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xchrom

(108,903 posts) Sat Sep 6, 2014, 05:11 AM Sep 2014

There are Sleep Issues More Terrifying Than Nightmares

http://www.alternet.org/personal-health/there-are-sleep-issues-more-terrifying-nightmares

1. Sleeping Beauty Syndrome. Sleeping beauty syndrome, or Kleine-Levin Syndrome (KLS), is a sleep disorder characterized by repetitive and unusually long episodes of sleep in which the sufferer is too tired to leave her bed even when awake. The disorder can cause a person to sleep for up to 20 hours a day. There have been reported cases in recent times where two British girls suffering from the disorder slept for up to two months, waking only to use the bathroom or eat.

***SNIP

2. Exploding Head Syndrome. Despite what the name suggests, this sleep disorder does not involve your head exploding in the middle of the night. Rather, exploding head syndrome occurs during the onset of deep sleep when a person will become startled by a loud booming noise that seems to originate in the head or inside the skull and is often accompanied by a flash of light. The noise can sound like a gun, a clash of cymbals or explosives detonating right next to a person’s head. The phenomenon doesn’t cause any physical pain and has not been associated with any serious illness.

***SNIP

3. Sleep Paralysis. Ever woken up and not been able to move? You may have experienced sleep paralysis. This freaky sleep disorder is characterized by an inability to move any part of your body just as you fall asleep or wake up. It occurs when a part of your brain wakes up before the rest of your body, which gives you a sense of feeling alert, even though your muscles remain immobile. Despite the unnerving sensation, the condition is not permanent. In fact, this temporary paralysis, which usually occurs during REM sleep, is there to stop us from acting out our dreams or hurting ourselves.

4. Sexsomnia. Sex in your sleep doesn't sound all that bad, right? That is, unless the unconscious behavior is unwanted or the issue of sexual assault is raised, which can get the sufferer into serious trouble. In a number of controversial cases before the courts, men have been acquitted of rape by arguing they were sexsomniacs or asleep during the attacks, although the defense is hard to prove.

9 replies

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There are Sleep Issues More Terrifying Than Nightmares (Original Post) xchrom Sep 2014 OP

I don't have any of those davidpdx Sep 2014 #1

yeah - i have sleep issues as well. nt xchrom Sep 2014 #2

I have experienced sleep paralysis. It is very freaky Siwsan Sep 2014 #3

I see aliens JustAnotherGen Sep 2014 #4

I've had it hit just as I wake up from a bad dream Siwsan Sep 2014 #5

It could be JustAnotherGen Sep 2014 #6

Yep, it also used to be called "The Hag." RKP5637 Sep 2014 #9

I used to have that happen to me a lot when younger, but not so much now, no idea why. I also RKP5637 Sep 2014 #8

I'm self diagnosing myself with exploding head syndrome. Inkfreak Sep 2014 #7

davidpdx

(22,000 posts)

1. I don't have any of those

Reply to xchrom (Original post)

Sat Sep 6, 2014, 05:35 AM

Sep 2014

But I do wake up from a dead sleep screaming at times. If you are sleeping in the vicinity of where I am when it happens it won't be pleasant.

Cross-posted to the Health forum.

xchrom

(108,903 posts)

2. yeah - i have sleep issues as well. nt

Reply to davidpdx (Reply #1)

Sat Sep 6, 2014, 05:36 AM

Sep 2014

Siwsan

(26,268 posts)

3. I have experienced sleep paralysis. It is very freaky

Reply to xchrom (Original post)

Sat Sep 6, 2014, 06:21 AM

Sep 2014

It comes in waves and I can go long periods between bouts. Sometimes it actually hurts, and feels like someone is sitting on my chest. I fully understand why some people think it is alien abduction involved.

JustAnotherGen

(31,828 posts)

4. I see aliens

Reply to Siwsan (Reply #3)

Sat Sep 6, 2014, 06:54 AM

Sep 2014

That's what my brain sees when my eyes open. It's terrifying. Try sleeping with two body pillows to force you to sleep on your side.

Siwsan

(26,268 posts)

5. I've had it hit just as I wake up from a bad dream

Reply to JustAnotherGen (Reply #4)

Sat Sep 6, 2014, 07:18 AM

Sep 2014

It took a while for me to realize what was going on, but yea, my brain definitely retained some images. So that's why I never laugh at people who are convinced they've been abducted or "probed".

Oddly enough, the paralysis issue only hits when my really bad insomnia goes into a temporary remission. I always wondered if it's related.

JustAnotherGen

(31,828 posts)

6. It could be

Reply to Siwsan (Reply #5)

Sat Sep 6, 2014, 07:26 AM

Sep 2014

I'm a hypersomniac with a touch of narcolepsy.

Put me in a pitch black room, sitting up, middle of the day, after a night of a sleep study (last one was a 24 hour deal) -

I will fall asleep immediately.
Go into REM - and my brain patterns show the paralysis kick in.

If you fall asleep deep and quick. Wake up. Then can't get back to sleep - you are going to have that paralysis event.

ETA - the alien abduction thing? That's what I think people are experiencing. If you dig into the historical on this - people used to see demons, trolls, etc etc. it's the bogeyman in our current culture/times.

RKP5637

(67,111 posts)

9. Yep, it also used to be called "The Hag."

Reply to JustAnotherGen (Reply #6)

Sat Sep 6, 2014, 08:28 AM

Sep 2014

http://paranormal.about.com/od/humanenigmas/a/Old-Hag-Syndrome.htm

RKP5637

(67,111 posts)

8. I used to have that happen to me a lot when younger, but not so much now, no idea why. I also

Reply to Siwsan (Reply #3)

Sat Sep 6, 2014, 08:25 AM

Sep 2014

used to feel my head buzzing if that makes sense. I also had vivid hallucinations as a child when falling asleep. Most all of that has passed now, again, no idea why. I always attributed it to a sleep disorder of sorts. I can really see why some might think something paranormal is going on, etc. I never did/have ... but rather always saw it as a sleep disorder, now fortunately gone. It can be really freaky when it happens.

Inkfreak

(1,695 posts)

7. I'm self diagnosing myself with exploding head syndrome.

Reply to xchrom (Original post)

Sat Sep 6, 2014, 08:07 AM

Sep 2014

Cause that's happened to me a few times. It's really weird but the best outta the 4, I think. It'll happen to me and I'll look around wondering. But my dogs will never move, and late at night out here in the sticks, any sound will set them off.

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