This is a serious “?”, one time I was sleeping and my brain woke up and my body didn’t and I could hear everything going on but I couldn’t move or open my eyes. Why did this happen to me, what causes this?
2007-02-20 06:05:15 · 4 answers · asked by bhbghgjbvmnbncvb 4 in Health ➔ Mental Health
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).
Physiologically, it is closely related to the normal paralysis that occurs during REM (rapid eye movement) sleep, also known as REM atonia. In that, some scientists and physicians believe it to be a "natural" effect of the sleep cycle. Sleep paralysis occurs when the brain is awakened from a REM state into essentially a normal fully awake state, but the bodily paralysis is still occurring. This causes the person to be fully aware, but unable to move. In addition, this state may be accompanied by hypnagogic hallucinations.
More often than not, sleep paralysis is believed by the person affected by it to be no more than a dream. This is the reason why there are many dream recountings which describe the person lying frozen and unable to move. The hallucinatory element to sleep paralysis makes it even more likely that someone will interpret the experience as simply a dream, as one might see completely fanciful objects in a room alongside the normal vision one can see.
2007-02-20 06:09:41 · answer #1 · answered by tain 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
sleep paralysis is probably what you're experiencing... you just woke up during the wrong stage of sleep.
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).
The Nightmare, by Henry Fuseli (1781) is thought to be one of the classic depictions of sleep paralysis perceived as a demonic visitation.Physiologically, it is closely related to the normal paralysis that occurs during REM (rapid eye movement) sleep, also known as REM atonia. In that, some scientists and physicians believe it to be a "natural" effect of the sleep cycle. Sleep paralysis occurs when the brain is awakened from a REM state into essentially a normal fully awake state, but the bodily paralysis is still occurring. This causes the person to be fully aware, but unable to move. In addition, this state may be accompanied by hypnagogic hallucinations.
More often than not, sleep paralysis is believed by the person affected by it to be no more than a dream. This is the reason why there are many dream recountings which describe the person lying frozen and unable to move. The hallucinatory element to sleep paralysis makes it even more likely that someone will interpret the experience as simply a dream, as one might see completely fanciful objects in a room alongside the normal vision one can see.
Sleep paralysis occurs during REM sleep in order to prevent the body from manifesting movements made in the subject's dreams. Little is known about the physiology of sleep paralysis. However, some have suggested that it may be linked to post-synaptic inhibition of motor neurons in the pons region of the brain. In particular, low levels of melatonin may stop the depolarization current in the nerves, which prevents the stimulation of the muscles, to prevent the body from enacting the dreamt activity (e.g. preventing a sleeper from running when dreaming about running).
hope this helps
2007-02-20 14:10:35 · answer #2 · answered by Barbara H 5 · 1⤊ 0⤋
The brain goes into different states when you sleep- alpha, theta, delta. You were probably moving in and out of the deeper states.
It's common.
http://brain.web-us.com/brainwavesfunction.htm
2007-02-20 14:10:05 · answer #3 · answered by Violet Pearl 7 · 1⤊ 0⤋
It's a rare and deadly disease.
Kidding.This has happen to me also.
2007-02-20 14:12:13 · answer #4 · answered by Anonymous · 2⤊ 0⤋