I laid straight on my bed trying to move, trying to scream but all in vain. I badly wanted to wake my husband up who was peacefully snoring but was not able to utter a word. I felt as if someone or something was sitting on me and choking my neck hard. For a moment, I started feeling that, it would be my last breath and this came as an indication. This is the worst nightmare of my life. I somehow wanted to wake up or move as I could hear sound from my husband, the sound coming from outside and wondered why am I not able to move or speak. Finally, with great difficulty, I managed to move my arms and everything seemed to be normal then on.
I walked to the kitchen and drank water to ensure I am alright. As I drank, I was wondering what was happening to me. I woke my husband and narrated all that I experienced. He chuckled it off saying that I was only hallucinating or probably I was dreaming and slowly he drifted back to his dreamland.
No, I was neither dreaming nor hallucinating. Something had just happened and wanted to know what it was to have a peaceful sleep for the rest of the night. Then came to my rescue was Google. I came to know that it was sleep paralysis which is not uncommon in people and then I was relieved that I am not alone and there are people who have experienced the similar situation.
But what is sleep paralysis and why did it hit me?
A person experiences sleep paralysis when he is trying to wake up or falling asleep where he cannot move his body temporarily. But he will completely be aware of what is happening around him and can hear things. It lasts for few seconds to 2-3 minutes.
Sleep paralysis can occur to anyone having trouble sleeping, changing the sleep pattern, jet lag, family history of sleep paralysis, sleeping in back etc.
Whatever the reason is, I was relieved that there is no harm in this and it is very common. Moreover, I was relaxed because now I know I was not hallucinating. I slowly went back to sleep and woke up fresh in the morning.
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