Body is asleep while i'm concious with trouble breathing, any help?!


Question: Body is asleep while i'm concious with trouble breathing, any help?
Sometimes when i sleep, I become concious while my body is still asleep. I try to slow my breathing and calm down to not panic, but then ill all of a sudden wake up and gasp for air..can anyone tell me what might be causing this??

Answers:

This is called sleep paralysis and is very common. It has been around forever and years ago people used to think it was demons sitting on your chest that caused the breathing problems and inability to move. The even did paintings of it..

http://www.artchive.com/artchive/f/fussl…

See the night "mare" horse in background?

Nowadays we know the biological reasons for it. When your asleep you can reach a stage called REM sleep (rapid eye movement). If you happen to become aware as your body begins shutting down for REM sleep this is called hypnagogic sleep paralysis. If your body becomes aware before the REM cycle is complete this is called hypnopompic sleep paralysis. Basically, you are aware, your eyes can move but your body cannot move. It can be extremely frightening and make you feel powerless (I know, it happened to me) but its really nothing to worry about.Studies show that most people experience sleep paralysis at least once or twice in their lives. It depends on what kind of a sleeper you are. I'm very disrupted, I talk in my sleep and sleep walk and so this happens to me a lot. A number of things can affect its including stress and alcohol consumption. Try and relax, if it becomes a major problem disrupting your sleep go to your doctor. Most of the time its just one of those unpleasant things that will, unfortunately, occasionally happen.




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