My Terrifying Experience with Sleep Paralysis

Sleep paralysis is a phenomenon where you are awake, but you are paralyzed. It can sometimes be caused by stress, narcolepsy, or lack of sleep. When it happens, sleep paralysis is usually a horrible experience. I have had one episode. It was frightening, especially since I never heard of it before I experienced it.

What happened to me during sleep paralysis
I was alone in the house one afternoon and decided to take a nap. I dozed off on the floor while watching TV. What happened next truly scared me. I woke up and was unable to move. Laying on my back, I was only able to look around without turning my head. I could see the couch and a bit of the TV. Struggling in vain, I tried to move my arms but couldn't. It felt like weights were pressing against me. No matter how hard I tried I couldn't move at all. I was completely terrified. I never experienced anything like this before and it wouldn't stop.

What happened next was beyond strange. At the time, we lived with my mother in law. She had a beloved dog that was recently put to sleep because of old age and health issues. While I was paralyzed on the floor, I began to hear sniffing. Since I couldn't turn my head, I didn't see the source of the noise. The sniffing continued, mostly around my head and upper arms. I also felt what I thought could be a nudge, like when a dog wants your attention. I was still scared because I couldn't move, but I was curious. I tried to lift my hand to "pet" the dog and couldn't. The sniffing and nudging continued for what seemed like hours.

After struggling some more, I was finally able to move. Suddenly, everything went back to normal. I was awake. I remember noticing not much time had gone by. It certainly wasn't hours and hours like it felt. Shaken, I didn't try to fall asleep again. When my husband came home, I told him everything. He never heard of an experience like that either. We were baffled, but decided not to tell his mother. We didn't want her to be upset because of the dog.

Why sleep paralysis happens and why my experience could have been worse
Year later, I came across the term sleep paralysis. It was comforting to know it's a somewhat common occurrence that doesn't physically harm suffers. Sleep paralysis is caused by waking up during REM sleep. Your body is paralyzed while you dream so you can't act them out. If you happen to wake during this, your body is still unable to move, but you are conscience of what is going on.

I count myself lucky because other people who have experienced sleep paralysis see and hear truly frightful things. Some people see UFOs or feel they are being abducted by aliens. Others see ghosts or demons. These are considered hallucinations, but may account for some reports of ghostly visits and alien encounters. I feel grateful that my "paranormal" experience only included a visit from the deceased family dog. I'll take that over aliens.

Even though I didn't see a ghost or UFO, I never want to experience sleep paralysis again. Being unable to move was horrible. I know what sleep paralysis is now, but I don't think it would make the experience any less scary. Luckily, I haven't had another episode.

Sources:

Personal Experience

http://www.sleepdisordersguide.com/sleep-paralysis.html