Ugh. I've never had a nightmare I couldn't get out of on my own until today. Heck I don't even know why it was that difficult to get out of.

Why didn't I have a wonderful dream instead, eh?

What Do You Mean? You Just Had a Nightmare.

For context, lemme tell you about the kind of dreams I have first. As a kid, my dreams were always about amazing adventures, the Nancy Drew/Hardy Boys mystery + fantasy kind. The kind you'd love to have again and again because it was fun and everytime it was a different scenario/setting. It's always a great adventure, off to somewhere with family or friends. This started in grade school and somehow I had less and less of it until high school.

The only thing I remember from those days was a trip to an Egyptian underground place and then tunnel or something. And before the adventure theme changed, the last thing I remember was something about stairs going up an unreachable floor and red silk curtains. Some old lady was up there I think.

And then in high school until college it changed to a school setting. No more adventures, just mingling/interacting with classmates, etc. Afterwards my dreams didn't have any themes anymore. Only my occasional nightmares had a common theme. I was always fighting bad guys and defeating them. I dunno if it was the devil or an evil spirit or whatever, it's always an evil entity. Usually I was running away and fighting. One time I remember my bro was with me and we were fighting them together but usually it's just me. Sometimes it's a vampire, an evil being or something else. I don't remember much. Anyway I always manage to defeat them and am always happy to wake up because I've defeated the bad guys.

Today it was different. And also, I went to sleep feeling a bit hungry around 3am. Not sure if that had anything to do with it. 🤷

You know what they say about not sleeping on a full stomach because you'll have nightmares? I never believed it until one time it happened to me. I forgot what happened but I remember I was near the beach... and I believe I almost died or something. I don't remember what happened in that nightmare but since then I never slept with a full stomach. Never thought it could happen on an empty stomach too! 😅 No I don't know what caused the nightmare but I'm just sharing what I think might have caused it just so it's all out there.

So... What Happened?

As I was saying... I slept feeling a bit hungry. Before sleeping I decided to play my wellness YouTube playlist. Cause since my old laptop died and my hard drive has a virus (I can't seem to remove without deleting all the files), I haven't been listening to any positivity playlist, etc. So finally I decided to use the playlist while I sleep. I think it's the second or third time I used it starting from the 1st thing on the playlist. Other times I used the 8 hr one and never had any bad effects on me.

So there I was... Sleeping and apparently dreaming. Dreaming I was somewhere I could not escape. Omg. I was in an old house, well at least around the dining table with other people. Not sure if it's for snacks or a meal. 🤔 And then I remember I was trying to get out of the place. I was getting into corridors and there's this one guy with bandages and a glassy eyed look who's always saying I won't be able to get out. He wasn't attacking me. Nobody was attacking me at all. How can you fight something if it's not attacking you, right?

No he doesn't look like that but he had bandages on his head and body. It's like a mix of anime and game or TV series character... Like a bandit in bandages or a white shirt and old clothes. He was carrying something, not a scythe, stick or a rifle. I'm not sure what it was. Sometimes he carried it on his shoulder other times just held it.

Anyway so I was in a situation where it felt like I was in a maze. Yes there were other people around. Some of them seemed unaware they were trapped but most of them probably live there so don't really care to escape.

Everywhere I went, at the end of wherever I get to, the guy would always show up, taunting me. Not really scaring me. Of course I thought why will I be afraid when I can outsmart them like before. I tried to wake myself up by looking for an exit somewhere. I woke up in another scenario. And eventually I realized I was still sleeping so tried to find an exit again. This was when I kinda started to panic.

It was a dull world. No place I recognize. It was kinda old and seedy but I didn't smell anything bad. It's not a zombie world. It's not a monster world. I didn't sense anything really evil. Maybe I was just in limbo? 🤔

Anyway everytime it seemed like I can almost escape, the guy appears floating a few feet above ground just to block and taunt me. Not directly in front of me but at a distance of a few meters away. And sometimes a female person shows up beside him just looking at me.

So anyway I tried again and thought I woke up but I wasn't at home at all. Ugh. This time I was getting frustrated because why can't I get out? Usually I can fight evil guys with swords or whatever weapons and have a sense of accomplishment when I wake up. But this time, no one was attacking me. How do you fight back when the only solution is to escape? I could not get near the guy so what else was I to do?

I started to ask for help in my mind. Like, somebody help me. But it was like a passing thought while I continued to search for a way out. And then some lady found me. I'm thinking she might be part of their family. She brought me back to the dining area where there were still other people around. She sat me down at the chair beside her and told me something. Perhaps something to calm me down? I forgot. She was also talking to some older guy as she drank some tea and looked at me from time to time.

I think the guy was also watching us somewhere and she was preventing him from doing anything.

Next thing I know I rolled over to my left side and woke up! 😱😱😱 Just like that, I woke up! I was actually surprised I was awake! WHOA! Thank God!!! Then I realized my whole left leg up to my thigh was stiff and numb! Oh dear God what a way to possibly die a slow death. 😱😱😱

And so as I massaged the back of my thigh still surprised at the whole thing, I prayed. Thank you dear Lord I was able to wake up. Thank you God, thank you Jesus and all the angels and saints and Mama Mary too. 🙏

I always thought I'm ready to die but you know... when you are near death's door somehow you always want to not die yet. 😢

What Do I Think of the Experience?

Huh. I've thought of a lot of things now since it's been like 9 hrs since I woke up. It actually felt like watching a horror TV series episode. The only difference is, it was happening to me and I wasn't just watching it comfortably at home.

