i got a concussion 2 years ago and ever since, i've noticed weird things happening when i sleep. the bigest thing is when i'm trying to wake up.... i open my eyes and i'm paralized, at this point i'm freaking out. i know what going on and i keep trying to calm myself down but it's no use. after about 2 or 3 minutes i'm able to move and i'm fully awake. can someone please help me? this happens at least 2 times a week it's getting to the point where i don't even want to sleep.
ps: i've noticed if i don't sleep as much it doesn't happen my concussion was really bad.. i fell out of a tree, head first.. i should be dead I would think it would take an extremely severe concussion to cause side effects after this much time has passed. definetly get checked out by a doc. This shouldn't be happening. If you are at the point where you cannot move at all after waking up, it is something to be concerned about. Heya.
I have PCS or known as TBI (post-concussive syndrome or traumatic brain injury). I got it after I ran into a door frame 2 1/2 years ago. I hit the front part of my head, and have a nice scar to show it.
Since then I have been experiencing the same thing! It's scary as hell, isn't it? I often get them occuring with nightmares which makes it even worse. I also have developed a pre-disposition to having seizures (I've had them induced because of certain meds). I made a post about it
found here:
http://answers.yahoo.com/question/index;...
I received some answers, but also had a follow up via email with one individual. Here' s the responses he had:
"I can remember back to when I was 5 years old. I would occasionally have vidid dreams and wouldnt be able to fully awaken. I wanted to cry out for my parents, but I couldnt move. I could lay frozen in that state for what seemed like hours--drifting back into sleep--but never being able to fully wake up. I didnt know what was going on. It continued all throughout my youth, but was absent for long periods at times. The same exact thing used to happen to my mother, and most of the relatives on her side of the family. No one was able to put their finger on what it was, so they just lived with the condition. A few people in my family were diagnosed with other forms of narcolepsy. They would nod off right in front of everyone and then come back awake just as suddenly. I know that is something different than the problem they had with getting stuck in the alpha state, but I think the two things are somewhat related.
The phenomenon of "sleep paralysis" is well recognized, even though its fairly uncommon. I have asked just about everyone I know if it has ever happened to them. I have only found one person outside my family who has ever experienced it. Years ago, the group Queensryche had a hit song that was specifically about sleep paralysis. It was called "Silent Lucidity". It was all about how a person who is caught in the alpha state can manipulate their dreams, instead of being scared of the nightmares that haunt many people while in this state.
The alpha state is the level of consciousness that people who meditate seek to achieve. They try to get themselves into that state on purpose and then use the state to achieve relaxation, believe it or not. Many of them also like to control their dreams during their time in the state. If one learns to relax and accept the paralysis they feel while in the state, they will eventually come to find that they can control the dreams they have during that time. There was a movie called "Altered States" that came out about 20-25 years ago that dealt with this. They were originally going to call it "Alpha States".
When you are in the alpha state, your mind is awake and you know what day it is, your name, where you are, etc. The alpha state is the creative state, and many thoughts and images can flash into your mind while in it. Its that dopey, weird state that you go through as you are drifting off to sleep, and also when you are going from being asleep to being awake. Did you ever notice that right before you fall asleep, you tend to have thoughts that are kind of dreamlike and sometime nonsensical? Thats because you are passing through the alpha state. If you dont get stuck in it, you will pass through it and not even realize that its happening. You wont realize that your body cant move because you will be in your sleeping position and wont be trying to move. Its only once you gain awareness that you are in the state, that the problem begins. Thats when you recognize that you are paralyzed and panic sets in.
I can open my eyes in the state, but it takes some effort. While in the state, I often worry that I might stay that way forever and not be able to communicate whats going on to the people around me. Even after having this problem my whole life, its still pretty scary. Nothing bad has ever happened to me while in the state. I often can force myself awake by really struggling. But most of the time I will end up going on a journey of images and sound, with convulsive movements sometimes thrown in.
I am a trained psychotherapist, which also gives me some knowledge of this and the workings of the brain. When I used to counsel full-time, I worked side by side with a Psychiatrist who prescribed drugs for my patients. Although I never treated anyone with this exact problem, I treated plenty of people with similar sleep disorders. We found that Klonopin (Clonazepam) was a good place to start. Its slows the communication of neurons throughout the body, which helps the muscles relax and slows down communication within the brain itself. The slower the brain runs, the more precisely it runs. That leads to a better sleep and a sleep that goes reliably through the states--from theta, through alpha and into the full sleep of delta.
The 20 minute EEG is the abbreviated version. You need to have the full one (which last about 90 minutes and includes flashing lights, eyeball movement, etc) Even better if you can talk them into letting you have the 72 hour one. I can guarantee you that during your alpha experiences, you are definitely registering unusual brain activity or "spikes". I have had EEG's 5 times and each one was considered "abnormal but inconclusive". They couldnt treat me for epilepsy because the alpha activity wasnt for a long enough period of time, or severe enough to indicate full-blown epilepsy or narcolepsy. But I eventually did hook up with a doc who set me up with small doses of Clonazepam--right before bedtime on an empty stomach--that did help. At first, I was scared to take it because the last thing I wanted to do was take something that would make it harder for me to wake back up during an episode. But it didnt work on me like that. It kept my mind more at rest and let me pass through the alpha state without knowing that I was passing through it. Also, stress can mimic narcoleptic states by causing your brain to misfire--leaving you with more episodes than usual. When you mind stays awake dwelling on a problem, it sometimes goes out of synch with your body--which craves sleep. Caffeine is also a big culprit in causing episodes, as is MSG.
I have found that I can kind of "power out" of an episode, but it takes great focus and determination. The first thing to do when you realize you are in an episode is to remain calm. Repeat what day it is and your name to yourself and try opening your eyes or moving your fingertips. Breaking out of the episode usually starts with these things. If you become fully awake, you might feel a buzzing in your head. Mine sounds just like electricity (which, essentially, it is) buzzing in my head right after an episode. Thats the remnants of your misfiring brain. It will go away in a few minutes. I know the apprehension that you speak of when it comes to going to sleep knowing that this might be coming. And I precisely know the feeling of "here we go again" when you find yourself in an episode.
If you cant power out, always remember that you are in control of what you see and feel during the episode. You have the ability to keep the nightmares away while in this state. You actually are the author of what you will see and hear. There are people who meditate for years trying to get to the level of consciousness that you have while in this state. They would envy us, believe it or not. I know thats no consolation, but it should show you that the state isnt dangerous, just scary and annoying. Once you learn to control the imagery while in it, its a lot less frightening. Also, some meds may make the imagery worse. That is something you can look into with your doc." |
