Fireside Chats, Episode 105: Sleep Paralysis
Added 2019-09-04 16:00:03 +0000 UTCToday's guest -- Eric Dominguez -- suffers from an inexplicable ailment that only strikes when he slumbers. The affliction is aptly named Sleep Paralysis, and for thousands of years, it has left people in civilizations around the world and throughout recorded history completely mystified. To those that suffer from it, however, its effects are anything but mysterious. With your mind awake and alert but your body unwilling and unable to move, falling into a bout of sleep paralysis can be a scary (and even sinister) experience. So let's spend an hour or so chatting about it, and make you aware of something you may not have even known existed... or perhaps give words for the very first time to something you experience yourself.
Comments
Just wanted to update you on this. Turns out that I do have sleep apnea. So I've been using a CPAP machine for about 6 months now and guess what? No more sleep paralysis. It took some time getting used to sleeping with a mask over my nose, but I'd take that over sleep paralysis any day (night?) of the week. Cheers!
Greg
2020-04-07 17:20:36 +0000 UTCI totally understand. =)
Colin Moriarty
2019-09-14 02:46:17 +0000 UTCI think I smoke too much weed to have vivid dreams, frankly.
Colin Moriarty
2019-09-14 02:46:02 +0000 UTCIt's scary when you think no one else is experiencing it. Far less so when you figure that out!
Colin Moriarty
2019-09-14 02:45:44 +0000 UTCI honestly don’t know if I can listen to this one after all listening to all your Last Stand Episodes. Only reason is it seems like Sleep Paralysis has this weird thing of, if you talk about the subject, it triggers later. I also suffered with this pretty much every week from age 12 to 22. (no exaggeration) Thankfully only happens once in a great while nowadays. I thank you for accepting such a topic, can’t wait to have the courage to listen to it. Love ya!
Ewoc
2019-09-12 15:28:44 +0000 UTCJust getting to listen to this one. Man I can really relate. I used to think I was the only one who had this and I was going crazy. I've had multiple sleep studies and everything is clear. I have such vivid dreams that I recall for years. I often wake up unable to breathe and terrified because I believe someone is in the room watching me. I feel like i never get a good night's sleep. Glad to know I'm in good company.
Francis Bryan
2019-09-12 15:09:00 +0000 UTCFor years, I thought I was the only person that ever had this. I never understood what it was, until you mentioned it years ago, calling it sleep paralysis. Really looking forward to this one.
Andrew Cuschieri
2019-09-11 19:29:21 +0000 UTCIf it only happened once, how do you know you weren't dreaming...?
Colin Moriarty
2019-09-08 08:20:47 +0000 UTCI have one case of sleep paralysis. When I was a little kid, like grade 1? maybe 2 at the most I had this nightmare that I was in my basement, and some sort of hairy monster showed up and threw me over his shoulders and started walking away with me towards a corner of the basement. At that YOUNG age I realized in my nightmare that I was dreaming and desperately tried to wake up because I still thought I guess that I was being taken away? I couldn't wake up, and I remember that once I was "carried" far enough I did eventually wake up. It terrified me..... It felt so real, despite knowing I was dreaming.... For context, the basement at my parents house has always been renovated. My brothers bedroom was in the basement and we had an entertainment room etc.
Andrew
2019-09-08 02:45:25 +0000 UTCCould be, could be.
Colin Moriarty
2019-09-07 22:34:21 +0000 UTC<3
Colin Moriarty
2019-09-07 22:34:14 +0000 UTCI sleep with the lights on sometimes. =)
Colin Moriarty
2019-09-07 22:34:05 +0000 UTCIt seems to happen most to light sleepers, so it makes some sense that those who have a more physically arduous life and sleep sounder might avoid it!
Colin Moriarty
2019-09-07 22:33:57 +0000 UTCHe's an essential part of the American Fabric.
Colin Moriarty
2019-09-07 22:33:27 +0000 UTCGreg
2019-09-07 16:40:04 +0000 UTCThanks for listening fellas if you wanna check me out on other platforms just let me know!
Eric D
2019-09-06 12:37:53 +0000 UTCBest compliment thanks dude
Eric D
2019-09-06 12:36:51 +0000 UTCI experienced a very scary episode of sleep paralysis at one point. It scared me so much that I slept with my lamp on in my room for a good while. Haven’t had it since then but ugh fuck that!
Tyler
2019-09-06 02:03:11 +0000 UTCI used to suffer sleep paralysis when I was younger, I was very sedentary but ever since I started working out It stopped happening to me, so if someone is having sleep paralysis try being more active it might work for you like it worked for me :)
Edwin Garcia
2019-09-06 01:47:42 +0000 UTC=)
Colin Moriarty
2019-09-06 00:53:06 +0000 UTCIndeed!
Colin Moriarty
2019-09-06 00:52:58 +0000 UTC=)
Colin Moriarty
2019-09-06 00:52:52 +0000 UTCI think the connection is because people can't move, they assume something sinister is about.
