Do you do this?

[Cheezy the Wiz]

Soon after you fall asleep, do you then suddenly jolt awake, as if someone just smacked you across the face? Often this is associated with an involuntary jerk of the knee, and a rush of adrenaline, for me, anyway.

So, do you do this?

Why does this happen?

 

[GenMarshall]

Nope, does not happen to me.

 

[Atlas14]

Yeah I do this, I don't know why though. Sometimes it has to do with whatever I'm dreaming about. It sure is weird though

 

[skadistic]

I did when I first quit smoking realy bad. And when I got high that would happen but not in a while has it happened.

 

[Gogf]

Nope, but sometimes I wake up with the distinct impression that I'm falling. I think it has to do with walking on solid ground in my dream and then sudden having no pressure on my feet.

 

[Godwynn]

I sometimes wake up and cannot move, while my dream is projected into real life.

 

[Irish Caesar]

I don't do that.

Which is good; I've got a long way to fall.

 

[punkbass2000]

I've it happen. Essentially, during normal REM sleep, your body enters a paralysis state (to prevent the event being polled here). Sometimes it doesn't quite set in quickly enough and, with some like Godwynn, it will sometimes not disengage upon waking.

 

[Cheezy the Wiz]

[Godwynn's thing] is very scary. Can you really just not move at all? For how long?

 

[punkbass2000]

I can't speak for Godwynn, but it varies. Few report distress from it any more serious than the average nightmare.

 

[Azale]

I sometimes wake up and cannot move, while my dream is projected into real life.

Sometimes? For most people, that is a once in a lifetime occurrence...if this is happening regularly, you might want to get it checked out.

Lucid Dreaming I think is the term.

 

[Godwynn]

[Godwynn's thing] is very scary. Can you really just not move at all? For how long?

Depends, you try and scream and you can't. Cannot run away. It builds on a sinking feeling or weight on your chest. For me it can last 5 seconds to what seems like 30 seconds of sheer terror.

 

[Godwynn]

Lucid Dreaming I think is the term.

That's when you know you are dreaming. I know I am not dreaming but fully awake, just paralyzed.

 

[Cheezy the Wiz]

Depends, you try and scream and you can't. Cannot run away. It builds on a sinking feeling or weight on your chest. For me it can last 5 seconds to what seems like 30 seconds of sheer terror.

That sounds absolutely horrifying. I would probably just want to cry after something like that.

 

[Godwynn]

Wikipedia on Sleep Paralysis

Sleep paralysis is a condition characterized by temporary paralysis of the body shortly after waking up (known as hypnopompic paralysis) or, less often, shortly before falling asleep (known as hypnagogic paralysis).

one might see completely fanciful objects in a room alongside the normal vision one can see.

The sleep paralysis persists anywhere from a few seconds to a few minutes [1] before the person is able to either return to REM sleep or to become fully awake.

 

[Godwynn]

That sounds absolutely horrifying. I would probably just want to cry after something like that.

Yeah it can suck. Depends on my dream though, if it is a nightmare, the vampire/murderer/creature is in my actual room and the sounds (think old movie evil laugh) is also in real life and all I can do is lay there and watch.

 

[Elrohir]

Yeah, that sort of thing (As described in the OP) happens to me all the time. The sleep paralysis thing sounds pretty freaky, but it's never happened to me. I've woken up completely freaked out over nothing, but never been paralyzed.

 

[Cheezy the Wiz]

So not only are you paralyzed, you're trippin at the same time!
Still sounds traumatic to me.

 

[Godwynn]

So not only are you paralyzed, you're trippin at the same time!

You hit the nail on the head. But it's usually a bad trip at that.

 

[GoodEnoughForMe]

The jerking awake happens to be some times, usually it seems like a muscle spasm. Doesn't happen a lot, but when it does it sucks, because you have to go through the entire falling asleep process again.

I have never had a lucid dream. I used to get nightmares when I was young, but I quickly learned how to do what I want in them.

Now I just don't remember mine.