I never really thought I had any chance of dying while sleeping... Not that I have anything against it. I actually prefer a peaceful passing while asleep but not through nightmares, please God no. 🙏

Stories of people dying in their sleep is not new here in the Philippines. I've only had one other experience where I thought it was the worst when I was really full after eating and slept immediately, thinking it's never gonna happen to me. Well guess what, it did. I suddenly woke up afraid for my life. 🙁 I didn't have a hard time waking up that time. It was more like I got jolted awake and felt afraid for my life. Today, as you've read from my story, it's way worse than that.

Bangungot just got super real to me now.

What is Bangungot anyway?

"First reported in the Philippines in 1917, 'sudden night deaths' or SUDS (sudden Unexpected Death in Sleep) has been attributed to bangungot (bangungut - from the Tagalog root words of "bangon" (to rise) and "ungol" (to moan). It is a syndrome wrapped in folklore and myth, that consists of a nightmare, commonly occurring in nocturnal sleep, frequently after a heavy meal that is often accompanied by alcohol, most often in young males, aged 25-44, presumably healthy, without any known cardiac illness."
-- Stuartxchange

It's called by many things in other countries too. In the US it's called Sudden Unexplained Death Syndrome (SUDS). It can also be Sudden Arrhythmia Death Syndrome (SADS). Or hey, maybe I have sleep apnea?

There have been a few times when I get woken up by my leg suddenly jerking and it wakes me up. Well I might have stopped breathing so it happened? Uhmmm. I should really talk to that doctor again. (I have an appointment with her in December...)

What Might Have Caused my Bangungot?

Of course I've been wondering what might have caused the bangungot to happen... My just awake brain couldn't process what happened so the first thing I thought of when I woke up was to thank God that lady came by and helped me without me realizing it until I woke up. Hours after it happened I thought of a few things which might have caused it.

Let's see what might have happened that caused the bangungot:

1 . Some bad subliminal music?

When I was feeling better, I looked to the side of my bed and realized what was playing while I slept. As I mentioned, I have a new YouTube playlist consisting of binaural beats, reiki healing and all sorts of healing related music.

I often play such but mostly Reiki and binaural or positive affirmation ones I have on my dead old laptop. Since the hard drive has a virus and I haven't been able to clean it, I resorted to a YouTube playlist instead.

Hey it's not gonna hurt to listen, right? There are no words, only vibrations and beats and some melody, that's it. I've played it about 4 times while sleeping (I think) and nothing bad came out of it. Not once in the years I have been playing such kind of music have I experienced a bangungot. Anyway, I think because each music lasts for an hour or more, I never get to one particular part of my new playlist until this morning.

This image was what I saw while the music was playing... Am not saying it's bad, I don't even know if it means anything. Lol.

Uhmmm. Okay. Just to be safe, I had to delete it from my playlist. I also put a comment about what happened to me and why I have deleted it from my playlist. Hey it's not everyday you possiby experience near-death by sleeping with that music playing. It happened once, I'm not gonna risk it again.

2 . I forgot to pray before sleeping?

First of all, I believe prayers can really help keep the bad juju away. I always pray at night especially since it helps keep the nightmares away. When I don't pray before I sleep, I get a higher chance of having a bad dream. Unfortunately I think I was too tired that I slept without praying. My bad... 😵

3 . Maybe I do have sleep apnea...

Well, the holistic dentist I went to told me I had a smaller opening in my right nose... Asked me if I snored; nope I don't snore at all. I can indeed breathe better through my left nostril...

I dunno...

4 . My overactive imagination kicked in?

I chanced upon and watched this YouTube clip among other clips before I slept.

What a video clip to watch before sleeping eh? I wouldn't want to experience something like that though. A violent death is not for me.

Anyway, I've always had an overactive imagination as a kid. This is why I never watch horror movies even up to now, only sometimes. Why? Well... When I was maybe 3 or 5 yrs old. I was able to see a TV show with the Easter Island heads.

Not sure what it was about now but I distinctly remember the nightmare I had afterwards. The Easter Island heads rose out of the land with proportionally big bodies and huge feet. One started running after me, trying to stomp on me and my family. Oh scary. Imagine, I was only a young child! 😨

With that in mind, do you think watching that might have added to me having bangungot? 🤔

5. I was sleeping on my right side

A bit more research online says that sleeping on your left side is better. It improves digestion and toxin removal, reduces snoring and sleep apnea and many more.

I feel better sleeping on my right side though. Perhaps it's time to keep sleeping on my left side from now on...

6 . I was too tired...

Almost forgot to add this. Yesterday I went to the sellers' property briefing and worked on the custom temp tatts order. (It's why I was able to do more than 5k steps accdg. to Actifit.) I slept late the night before, doing the order and then I woke up really early to get the new paper supply and continue the work on the temp tatts. Of course I had to go to BGC too and attend the briefing then go home and finish the work on the order. I finished around past 8pm but I didn't sleep yet. Maybe I should have slept a bit but I didn't. I did relax a bit after work then posted stuff online and was awake until 3am. Had to sleep 'cause I couldn't keep my eyes open anymore from the activities I did.

Other people said they experience bangungot too when they're exhausted. So I guess it's one of the real culprit eh?

Now what?

Well, there you have it. All the reasons I could think of on why it happened.

Now of course I will have to ask the dentist/doctor about what they saw in my xray. Maybe I will have to go to another doctor afterwards... Let's see. For now I'll keep drinking my all natural health drink to help fight and prevent any other sicknesses that might come my way.

So what about you? Have you ever experienced something similar to what I shared? Feel free to let us know in the comments too!

XOXO,
@artgirl

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_{All images above are from Pixabay. Gifs from giphy.com.}

Written by @artgirl for Steemit.
© Art x Stephanie Rue

_{@artgirl is a freelance writer/artist & online seller. My Steemit posts may contain referral/affiliate/merchandise links.
Contact me for your art, Writing/Research & Metro Manila (NCR) property needs.}

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