weeks I’ve had them every single bloody night and whenever I manage to actually wake up, I fall asleep and they start again. Or maybe I’m not actually waking up, I just think I am, so they constantly continue.
It’s worse when I have a dream, in a dream, in a dream and can’t wake up until I wake from each dream. But that’s just getting even more complicated
Last night, I was screaming and screaming but no sound was coming out of my mouth. I remember thinking my house mate would surely wake up and think I was being murdered.
I was then trying to move to try to reach my light to switch it on but every time I tried to reach for it and felt the switch in my hand, I flicked it and nothing happened (because I wasn’t actually holding it, I was dreaming that I was.)
In the end, I do wake up, but it can take ages and its doing me in. I am so knackered down to the Topamax titration in itself and setting an alarm 3 hours before I wake up every morning to take my morning dose so I’m less spaced out.
Anyway, there ya go. Wondered if anyone else experiences this nightly terror?
