Electric shock and hallucinations while falling asleep

I believe what you are suffering from is sleep paralysis. It’s quite a common thing and super scary, I too have gone through this terrifying experience. I had a very invasive test at the time that left me rather messed up and later at night I woke up and quickly realized I couldn’t move or speak, to make matters worse I couldn’t wake up my partner. What seems like a eternity I passed out and felt like I might have had a stroke but all the research indicated sleep paralysis. I think it’s caused by stress and the mind can play tricks with you, I know you also mentioned having shock treatment and I also had them in my younger years from severe depression. I do remember they caused memory loss but temporary. It’s possible that you experienced some hallucinations perhaps due to the treatment combined with sleep paralysis. I would speak with the doctor and let them know what you’re going through, they may have something for you to ease these symptoms. I hope everything will work out well for you, good luck 🤞

Sleepless in Texas:
I have these experiences when sleeping on my back.
Try sleeping on your side or stomach.
-Weeds

Welcome @sleeplessintexas, In addition to the helpful posts you've received from @frouke and @weeds, you may also be interested in these possibly related discussions:
- Hypnagogic Hallucinations: https://connect.mayoclinic.org/discussion/hypnagogic-hallucinations/
- Body vibrations when falling asleep or waking? https://connect.mayoclinic.org/discussion/body-vibrations/

Have you talked to your doctor about this?

Hi @sleeplessintexas -- like others mentioned, you are describing sleep paralysis. I haven't heard of electric shocks occurring with it, but it's not a ghost. I've had them very occasionally over a 40 year period. Yes, I'm usually on my back, maybe always, but I turn that way during sleep. It always seems to happen when I'm extremely over-tired. The very real nightmares that come with it are terrifying. Mine are always someone has broken into the house and is coming to get me while I can't move to defend myself. You can't talk, but over the years I've learned that I can force a single tone noise out of my mouth. Test it out while awake and pretend you can't move your mouth to see what noise you can make. Your husband should hear it if he's sleeping next to you. Instruct him to wake you up out of it, but not be standing right over you or that will scare you when you come out of it. You can't move, but I've also learned over the years with great effort, I can strain my neck muscles to move my head slightly and slowly side to side. As I'm able to do it more and more, I can eventually wake myself up, but it's not quick so I still go through some of the nightmare. Once awake, I'm so unbelievably groggy that if I fall back asleep I'll go right back into it, so stay up for at least an hour, get out of bed, watch a comedy to change your thoughts. Let you husband know to keep an eye on you for distress when sleeping. I feel for you. Best of luck.

Oh, and I have a number of sleep disorders. I've always had insomnia, nightmares every night of my life, I was a sleepwalker in elementary school, sleep apnea as an adult, hyponogogic hallucinations where I start dreaming the minute I close my eyes, but before I fall asleep -- always disturbing
like I'm about to get into a car accident and I slam on the brakes in my recliner in real life since I'm not asleep yet, but it feels real. Scary. That's also occasional, but unwelcome. I feel like all people with one sleep disorder may have many. Hard to get quality sleep. Do you have other sleep disorders as well?

OMG I've experienced EXACTLY what you are describing multiple times!! Some shadow figure latching on to me.. electrocuting me. The only difference is it only occurs when I have wake induced lucid dreams (sleep paralysis related). The other difference, is I enjoy the sensation because I'm a weirdo..

