I have had the same type of dream now for the past 10 years where I find myself in a state of absolute paralasis, always still aware that I’m in bed & also aware that I’m asleep.

It is always accompanied by an awful feeling of fear or dread and I seem to have an overwhelming urge to wake myself. On several occations this was achieved by concentrating on trying to scream or shout in order to wake my wife lying beside me. Sometimes I even tried to hit her so that she would wake me up. When I do awaken I lie there afraid to go back to sleep as I often go back into this dream state several times a night.

—Pat, Age 44, Wicklow, IRELAND

Hi Pat—

It’s not a great feeling being unable to move, is it?

Fortunately, what you are experiencing is an entirely benign curiosity of REM (dreaming) sleep, called “sleep paralysis.” During each period of REM that we transit during the night (there are usually 4-5 REM periods per night), our muscle tone becomes completely inhibited. In other words, we become unable to move. The reason the body does this is so that we do not actually get up and act out our dreams.

What is unusual in your case is that you notice the inhibition. As you write in your report, you frequently are aware of this “paralysis.” It is an uncomfortable feeling, and you feel an overwhelming urge to wake yourself.

My advice in these cases is always the same. “Sleep paralysis” usually is not a serious enough condition to warrant any type of treatment with medicine. The truth is that you would have to take some pretty strong neuro-active drugs to limit its occasion (sleeping pills, anti-depressants), and even then results are not guaranteed. The most important thing to recognize about sleep paralysis is that a) it is an entirely natural accompaniment to REM, and b) that no one ever stays paralysed. The difficulty you experience awakening yourself is caused by the fact that your body needs a certain amount of REM each day. This why you feel “stuck” in REM—your body is trying to get the job done.

If you can overcome the natural fear that attends the situation, sleep paralysis actually is an excellent vehicle for bringing consciousness into REM sleep. If you can hold on to the awareness that you are dreaming, and can relax enough so that you don’t worry about waking up, then you can sit back and watch your dreams like a viewer at a movie theatre. But beware: you also will be an actor in this play.

My advice is to relax and try to have fun with it; you may learn to enjoy it. If, on the other hand, it continues to be a bother, ask your doctor for some sleeping pills to see if that doesn’t help.

In the meantime: Sweet dreams!