Being Held Down

August 25, 2007, 3:27 PM

I understand that this isn't a topic for everyone. However, this is a serious topic for me, as I've experienced something last night.

Well, I've heard stories from people about "being held down" in their sleep, where they cannot breathe, move, but their mind is awake. I've researched the topic last week, since my husband has been experiencing them throughout his life.

However, these past few weeks, things were getting out of hand. He's been experiencing it a lot lately...one night, he was attacked three times. Normally, they would just hold him down in his sleep...but that night he woke me up and told me that it seemed as if they were trying to crush his ribs and it hurt him really bad. This scared me.

Then the next night, my daughter woke up screaming at the top of her lungs. I talked to a couple people about it and they told me that it may possibly be a night terror...or something else, unknown. My daughter is almost three, and I've never heard her scream the way she did...I started screaming too as I was really freaked out.

Now, back on topic...I've never been held down before...until last night. It started out as a dream (a dream in a dream...) ...I was lying on my back and my husband was sleeping next to me...then he was saying something (I forgot) and all of a sudden reached down to my neck and was choking me...(remember, it was a dream - and it wasn't really him doing it) Well, I couldn't breathe and every second, I felt something heavy going down on my upper body...it wasn't just my neck being chocked, but my upper body as well.

I tried to scream in my dream...said a quick prayer in my mind (yes, by then I was already awake, although I couldn't move) and finally woke up screaming that it woke my husband up. He tried to shake me and wake me up, and I told him I was fine, although my body was shaking, my heart was beating fast, and I was sweating. He knew what had happened, of course. I didn't need to tell him...but I still told him what happened in my dream.

It was around 2:48 A.M and three hours later, I was still awake. I felt that there was something in the room with us...there always has been ever since we moved out here last year.

So, have any of you experienced such things that I have mentioned? Or do you know anyone that may have experienced this? Why do these things happen? This is quite possibly the most scariest experience for me...and I have a feeling it's now just starting...

EDIT:

I was thinking more about this earlier...and I remember that I did not actually scream loud. It was more of like a yelp...and when I woke up yelping, I was surprised at how weak it was...but now that I talked more about it with my husband, he said that it's only normal since after being held down and finally being released, my voice would naturally be low, despite how I was trying to scream my loudest in my dream.

August 26, 2007, 4:21 AM

Wow, I'm really sorry Mitsuki. :/ I think I've heard of those sorts of things happening to people, just not as intense as that. Maybe <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sleep_paralysis" target="_blank">this</a> is what it is? Anyway, I hope it's of some help.

August 26, 2007, 1:47 PM

Hmm, I actually read about that and talked about it with a few people...and I honestly think that science can't really explain this one. >.< Sleep paralysis seems like it's the deal...when it comes to scientific terms. But I honestly think that spiritual activities were taking place. I know I'm probably not making any sense...I guess people have to experience it for themselves first to know that there's something more to it than science...

Now, I'm not superstitious at all. But I know people personally who experienced far scarier situations compared to what I experienced...and it's not sleep paralysis. >.<

August 26, 2007, 5:03 PM

You mean like... there is a ghost or something in your house… but in all seriousness that sounds like Night Terrors according to wikipedia they are kind common in children ages 2-6, if your husband has been having a lot of these maybe she notice his terror and ended up having them herself, maybe the same happened to you.<o:p></o:p>
<o:p> </o:p>
I really don’t know I’m no psychiatrist, I do recommend you to see one. Consulting a real doctor is the best thing you can do in these situations <o:p></o:p>

August 27, 2007, 12:07 AM

Not sure what it could be, but Ghosts? Come on...

I'd say just try to chill or whatever you can do before going to bed. What I mean is listen to some music you like, watch a favorite movie of yours, or play a game with your daughter or husband. Do something that's relaxing and will calm you down right before going to sleep.

If you're going through a lot of crap or stress in your life, try and get your mind off it. Going to bed with crowded thoughts and the weight of the world on your shoulders, you're gonna be upset unconsciously and unable to control it once sleep sets in.

Chill, relax, find something unstressful to do before you rest; should prevent waking up with night terrors or just a freakish feeling.

August 27, 2007, 12:24 AM

If all else fails, stay up until you pass out.

I think I've gone through something similar, but not quite as scary. It was just a dream that I was being tortured to death by Nazis.

I jumped out of the bed so fast when I woke up, I got my foot caught in the covers, tripped, and wanged my head on the door. I'm surprised I didn't slice my forehead open on the door's latch or something. Lucky me, I just got off with one hell of a headache. I was scared shitless the next day and skipped history class. I don't think I've watched a Holocaust documentation since then.

August 27, 2007, 9:31 PM

Yup, i asked around with some of my more superstitous friends and its when you said "felt there was something in the room with us...there always has been ever since we moved out here last year."
That is...intriguing. I know what you mean when you say you can mentally "feel" something else in the room/house. Its been proven we have a sense most of us dont notice...sensing others prescences.

Scientists dont know how its done but its true. we can sense other people even though we dont yet know.
Anyway, my friends think you've got some sort of spirit and one even came up with "get a priest and bless the house"
It may well work, if you convince yourself that it would work then it WOULD work. Basic psychology.

August 27, 2007, 9:40 PM

My mum has experienced something similar (or so she says). When she was young, she woke up under the covers, and felt as if something was trying to keep her from pulling them down again.

I've sort of had something similar. I had a dream in which I felt like I had a knife being driven into my back, and the pain woke me up and I could feel it for several seconds afterwards.

I think a lot of this sort of stuff is psychological though. If you come into contact with this sort of phenomenon regularly (in your case, your husband experiencing it), then it gets into your mind and you have it subconciously. And so it manifested itself into the same thing with you.
I'd say the best thing is to really relax before going to bed, if you can. And possibly take dream-suppresents too.

My Character Profiles · August 27, 2007, 9:54 PM

I have woken up in the night holding my breath, talking, jerking around, and throwing a total kick fit. We all have. Sometimes you wake up in a panic, but you can't remember what was going on before it happened. It's not just a panic though; it's a serious state of alarm. The worst that has happened to me was that I was acting things out in my sleep and my boyfriend had to shake me until I woke up.
I don't think it's stress related though. These things happen at random, I believe.