Anyone sometimes "half" awake?

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Happened this morning but not for a while previously.

I wake up "in my head" but can't open my eyes or move. I can hear and feel (for example this morning my arms were out of bed and had goose-bumps on them) but can't move.

To wake myself up I have to sort of "jolt" myself - VERY hard to explain but a bit like bursting through water and taking a hard breath.

Sometimes in the past this has been rather more literal as I'm not breathing either. I thought it might be sleep apnoea at the time and went for an overnight test but nothing showed up.

Could this be associated with aspergers? I'm still learning about the condition but have read that myt brain might be somewhat differently wired.

Has anyone here had any experience with anything like this?

I've done that. Even had conversations with people while thinking I'm still dreaming. Don't think it is to do with AS but you never know.

This happens to my friend, who thinks she is narcoleptic. We actually had a conversation while she was in this state and it was FREAKY....

I think it happens because your body becomes paralyzed so that you won't act out your dreams.

I hadn't made that connection...remember a friend telling me (while studying at university) about an experiment with cats acting out their dreams as they altered the bit of the brain that stops such behaviour.

I've never tried to talk while it happened. What was the conversation with your friend like? Could she talk as normal?
How does she snap out of it?

Does anyone know why the brain should come to this "paralyzed" state when awarenes has returned?

\thanks for your reply FaithHopeCheese.

The conversation started with her whispering "Wake me up"... to which I thought "How are you TELLING me to wake you up? You must be awake...." She couldn't really speak normally. It was really shaky and not very clear, but I could understand her. She told me about a nightmare she was having, which was really silly; she was being molested by puppies and clothes. I tried to play therapist and asked her what she thought it meant, all the while she was still "asleep". She said that she thought she was trying to fill the void in her life with kittens and clothes (she was looking for a new kitten at the time), instead of focusing on God. I told her "That's really cool that you could take these two seemingly innocent activities and see a deeper meaning", to which she said "if you had felt it, you would think the same thing." She eventually fully woke up by rocking herself, and I told her what she said (she couldn't remember everything) and she couldn't believe that said what she did about God, because she is not exactly religious.

I think this happens to some when they are very tired, but I'm not really sure.

quote]The conversation started with her whispering "Wake me up"...[/quote]

Wow...that is freaky, you're right.

Part of me wants to see if I can speak too but I find it quite unnerving when it happens.

I have to say I would have been mad if you didnt wake me up... I think I would anyway.

Does anyone think this could be an aspie thing? (please let it be I dont want any more problems!! !)

I DID try to wake her up. I was freaked out because she also has incubus dreams, so it all seems very supernatural to me. I was yelling in her face and shaking her arms but I think she wanted to tell me her dream.

I personally am not sure if it is an Aspie thing.

I honestly didn't mean it as a criticism, just kind of thinking out loud.

I really appreciate your answers. Hope your friend stops having bad dreams!!

Hayes

Ok, sorry about that. I will stop hijacking this thread now.

Anyone else have anything to add????

My mother has said a few times that she has asked me things and I have answered her clearly so she has thought I was awake. I never remember those talks when I actually wake up.

I have that issue fairly often. I think it is called sleep paralysis and, as FHC mentioned, it is usually due to the brain sort of immobilizing you so that you do not hurt yourself while you sleep. Umm...it's like...the transistions bettween the different stages of sleep...are lacking in fluidity. So instead of waking up normally, a person may wake up....mentally, I guess, first, before the brain stops whatever chemical (or whatever) that keeps you still. Umm...it usually occurs as you are falling asleep or as you are waking up. When it happens to me I am usually trying to sleep. There were a few occasions where it happened when I was waking and that scared me a lot more than when I am falling asleep because on each of those occasions I was unable to breathe. The usually scenerio involves me drifting off...and then I kind of "snap out of it" and realise that I can't move and I'll focus on one body pary (a finger for instance) and try to move it. This is very difficult, but usually works. Once I manage to move the finger it's like...suddenly I can move again. I am usually reluctant to go back to sleep at that point because I have had nights where this occured again and again. There was on occasion where I "fell asleep" with my eyes open and stared at the clock for nearly two hours....not pleasent. On other occasions I have spoken with people that happened to be in my room at the time (my grandmother, a friend sleeping over, etc) and it takes a very large amout of effort to do so. I, like FHC's friend, cut right to the chase and ask for someone to wake me up or shake me. Honestly the whole thing is more annoying than anything...so...I hope that I have been helpful.

"What happens with hypnagogic sleep paralysis?
As you fall asleep, your body slowly relaxes. Usually you become less aware, so you do not notice the change. However, if you remain or become aware while falling asleep, you may notice that you cannot move or speak.

What happens with hypnopompic sleep paralysis?
During sleep, your body alternates between REM (rapid eye movement) and NREM (non-rapid eye movement) sleep. One cycle of REM and NREM sleep lasts about 90 minutes. NREM sleep occurs first and takes up to 75% of your overall sleep time. During NREM sleep, your body relaxes and restores itself. At the end of NREM, your sleep shifts to REM. Your eyes move quickly and dreams occur, but the rest of your body remains very relaxed. Your muscles are "turned off" during REM sleep. If you become aware before the REM cycle has finished, you may notice that you cannot move or speak."

Thanks for that Blackcat. You have pretty much described it for me there. I have the same problem with the waking up/not breathing episodes and have done since childhood. Never fell asleep with my eyes open though - you have my sympathy there!

I did a bit of searching and found that there is a suggestion of low levels of melatonin possibly contributing to sleep paralysis (SP) - and people with ASD may have lower than normal levels of melatonin! Associated apparently with a low functioning melatonin gene. Anyone heard of this?

Interesting that on Wikipaedia it cites that SP occurs more often when you sleep face up (which happens for me) - I also get hypnic jerks when I lie on my back which sounds like it could also be associated with the miss-match of muscle and consciousness control.

So from this it looks like a possible link with aspergers - anyone agree/have any experience with this?

Hayes

Thanks for that Blackcat. You have pretty much described it for me there. I have the same problem with the waking up/not breathing episodes and have done since childhood. Never fell asleep with my eyes open though - you have my sympathy there!

I did a bit of searching and found that there is a suggestion of low levels of melatonin possibly contributing to sleep paralysis (SP) - and people with ASD may have lower than normal levels of melatonin! Associated apparently with a low functioning melatonin gene. Anyone heard of this?

Interesting that on Wikipaedia it cites that SP occurs more often when you sleep face up (which happens for me) - I also get hypnic jerks when I lie on my back which sounds like it could also be associated with the miss-match of muscle and consciousness control.

So from this it looks like a possible link with aspergers - anyone agree/have any experience with this?

Hayes

I've had this happen to me. I've had it happen while sleeping on my back and while sleeping on my side.

I've also experienced hypnopompic hallucinations which are very freaky. I've heard my name shouted when nobody was in the house. I also heard footsteps followed by a draft as if my bedroom door had been opened. I thought for sure there was someone in my room but when I broke out of the paralysis and rolled over there was no one there and the door was still shut. Thankfully these hallucinations haven't occurred for years now as they scared the bejesus out of me.

Being overly tired and then sleeping for an extra long period seems to be the main culprit. I feel like the paralysis and possible hallucinations are due to going into an exceptionally prolonged period of REM sleep and not being able to recover to a wakeful state. Sleeping very late into the morning or napping during the day is also a pretty consistent trigger.

well I wake up in my sleep quite often. especially when sleeping to music because when I sleep to music, I Partially awake. I also sometimes have dreams with the music I am listening to

Usually when I wake up, often on Mondays, and then I'm usually somewhat grumpy.