Scary!!! - Carrollton,TX

Here is a web site for sleep paralysis. http://www.webmd.com/sleep-disorders/guide/sleep-paralysis

His experience certainly sounds like this is what happened.

I've had dreams where I tried to scream or tried to move and couldn't. They seemed very real. The scariest thing here is that he called you and didnt tell his wife. That's seriously innapropriate. He didn't want to scare her? But he wanted to scare you? That's dumb. How would she feel knowing he shared something so personal with you but didnt feel he could share it with her. My advice to him would be to talk to his wife about it. You didn't do anything wrong, but now you are in a bad situation. Either you tell his wife and break his trust or dont tell his wife and you are keeping an intimate secret with her husband and breaking her trust. Bad news either way.

It may have been something called sleep paralysis, which can happen as you're falling asleep or upon waking suddenly. You can't move when it occurs, and there can also be hallucinations associated with it. This, understandably, causes extreme fear in a person who doesn't know what's going on. It is sometimes associated with narcolepsy, according to an article I read, but that isn't necessarily a part of it.

In the past I have had what is called sleep paralysis. The first time I had it I was still sort of dreaming and thought the house was on fire and could not move any part of my body. Other times I was aware that I was waking up from sleeping but still couldn't move anything. It has been a while but I remember how hard it was not too panic.

Stanford.edu has this definition (http://www.stanford.edu/~dement/paralysis.html):

What is sleep paralysis?

Sleep paralysis consists of a period of inability to perform voluntary movements either at sleep onset (called hypnogogic or predormital form) or upon awakening (called hypnopompic or postdormtal form).

Sleep paralysis may also be referred to as isolated sleep paralysis, familial sleep paralysis, hynogogic or hypnopompic paralysis, predormital or postdormital paralysis

What are the symptoms?

A complaint of inability to move the trunk or limbs at sleep onset or upon awakening
Presence of brief episodes of partial or complete skeletal muscle paralysis
Episodes can be associated with hypnagogic hallucinations or dream-like mentation (act or use of the brain)

I was going to say the same thing as Tracy K in terms of you think you are awake, but you really aren't. Very real and they used to happen to me a lot as a child/teenager. Less now that when I sleep I am dead to the world - LOL.

Definitely sounds like sleep paralysis. I have these episodes when I'm especially tired. Basically, when you sleep your brain "paralyzes" your body so that you don't move. This keeps you from sleep walking (which is the other end of the spectrum from sleep paralysis) and harming yourself. Sometimes there is a misfire and you wake up but the brain hasn't released your body from its sleep. It's quite terrifying no matter how many times it happens but there is no real danger in it.

ETA: The sore ribs came from his trying to move. I'm exhausted and sore every time I have these from trying to wake myself (my body) up.

It is likely he was dreaming. My husband has had a recurrent dream that he is lying in bed (like he actually is) and sees a huge spider crawling across the ceiling. It causes him to shout and jump out of bed, often rushing across the room to turn on the light. It is very disorienting and disturbing for him. And almost always happens when he is under extra stress. Has your friend been experiencing any stress lately? Also, when we dream the motor cortex of our brain (the part that controls movement) shuts down so that we don't act out all that is happening in our dreams, it is called REM atonia. There is a more extreme condition called sleep paralysis and it is often accompanied by a sense of panic and fear. If you are waking during a dream you can sometimes feel that sense of paralysis and it can be quite scary. Read the section here about Symptoms and Characteristics, it sounds like this may be what happened to him. This is not necessarily a chronic condition, it may never happen again. But if it starts occurring frequently he may want to consult a sleep specialist.

Oops, forgot the link:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sleep_paralysis

It doesn't sound like he was actually awake. He only thought he was awake. There are a lot of different sleep disorders that can cause it. Sorry I can't be more helpful.

As someone who does things like this I found it funny he said he wasn't dreaming. Really? prove it. I am lucky, my husband was awake when it happened once watching me. When I did wake up I startled and was panting but before that he could see no signs I was in distress.

If it bothers him that much do sleep studies but it only happens to me when I am under a shed load of stress. Just not enough to be bothered with dealing with it.

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Many people who want to debunk "ghost" encounters from those who "awoke" to being "held down" or paralyzed tell of this state where we wake up mentally, but our bodies haven't yet.

I'm not sure what it's called, but it's fairly common and VERY scary. I'll try to google to get more info, but that's what this sounds like...

Found this on about.com:
Dr. Max Hirshkowitz, director of the Sleep Disorders Center at the Veterans Administration Medical Center in Houston, says that sleep paralysis occurs when the brain is in the transition state between deep, dreaming sleep (known as REM sleep for its rapid eye movement) and waking up. During REM dreaming sleep, the brain has turned off most of the body's muscle function so we cannot act out our dreams - we are temporarily paralyzed.

"Sometimes your brain doesn't fully switch off those dreams - or the paralysis - when you wake up," Hirshkowitz told ABC News. "That would explain the 'frozen' feeling and hallucinations associated with sleep paralysis." According to his research, the effect only really lasts from a few seconds to as long as a minute, but in this half-dream half-awake state, to the victim it can seem much longer.

He needs to go to the doctor. He might have something wrong with his heart.

I to have had sleep paralysis not so much anymore. and when it happens especially for the first time it can be scary. just to let you know you also can hear noises,voices as well as experiencing the effects of the body like others mentioned. i found an interesting video on youtube if he wants to check that out and there is plenty of articles on the net to better understand it. any questions about it he may have or via u i will answer about my situation. some people dont know this exists,both me and my brother do this.

My husband has woken up and has seen a shadow/figure wave to him and had a cold 'breeze' run through him once.. scared the you know what out of him. He was able to move the whole time though.....

wait he wants to tell his wife, but she is home alone? Wasn't he sleeping next to her? That part seems off... but maybe I misread... anyway unless he has some other symptoms or this occurs often... i think he is way over reacting
If it was not just an actual dream... then it could be a hynagogic hallucination..
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hypnagogia

BOY! I would definitely be praying to God and asking Him to send angels to surround and protect me. That is scary!

I am NOT one to believe in ghosts, but on my way to target one night with my 17yr old sitting beside me and my two little ones in the back, we both saw a dark shadow turn on the radio. It was very scary. I saw it and wasn't going to say anything because I didn't believe I saw it. Then my daughter told me she saw it, so I told her I saw it too. Very strange and scary! This happened about a week ago. Tell him to tell his wife, who knows --she may have seen something too and not want to tell him. If my daughter didn't tell me she saw it, I would have never brought it up.

I only get sleep paralysis if I fall asleep on a couch (seriously, this has happened on my grandmother's, my mom's and mine.).
I avoid couches if I need a nap.................

Woe, I really learned something today. I never heard of sleep paralysis, but it sure does sound like what this guy experienced. I'll bet he will be relieved to learn there is a logical, non-supernatural explanation.

It reminds me of one time when I saw a ball of fire flash though my room in the middle of the night. After some research, I discovered that it was something called ball lightning. Luckily, I found that out before I called an exorcist.

Seriously... sounds like what a well respected author described when he finally wrote a book based n his extra-terrestrial encounters.

Other possibilities are spirits/ghosts, medical issues, too much stress and needing a therapist.

Sounds like you've got your answer. Sleep paralysis. My husband has had this before.

I'm wondering if sleep paralysis in adulthood is more prevalent in those who had night terrors in childhood? I'll have to look that one up.