Another Sleep Episode

Originally posted 09/09/2006

Last night I had another spectacular sleep paralysis episode. As I was falling asleep I drifted into that nether-world between sleep and awake. Some shadowy figure hovered over me. It’s form was vaguely human-shaped but it was all black and had no face. It began to suck on my fingertips on my right hand. It was where I knew Brian to be in our bed. Or between us, perhaps. But hovering over me doing this to my fingers. As I realized I was paralyzed and became quickly alarmed, I began to feel my breath being sucked out of me. I have asthma and thought I might be dying of an attack. I heard myself wheezing hard and choking not breathing. The sucking on my fingers was stronger. Terrified I woke myself up. When I did this I literally jumped in the bed. It woke Brian up. Whimpering, I touched him as this made me feel better. 

This was one of the episodes I’ll remember a long time. Sometimes I don’t remember until I go to bed the next night. A lot of times the next day I can remember something happened but not exactly what. 

I am on new bc pills – this is the first month of a new one. I am also sleep-deprived as work is very stressful lately. The pills and lack of sleep always seem to be triggers.

The common symptoms that I get upon awakening from this “thing” are: headache to middle of forehead, wet inner ears (I know, yuck!), rapid heartbeat as if really having defended myself, and my hearing ability is increased exponentially. I hear every little thing after an episode. Or I think I do. Sometimes they are probably auditory hallucinations. Also, it usually takes me some time to be comfortable in the room, as there is a STRONG feeling of there being a sinister presence there.

I am a little scared to go to bed because I’m sure it will happen tonight. Sometimes I wonder if I’m crazy. I’ve had this problem for over 10 years in one form or another. But it has been out-of-control for the last few years.