Ok, this may sound like I'm crazy but this is apparently quite common, especially amongst people who work shifts...
Since I started the course I have found that more and more often I am getting sleep paralysis. Does anyone else get it and what do you do to try and avoid it and come out of it? Sleep paralysis happens when you are just about to fall asleep or wake up. You suddenly find that you can't move, you feel your heart racing and your breathing either increases rapidly or slows down completely almost to a hault. I also got an incredibly loud ringing in my ears and can feel and hear the blood rushing in my ears and in my chest. It is absolutely terrifying and even though I know what it is, I still feel like I'm about to die. Apparently most people experience it at least once or twice, and may just think that they are dreaming, but about 5% of the population get it regularly. Some people also find that they feel a dark presence in the room, or someone sitting on their chest or trying to strangle them. They might also feel like they are floating or having an out of body experience.

I have started to get it sometimes 3 or 4 times a night, and dread going to sleep. People who work shifts are particularly vulnerable, as their sleep pattern is messed up. Lack of sleep, stress and anxiety also increase the risk, and fear of it happening makes it more likely, so it's like a vicious circle!
When it happens I desparately try and get myself out of it by trying to move my finger and poke my boyfriend, but I literally can't move anything. Does anyone else get it and how do they prevent it? I would be sooooo grateful because I am exhausted and terrified.

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3rd year Student Midwife

i get it, so i know were your comming from. i get it regulerly and it was at its worst when i worked shifts and had depression.

i found it came on mostly if there was someone next to me i was not used to...allways fun with my new partner at the time, when i was in a new place...including staying at other people houses...people i knew and had stayed at regulerly and when im tired.

i have found the best way to prevent it and i know this is rather silly but taking short naps in the day works well and going to sleep as soon as i feel tired...when i was on shifts i found it good to try and go to bed at a reguler time as much as i could with a book and man to cuddle up to untill alseep.

i suppose this is not much help cos its each to there own but trying get off to sleep before you become exuseted is the best medicen and having a lay in sometimes alows the mind to catch up a bit.

sorry cant be more help. i sympathys with you i realy do. its awful to have

Ive never had that and it sounds absolutley terrifying! Have you been to your GP? Maybe some herbal nytols or valerian (a herb) will help you to relax enough to sleep and wake well. Sounds like anxiety to me.

HUGE hugs xx

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J
StudentMidwife.NET Founder & Director

"You're braver than you believe. Stronger than you seem. And smarter than you think."
Christopher Robin in Pooh's Grand Adventure

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OMG!! I get this!!
It has a name, hallelujah!
When I first started working shifts on this course, I noticed that i could hear my 'heart beating in my ears' all the time, and it was bloody annoying but didnt think much of it. Then my heart started to skip beats A LOT!! this was slightly more worrying obviously. I went to GP who said I have left ventricle mitral valve prolapse. They sent me for ECG which showed diddly squat. The trouble is the heart can be normal for ages and then randonly miss beats and slow down but of course, sods law, it didnt happen when i went for ECG.
Then they decided to do a 48hr monitor with a mobile novacor. The results showed an abnormal heartbeat, but no one seemed unduly worried or concerned........so nor did i!!
My carotid artery is also always thumping and really palpable. If i lay down the force of my heart pumping can make my teeth vibrate....wierd!
Anyway, i put it all down to working unsociable hours, as when i have time off, the sypmtoms are nowhere near as bad.
I dont think i have it anywhere as bad as you madwifemcann or abigail as dont actually get paralysis or presences in the room or thankfully breathing problems, as that would really freak me out. But what i do get is scary enough, so thanks for putting a name to it

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Site Administrator, Student Mentor Scheme Manager

STMW 2nd year - no, really!

Please help us raise funds for a bereavement room in Honey's memory by taking part in the SMNET Auction & Raffle here thanks x

Oh my god!!!!!!!!!!!! I am so glad you brought up this subject as a couple of years ago i had this experience and to this day believed it was a ghost sitting on top of me! I couldn't move, my heart was racing and i had the most horrendous ringing in my ears which actually started off as music and singing. I was so terrified and it eventually passed and i was able to wiggle my toe to get the feeling back in my body. From then i was terrified my room was haunted!!! And i told everyone it was a ghost too!

I really feel for anyone who has this as it is really really scary i think it is part of the reason i sometimes struggle to sleep now and ive moved house since then.

Hope you can cure this, you have my total sympathy!!!!

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Thanks for all your responses. It's really reassuring to be able to talk to other people who have experienced it because noone else I know knows what I'm on about and think that I am dreaming it or going completely mad. I have thought about going to my GP, but he is usually rubbish and I'm in and out in a couple of minutes. I don't know if there's anything medication wise to stop it, but maybe it's worth a try. Ollybolly, I don't know if this is what you are experiencing though, because the paralysis part is the main common symptom.... is the abnormal heartbeat present all the time or just when you're trying to sleep?

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3rd year Student Midwife

mainly when resting or trying to sleep

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Site Administrator, Student Mentor Scheme Manager

STMW 2nd year - no, really!

Please help us raise funds for a bereavement room in Honey's memory by taking part in the SMNET Auction & Raffle here thanks x

Oh you poor thing to have several episodes a night!?
I experienced this once whilst about 23 wks pg with my son. I'd woke from a nap and my eyes were open but I couldn't move or speak, and had the same ringing noise as well. I remember trying to scream for help but nothing happened, it was the scariest thing i've ever experienced.
Have you ever mentioned it to GP? Maybe try a natural sleeping remedy so you are nice and relaxed before bed, and a hot bath maybe?

Have just had a quick google and this site has some good tips: http://www.spis.org.uk/

They say:

• Keep to a regular schedule. Go to bed and get up at regular times. Eat your meals at regular times.
• Get some exercise, although not too close to bedtime.
• Avoid sleep deprivation - make sure you get enough sleep.
• Find ways to reduce stress in your life.
• Try to avoid sleeping on your back.
• Know that you are not alone - there are many other sufferers alongside you.
• Finally, relax! You are not dying, you are not going insane. Sleep Paralysis is not known to be harmful.

Lisa x

Maybe it is that then Ollybolly... from what I've read on the internet there isn't that much information about it, because generally speaking there are no ill effects so noone is really interested in it, and apparently the majority of docs don't even know about it. But then I think, well if people do have a heart attack or something from it, noone would know it was from sleep paralysis, and there is that sudden unexplained death thing. I'm working myself up into a real tiz, because the night before last I had the worst ever episode of it, and my heart sounded like it was going at well over 170 bpm and skipping odd beats. I really thought my time had come.

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3rd year Student Midwife

My husband suffered from this a few years back - he doesn't do shifts but is a real night owler so gets probably a lot less sleep than he should do - he had a lot of episodes whilst living at his parents...he used to say he could actually sense that it would happen before going to bed - it was usually when he was very tired...he said it would start with the feeling of not being able to move and then he'd feel like something was pinning him to the bed and he's get like a heavy breathing sound in his ear - he'd try to scream out but no sound would come out - the only way he could release it was to concentrate really hard on moving his little finger - once he managed to move his finger this seemed to "break" the paralysis. He initially thought it was something paranormal until he made the connection that this was only happening when he was extremely tired
xxx

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Karen
Starting access course Sept 08 (hopefully!!)