[ridedc]

Every once in a while I will get sleep paralysis. Unfortunately, I can't seem to calm down and I get really panicky. I always try my hardest to move, or wake up (because most times I know I am sleeping), and this causes me to get extremely anxious. It's such an uncomfortable feeling.

Not only do I get sleep paralysis, but there are two major recurring things that happen in my dreams. The first is that I always move or act sluggishly in my dreams, especially during times when I need to react quickly. For instance, in dreams where I have to run away from something/someone, I end up running away extremely slowly, as if I'm slightly paralyzed. This also happens in dreams where I am in a fight, where my punches are extremely slow, and again, I feel like there is something wrong with me because I am moving so slowly.

Another thing that happens in my dreams, although not so often, is that I imagine myself shrinking (or everything else growing). But it's not a "cool" feeling, or nice sensation. Instead, I get a feeling of extreme anxiety, as if I am really confused about what's going on. It's as if I try to understand why everything is not normal sized, but trying to understand it eventually starts to scare me.

When most of these things happen to me in my dreams, I can usually deduce that I am actually dreaming, but can't get myself to wake up. Sometimes I'll try weird stuff in my dreams to get myself to wake up, but instead, it leads to more trippy things that I don't expect.