I sit here with tears in my eyes all in like a baby parenting the same thing I never thought nobody else was going through this is the most powerful scariest thing I've ever experience in a negative aspect. I've been experiencing this for the past 7 to 8 years and my first inclination of this was I was crawling up my aunt's ladder onto her shed to repair roof leak and as my last step was going to hit the top of the ladder I paralyzed I was awake but I was paralyzed I couldn't move my head was singing out luckily I was paralyzed cuz I had one arm wrapped around the ladder so I wouldn't fall I had to wait until they subsided a little bit but I was so scared to move I had to call my ass for my cell phone and had her come out and help me down the ladder and then it just got worse from there I went in and lay down trying to get my thoughts together and then I went into a sleep dream but I was awake it was really weird I was screaming and yelling for my aunt to help me cuz I felt a really dark presence I can see shadowy figures and demons is what I claim to say they are and they were trying to take me there was something trying to overpower me but luckily I was covered in the blood blood of Jesus and I screamed his name then I woke up but as I was sleeping I remember wish I could see her standing doing laundry and I was screaming her name trying to get her to help me because I was packed up paralyzer I feel like something was trying to hurt me here I am 54 years old 6'4 240 lb not a small guy but I was definitely terrified it was been going off and on for many years now and sometimes I feel like I might be having a mannerism stroke it knocks my equilibrium off and makes it to where I have no balance and I had to constantly got that buzz going through it and it is quite scary I do have a history of methamphetamines and it seems to have come after I stop using it for many years and then I started using it again but it came after I really stressed out one time over a dissolved marriage at 28 years and then following another with somebody after that who destroyed my heart again I read something that says it could be a part of epilepsy I'm not sure but this ain't right or normal it's something very very powerful . I wish I have a dream last night of being attacked or being intruded by somebody like a robber in the house I have a gun in my house which I speak with and I was woke up this morning thinking oh my gosh I could have grabbed that gun cuz I was trying to find it in my sleep and I couldn't that just be awful if I grabbed a shot somebody intercept or something so yeah now I blocked my gun up to avoid any type of accidents which is not the reason we keep a gun we don't want it locked up we want to be able to access it if needed and now it's locked up

@charlesedens
Wow, I feel for you on everything you described. Aside from it all being terrifying, my greatest concern for you is the ladder incident. If I'm understanding that correctly, you weren't dreaming about being on a ladder, you were actually climbing a ladder when the paralysis hit? Is that correct? If so, that's a game changer.

Being terrified while actually safely in bed is one thing, but if you suddenly become paralyzed while in the middle of an activity that could really be physically dangerous. Is that the only time it has happened while you were already awake? Some kind of narcolepsy combined with sleep paralysis? Or like you said, maybe some kind of epilepsy combined with sleep paralysis? That might be worth a conversation with a doctor is you haven't already had one.

I'm curious if you take any sleep meds. I've hear stories about people taking sleep meds and then "drunk dialing" friends without any memory of it. I've also heard sleep meds can cause sleepwalking. Because of my history with sleep disorders, I have never and will never take any sleep meds. My doctors have recommended melatonin for my insomnia, but my mother and son both tried taking that and it gave them both nightmares when they didn't normally have them so I can only imagine what it would do to me. I also have sleep apnea so I want to be sure nothing puts me into a deeper than natural sleep so I don't walk up when needed. Maybe I'm being overly cautious, but I think anyone who has ever experienced sleep paralysis, sleepwalking, terrifying nightmares would do the same. I'm glad it at least helps to know others have had similar issues.

I now sleepwalk as an adult, not a child. Never did. I believe it started in 2017. I have bad back issues (perhaps surgery) Chronic Lyme disease. I've been journaling my dreams for years. I used to remember several each night and now its days far and few that I have one and lately twice this week, I woke up screaming, Get out or someone was.kidnapping me.
Sometimes I know exactly what I did or ate while sleepwalking, and other times I have no recollection.
I recently asked my boyfriend if he could pls direct me to bed. Two nights ago he asked me while I was making food and I felt like I was half sleepwalking and I told him no I am awake. So a little lie there.
Four yrs ago, I thought someone drew in my journal until I saw my letters that the handwriting was mine, along with circles and triangles overlapping each other. I did this type of drawing when I was younger. Without the words.
I have been diagnosed approx 10 yrs ago for a copd fitting while on opiates for my severe back pain. While off the rx's I had a normal sleep study.
I have been taking Trazadone for sleep for over 20 yrs. (Lately I lowered my doseage).
400 mg to 200 mg within a few months.
I was recently on vacation and I tried some Ambien from an old rx and 1 ten mg made me sleep excellent no s walking nor brain fog in the am. In 2001 I sustained a mod traumatic head injury. Did yrs of neurofeedback.
My cognitive abilities went down. it wasnt like I forgot what items were.
There is another artist named lee hadwin who lives in the beautiful land down under, who only does art while sleepwalking.
I hope to event sell my image if money permits.
Is the sleep terrors from stress?
Thks