Colin Moriarty
2019-09-06 00:52:48 +0000 UTCHahaha.
Colin Moriarty
2019-09-06 00:52:29 +0000 UTCI'm thankful that I can at least kinda-sorta control it by staying off of my back.
Colin Moriarty
2019-09-06 00:52:22 +0000 UTCIt's scary, no matter how many times it happens.
Colin Moriarty
2019-09-06 00:51:57 +0000 UTCI've actually had that, too. I didn't bring it up in the episode!
Colin Moriarty
2019-09-06 00:51:38 +0000 UTCScary stuff, man. I can relate.
Colin Moriarty
2019-09-06 00:51:22 +0000 UTCEnjoy!
Colin Moriarty
2019-09-06 00:51:09 +0000 UTCI hope you like our talk.
Colin Moriarty
2019-09-06 00:51:05 +0000 UTCIt's more common than we think, perhaps!
Colin Moriarty
2019-09-06 00:50:48 +0000 UTCEnjoy!
Colin Moriarty
2019-09-06 00:50:38 +0000 UTCOh, it's very real. =)
Colin Moriarty
2019-09-06 00:50:34 +0000 UTCShout out to Florida Man.
Jonathon H
2019-09-05 18:48:07 +0000 UTCAwesome show! Colin’s one off lines like “who’s you daddy” always kill me.
Corey
2019-09-05 16:39:50 +0000 UTCI suffer with this as well. Scary stuff man!
Willie916
2019-09-05 15:10:17 +0000 UTCI love all the rambling in this podcast, reminds me of the old GOG podcasts
desperateLuck
2019-09-05 14:41:31 +0000 UTCGreat topic! I've had nights where I have repeatedly tried to wake up but it just feels like I'm waking up into another dream. It feels like an endless loop. Incredibly frustrating. I haven't experienced anything else such as shadowy figures thankfully. The feeling of paralysis alone is scary enough for me. Haha.
Kosmo Butler
2019-09-05 02:59:04 +0000 UTCMy girlfriend and I are also definitely excited to be the youngest people in the theatre for Downton Abbey by 40 years haha
Travis Johnson
2019-09-05 01:18:10 +0000 UTCI too have had this many times but not too much anymore. It used to be more frequent in my 20s, saw the shadow figures, mostly cloaked looking around the bedroom. One time a figure trying to suffocate me had glowing eyes and when I looked at its face it looked like me. I definitely was afraid to sleep alone for a while and definitely thought “this is how I’ll probably die” lol. But having more of an understanding of the phenomenon and discovering that other people also experience it makes me feel like somewhat normal. But it’s definitely a strange event and puzzling how it hasn’t been filtered out throughout the human evolutionary chain.
Brent
2019-09-05 00:16:14 +0000 UTCI've dealt with this since i was a kid. I only recently realized it was called something. I'm usually on my stomach when it happens and I always see aliens either in my doorway, or the sides of my bed. They just stand and stare. Now that I'm older, I'm aware that it is happening as it plays out, and I try to keep myself calm, but that doesn't seem to change anything. I've always had an overwhelming sense of vulnerability if I wake up in the middle of the night. That has to be connected somehow
Richard Duflo
2019-09-04 19:25:51 +0000 UTCI have to comment on this. Sleep paralysis can be a waking nightmare as well. I have seen “figures” while I’ve woken up from a nightmare. Even my girlfriend was freaking out because I was screaming when I saw it while awake. It’s crazy shit. Feeling pain while being in sleep paralysis also really sucks.
kevin berger
2019-09-04 18:39:57 +0000 UTCReally good episode. I’ve been dealing with this since I can remember. I too am a very light sleeper. When it gets really bad I try and try to scream at the top of my lungs and all that comes out, according to my wife, is heavy breathing. All she has to do is touch me and I wake up. I have to completely stay awake too or i fall right back in to it. I also have very vibrant and lucid dreams. Thanks for the episode guys. It’s not that I’m glad you guys have it, but it’s nice to know i’m not the only one.
Javier Ramirez
2019-09-04 17:52:31 +0000 UTCThis intrigues me, cant wait to listen!
Joe Donnelly
2019-09-04 16:50:02 +0000 UTCsleep paralysis is some crazy shit. when it first started happening to me i had never heard of it and legitimately thought i was losing my mind. never felt so much relief as when i randomly saw someone mention it, looked into it and realized that's what had been happening. can't wait to listen to this episode.
Derek O
2019-09-04 16:30:15 +0000 UTCSame here. It is worse when I am really tired and then having to calm your breathing so you don't hyperventilate. Can't wait to listen.
Bradley Backstrom II
2019-09-04 16:25:50 +0000 UTCOH MY GOD THANK YOU. I have this issue too and it's terrifying. My wife doesn't believe me that it's real. I'll tell her to listen to this.
Ben Williams
2019-09-04 16:03:26 +0000 UTC
