sleep disorders i probably have
or, a lesson in self-diagnosis.
- sleep paralysis - wakes dreamer up in the middle of REM cycle; leaves dreamer fully conscious but unable to move; may be accompanied by terrifying hallucinations and an acute sense of danger; usually remembered as a dream. certain factors increase likelihood of both paralysis and hallucinations:
- sleeping face-up (check)
- irregular sleep schedules: naps, sleeping in, sleep deprivation (check: check, check, check)
- increased stress (not at all)
- sudden environmental/lifestyle changes (nope/yes)
- lucid dreams (check)
- insomnia - persistent difficulty falling/staying asleep despite the opportunity
- nocturnal myoclonus - involuntary movement during sleep - closely related to restless leg syndrome.
- sleep deprivation - self-explanatory
all of these are linked to very strange dreams.
