Reading Salvial_Ten's journal

For the longest time I've been having issues with sleep, one of which is insomnia that sprang from the other problem, or at least I'm fairly sure it did. I'd like to note now that the rest of what I'm about to write is likely complete drivel, which is what I'll be setting the post type as.

For about the last three or four years I've been getting this really odd feeling when I'm laying in bed trying to go to sleep, it feels like a cross between a heavy weight being laid ontop of me and that quirky feeling of being watched. But it wasn't a weight like a book or another matress just being sat on me, it's something less substantial than that, and it gradually gets heavier. And I feel it mostly on my face, back, chest and limbs, and the sensation of that lack of something pushing against me is eerily like skin and it gets harder to breath.

Now, as a rational human being I tell myself it's just me being paranoid. But why would paranoia feel like a load of skin covered bricks being gradually eased onto me?

Another problem with this explaination is that I never get the feeling when I'm not at home.

The other explaination I give myself for this is that my highly active imagination is working in over drive in that supposedly peaceful and restful time between being awake and busy and asleep and dreaming. Although, I don't buy this one much either because I don't really have a set time that I lay down to sleep and I never get the above described feeling when I crash during the day.

I spoke to a friend of mine about this, who's judgement I trust completely, at least ninety nine percent of the time. In her opinion it's something supernatural. (Here it might be pertinant to note that she's a Wiccan.) I don't disbelieve in the supernatural and this sounds like a nearly acurate explaination, aside from the fact that there isn't any proof that such things exist (in this case).

Or perhaps I'm on the verge of some sort of mental breakdown with an unknown cause.

All I know is that I'm sick and tired of that weird ass feeling, and would like to get some decent sleep. Has anyone else here ever gotten that feeling or something like it? Or does anyone have any suggestions on how to get rid of it or what it might be?

--Jami

You fail it.

Hmm, I'm frequently having problems going to bed, but I've never experienced a physical sensation like the one you describe.
Dyspnea may very well have a physical cause (i.e. go see a doctor), but in this case it sounds more like a mental problem. (I hope this doesn't sound like I think you're nuts. English is not my native tongue, don't kill me! :-P )
When you say

For about the last three or four years

, did anything happen back then which might have caused this?
If the symptoms really bother you (and it seems to me that they do), you probably should talk to a doctor. He'll (hopefully) do a check-up and should at the very least be able to tell you whether it's physical or mental, and what you can do to ease the symptoms.

Is there anything particularly disturbing in or around your bedroom?

As for methods against insomnia, here's what usually works for me (perhaps/hopefully some of these work for you, too):

• Music. Music is good. Nice, calm music which is barely audible. Something not too emotional (it should calm you, not wake strong emotions).

• If you like them, get a lava lamp. They can be very calming to watch (or boring, that completely depends on you). In any case you'll get a very nice light from them. Maybe you want to buy a small lava lamp and a timer, so you can fall asleep with the lamp on and it'll be switched off later.

• Practice relaxing. I can't tell you how much my ability to relax means to me. Get some good music and decent lightning (a glass of wine or a spliff if you like), put that all & yourself in a comfy place and listen to the music. If anything un-calming comes to mind, no matter what (expect maybe "Oh, the carpet just caught fire!"), think "Never mind that now, I'll think about it later." Most importantly - don't insist on being relaxed RIGHT NOW, you'll only get upset! Just sit there doing nothing, and it'll happen.

• Get a massage if you can, preferably on your own bed (so you don't have to get up again afterwards :-) ).

• I'm not encouraging drug abuse in general and don't know what your position on this is, but I for one have found that when I'm troubled/restless and can't sleep, a small doobie before bed-time works wonders.

• As inappropriate as this seems :-) try watching your favorite funny film / reading a funny book just before bed-time. Laughing is one of the healthiest things you can do.

• If you think it helps, put a stuffed animal on your chest to see if it has any effect on the heavy weight.

"*sigh* Some men are really hard to manipulate!" - Orchid

Thanks for the advice, I've got and use my lava lamp quite often, at least as long as I've got a place to set it up, and whatever night time sleep I get is with music.

(I hope this doesn't sound like I think you're nuts. English is not my native tongue, don't kill me! :-P )

It doesn't sound like you think I'm nuts at all. :)

As for relaxation I'm not much for drugs or alchohol, just not my thing. Aside from that I'm going to try as many as possible of your recomended techniques, and maybe even give deep meditation another go.

--Jami

You fail it.

Hello,

I was recently googling and scowering the internet for a feeling that I sometimes get when I'm trying to fall asleep, and your blog post was the only one that matched approximately the feeling that happens. Unfortunately it's really hard to describe the feeling, but it seems like you and I may be subject to the same sort of thing. In my experiences it only happens when I'm trying to take a nap, which is almost always on a couch instead of the bed I sleep in at night. It's such an odd feeling, and I can feel myself slip into it if I lay on my back and let my eyes sink into the sockets... at first I wasn't sure whether it was a bad feeling or a good feeling, but the more I try to relax when it happens the worse it gets, and at times it's even caused my breathing to be restricted. Also, I know one other person who experiences this feeling that I believe we're both describing, but outside of that, you're the only other one I've found. It seems very odd to me that I couldn't find any sort of article about it in either medical journals or encyclopedias, but I'm not convinced it's a supernatural occurance. I realize you may have posted this particular entry a while ago (i just registered to this site to respond to your post, so I couldn't find the date posted at first glance). Let me know if you have found anything out, or if you believe I am describing something different from what you have been experiencing.

-Ben