Sleep paralysis

Have you had a sleep study done? This condition has been linked to obstructive sleep apnea. If it is happening regularly you really should have a sleep study done.

Another possibility is seeing a nurologist for an EEG...could be something totally different like a form of epileptic cesure, a Petit Mal (or small cesure)...totally controlable with meds but you need to see a speacilaist for a diagnosis.
Sharon

Doctor is booking me in for some sleep analysis.

Interesting stuff

I haven't experienced it myself, but I've done plenty of research on sleep, so I know about the phenomenon. Basically your brain wakes up before your body does. When you're asleep, there is a sort of "switch" that is flipped to keep you from moving around so you don't act out your dreams... kind of like paralysis. Usually that switch is flipped back as you wake up, but for some people the timing gets off. It is pretty harmless but can be quite scary if you don't know what's going on. (It happened to my BF once; he said it was terrifying.)

I think getting a sleep analysis/study is the right step, though. As CTB said, it could be indicative of apnea or something.

I have experienced it in the past and I am someone who has been diagnosed with moderate obstructive sleep apnea.

As the OP stated it is an unpleasant experience. I would go a step further and say it is horrifying. For me it was like being buried alive. All I could think of after sleep paralysis was the terror of the character in the Edgar Allan Poe story who is buried alive.

I've experienced it a few times and never want to again. Horrible.

I've experienced it more than a few times and I have sleep apnea. I just went through sleep studies again as I was pulling off my CPAP mask and Dr. Sleep thought maybe I didn't need the machine anymore, because of my 65 lb weight loss and that I was pulling it off.

The reason I'm telling you all is I still have it and it is just as bad. I quit breathing 27 times an hour and the oxygen in my blood gets as low as 79%. This causes the heart to work more than it has to and leads to an increased heart size. It is something to take seriously.

When I get up, due to my night time extra loo trips, I am not awake enough to remember to put the mask back on. So I'm turning on the bathroom light and totally wake up. I get better REM sleep and do not have this "sleep paraysis" when using the CPAP machine.

I'll get off of my soap box. Just saying if you think you might have this problem get tested. My BMI is about a point higher than the normal range so it doesn't mean you are "fat" if you need the machine.

I remember hearing my wife call my name while I was passed out from a cramp, but that was just seconds- not minutes.