# Sleeping:  Can't Move!!

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sleeping-cant-move/138222>\
**Category:** In My Humble Opinion\
**Created:** [November 22, 2002, 8:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sleeping-cant-move/138222 "2002-11-22T20:21:37Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 3\
**Page:** 2

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**Author:** ![Greywolf73](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/d9b06d/32.png) [@Greywolf73](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Greywolf73)\
**Post date:** [November 23, 2002, 11:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sleeping-cant-move/138222/21 "2002-11-23T23:10:02Z")

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I’ve had this happen to me from time to time. The most recent episode was last week.  
The worst part about it, for me, is the fact that I can’t speak while it is happening. I will try to scream so my husband can wake me up but I can’t make a sound. I’m screaming in my HEAD but not out loud.

It’s absolutely terrifying.

I’ve heard of the “sleep hag” but I have never, ever heard of the “wild animals tearing at your legs” phenomenon. I think if that ever happened to me, I’d be up for at least a week.  
_shudder_

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**Author:** ![Arien](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/e0b2c6/32.png) [@Arien](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Arien)\
**Post date:** [November 24, 2002, 1:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sleeping-cant-move/138222/22 "2002-11-24T01:53:23Z")

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This occasionally happens to me. Usually it’s because I’m trying to wake myself up out of a dream and I don’t quite succeed. My eyelids feel extremely heavy, and I can’t move my limbs at all. This lasts for probably about 30 seconds before I am able to wake up completely. When I am in this half-awake/half-asleep phase, I am under the impression that I am completely conscious, but when I really do wake up, I realize that I was still partly asleep. It is certainly creepy, but it has never lasted more than half a minute for me (actually, probably even less) and I know that I will eventually wake up.

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**Author:** ![Harmonix](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/3ec8ea/32.png) [@Harmonix](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Harmonix)\
**Post date:** [November 24, 2002, 12:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sleeping-cant-move/138222/23 "2002-11-24T12:10:35Z")

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Been there done that was scared to shit.

Last time it happened tho I think i actually heard my brother in the other room. I can’t remember clearly.

Has anyone actually been aware of their surroundings while this has happened?

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