When you're going to sleep do you ever get this feeling?
 

When I go to sleep I always feel like theres a small child or something pushing down on my chest. It doesn't bother me much because when I go to sleep I usally kinda go coma-tosed. But it does sorta bother me, and I just thought i'd see if there's a real explanation for it or if anyone else feels this sensation or has a theory on it.

Discuss.

I've heard of this sort of thing. I only vaguely remember what I've read about it.

The physical explanation I've read about it is simply that as your muscles relax and all your chest (if you are lying on your back) somewhat compresses.

Another explanation that I read once when I was doing a lot of reading about the spirit leaving the body during sleep to wander around. You are mostly able to accomplish it around the time that are are falling to sleep. The "pressing" on your chest is supposed to be your spirit actually pressing upward to leave. They believe that you are attached to your body by some sort of spiritual umbilical cord. When I was studying this I felt the sensation that you are describing. I do not even now know for sure what it is.

I have heard legends of other spirits who control your dreams lying on top of you. I don't truely believe in this but have freaked on feeling the sensation and knowing those legends.

There was one time when I woke up to the point where I could feel the weight but could not move anything, not an arm or finger. From what I understand about the legends I was scared out of my mind but could not scream. It can be freaky but I've heard physical explanations for it as well as spirit world related.

I'm interested in hearing what others have to say about this.

Damn I wish I could remember where I heard this from, I read somewhere where a man felt the same thing on his chest like a pushing down, he could hardly breath, he finally turn on the light to look and he saw an apparition of a naked ugly old women sitting on his chest. I think she was trying to steal his breath from him.

It's your imagination. I was once sure that a ghost was trying to give me a handjob because of the way the fan blew the blankets. I'm not joking.

I was expectedly disapointed upon the realization that it was my imagination and that I was not going get off in supernatural manner.

You're probably referring to sleep paralysis, a common occurence when the body is drifting off into sleep or just coming out of it.

No, it was a documented case of the supernatural, I just can't remember where I got it from, been so long ago.

EDIT: You were right Papermachesatan,Sleep Paralysis AKA The Old Hag Syndrome.

Once I woke up with a start and couldn't breathe. I felt like someone was pressing on my chest and holding something over my head. I couldn't move, I couldn't scream, and I even started kicking. I woke up the boyfriend with my motions, and he was able to calm me down, but I dunno... I was really creeped out.

if it's a child you feel, then maybe it's like your "inner child" or something... or it could be like a manifestation of some extreme guilt or something...

i had a child calling my name once, it sounded evil and like my best friend. SO I documented the time and asked her about it and she said she thought she heard me at exactly the same time... that was creepy.

Sleep paralysis is freaky! Here is a good link on it:
http://www.csicop.org/si/9805/abduction.html

I'll tell you this. NOTHING is more scary for a 7 year old child than to wake up and not be able to move or scream for your mother and not know if you are asleep, comatose, paralysed, or even dead!

yep, its called Old Hag.

You win.

What, I don't know. But you should damn well win SOMETHING. That was awesome.

hehe thanks :P

Can't say that I ever remember getting that feeling. One that I have experienced several times is bugs crawling on me. Never could find any but I was certain they were there. The mind can do amazing things, some of which we probably wish it wouldn't.

this was an a 'buffy vampire slayer' episode also...a soulstealer was on kids chest and took their souls

things that happen when not fully awake are weird at best. your body is confused and so is your mind.

i do believe in attacks as i have been the reciever of more than one by one spirit or another. but it is mostly just confusion. it could also be sleep paralyses orr possible something like that.

Scary.

Never happened to me.

Psychiatrist?

Never happened to me, it's a medical sleep disorder called Sleep Paralysis as the guys said above. Don't worry you can take medication or therapy if you have it every night really vividly.

I don't get that, but I do experience some pretty cool close-eyed visuals, mostly undulating fractal patterns and such.

Kinda looks like a spiral that cycles in and out, lasts about 15 seconds, and then I start to really fall asleep.

Never really had that feeling going to sleep. Though, it does spook me. I think I've just been watching/reading too much horror stuff though...