REM paralysis
Hi Twanna— Boy do I have good news for you! Your recurring dream of an intruder is not precognitive (you are not going to be attacked when your husband is away on business). Instead, your dream is easily explained by physical events that occur in the body during dreaming sleep. The clinical name for your […]
can’t move
Hi Rebecca— The formal name for what you are experiencing is Sleep Paralysis, and fortunately, it is not dangerous or even anything to be overly disturbed by. During each of our REM (dreaming) periods of sleep, the body becomes temporarily paralyzed so that we don’t act out our dreams. Occasionally when we wake up after […]
need my REM!
Hi Julie— Your dream is not unfamiliar to me—nor, I suspect—to many readers. You are experiencing what is known as Sleep Paralysis—a common occurence where the paralysis of the body that occurs during REM (Dreaming) sleep lingers into waking experience. As you describe in your report—you wake up mentally—but your body apparently isn’t tuned to […]
can’t wake up
Hi Pennie— This is one of the most common—and disturbing—nightmares that people have. The funny thing is, it’s not really a nightmare! What you are feeling when you are asleep and trying to wake up is a phenomenon known as “REM pressure.” Your body is trying to keep you asleep so it can continue dreaming. […]
paralyzed
Hi Valerie— You’re paralyzed! And it doesn’t feel too good, does it? (We can all think of better ways to wake up in the morning…) Before you get nervous about a demon of your past haunting you, though, it will help if we review some basics of sleep physiology. Each night when we dream, our […]
intruder?
Dear Scared Stiff— The formal name for what you are experiencing is REM Paralysis, and fortunately, it is not dangerous or even anything to be overly disturbed by. During each of our REM (dreaming) periods of sleep, the body becomes temporarily paralyzed so that we don’t act out our dreams. Occasionally when we wake up […]
stuck in the position
Hi Maria— I’m glad to hear from someone with Sleep Paralysis who is able to laugh about it afterwards. It just goes to show that there really is comfort in numbers. 🙂 Sleep paralysis is what happens when our minds wake up prior to our bodies. During sleep, muscle tone is very relaxed. During REM […]
frozen
Hi Pat— It’s not a great feeling being unable to move, is it? Fortunately, what you are experiencing is an entirely benign curiosity of REM (dreaming) sleep, called “sleep paralysis.” During each period of REM that we transit during the night (there are usually 4-5 REM periods per night), our muscle tone becomes completely inhibited. […]
signs of narcolepsy
Do you know the signs of Narcolepsy? Excessive daytime sleepiness (EDS) Patients with narcolepsy experience repeating patterns of daytime tiredness and napping. A narcoleptic may sleep for half an hour and awaken refreshed, but soon – within a few hours – his or her sleepiness will resume. A narcoleptic’s “sleep attacks” often are sudden, causing […]
drowsy during the day
Are you drowsy during the day — no matter how much sleep you get? Do you sometimes fall asleep at inappropriate times —during meals, at meetings, or in conversation with friends? Do you have vivid dreams as you fall asleep —and during naps? Have you ever awakened “paralyzed” —unable to move for 10 to 20 […]
fall asleep driving
Have you ever fallen asleep while driving a car? Most people don’t want to admit it, but many of us have, on occasion, dosed off behind the wheel. It’s a frightening experience, as it should be. If we are sleepy or dozing while driving, we are poised to injure, or perhaps even kill, another person […]
good news for narcoleptics
On February 15, 1999, the first new treatment for narcolepsy in forty years—Modafinil—became available to patients. Previously, patients with narcolepsy—a debilitating disorder characterized by excessive daytime sleepiness and the ability to fall asleep in inappropriate situations—had to use prescription amphetamines to control their sleepiness. Ritalin was the most commonly prescribed treatment for narcolepsy. Modafinil will […]