Breathless

[Phelomene]

I've been having lucid dreams for a very long time, almost every night for as long as I can remember. But a few days ago something new happened. I was lying in bed, almost to the point where you can't keep your eyes open when I started to feel lightheaded and a bit dizzy. I suddently pulled myself out of sleep at this point and I know I was awake because I had nocked my poor cat off the bed. I was very tired and had to close my eyes again and as soon as I did the feeling came back, lightheaded, then a pressure on my chest like I had stopped breathing. I then woke up again and was breathing fine and the onlything I can remeber was feeling very annoyed because I just wanted to sleep. After that I fell asleep and nothing more happened. A few nights later still nothing but I then started to want to find it again and try to stay asleep through it. Then last night it happen only once but I managed to wait up and lose it again. It felt like something might happen if I had stayed but I'm not sure what... maybe the beginning of an OBE? I don't think it was just me not breathing in my sleep. Any ideas? Oh and I forgot to mention after the last breathless feeling a dream followed. I was at my grandfathers house in the back yard and there were bones and carcasses everywhere. Horses, dogs, small animals. Some were rotting, some half burried, some just lying about. It was a rather pleasent dream though. I was taking care of some baby birds in a cage by the barn. I don't know why there were so many bones, or what it means.

[Jalexxi]

I often have a sensation of being choked or unable to breathe when I start to slip into sleep paralysis. I think you might just have experienced sleep paralysis.

[Phelomene]

I often have a sensation of being choked or unable to breathe when I start to slip into sleep paralysis. I think you might just have experienced sleep paralysis. [/b] Is there anyway to stop sleep paralysis? Why does sleep paralysis occure?

[Jalexxi]

Stopping sleep paralysis would be a bad thing, as that would lead to sleepwalking. Sleep paralysis is a mechanism that stops your body from acting out your dreams. As your brain cannot tell the difference between a dream and real life, when you attempt to move your dream arm, your brain will send signals to move your real arm. Sleep paralysis is in place to prevent this from happening. So it is a good thing that it occurs, although the experience can be unpleasant at times.

[Phelomene]

Stopping sleep paralysis would be a bad thing, as that would lead to sleepwalking. Sleep paralysis is a mechanism that stops your body from acting out your dreams. As your brain cannot tell the difference between a dream and real life, when you attempt to move your dream arm, your brain will send signals to move your real arm. Sleep paralysis is in place to prevent this from happening. So it is a good thing that it occurs, although the experience can be unpleasant at times. [/b] Do you think sleep apnea can be brought on by sleep paralysis? I can't find anyother case which explains dizziness and lightheadedness from sleep paralysis. And if it is sleep paralysis why can I wake myself up when I notice the feeling? From what I've read, a person with sleep paralysis are not able to move their body or limbs either when falling asleep or waking up. Is it possible I wake myself up early during this cycle before my brain shuts down my limbs?

[Jalexxi]

The state of being in sleep paralysis is something that's very alien to your mind, and produces a lot of weird sensations. Whenever I attempt WILD, I go through the early stages of sleep paralysis, and also a sort of weird lightheaded feeling. I think this is due to the fact that you are so close to the dream state. And it is possible to wake up from sleep paralysis if you are aware you are in it. When doing WILD, my SP is usually not strong enough to keep me from moving if I try. If I accidentally enter the sleep paralysis state by, for example, not waking up fully, it is much more difficult to break it, but it is possible and I have done so before.