Alice in Wonderland Syndrome

[BigB08822]

I was just watching the news and they were doing a story on the reporter who had a migraine on air and had really slurred speech. The doctor they were interviewing said a common issue with the type of migraine she had is known as Alice in Wonderland Syndrome (AIWS). He said when people have this they think things appear far larger or smaller than they really are. Immediately I perked up because this has been happening to me since I was a child! However, it only happens when I lay down to go to sleep, usually right as I begin falling asleep. However, I don't have migraines. I looked it up on wikipedia and wouldn't you know, it is more common at the onset of sleep! Isn't it amazing when a life long mystery is solved for you?! I have tried explaining this to so many people and they all think I am crazy or "dreaming." Anyone else ever experienced this?

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alice_i...rland_syndrome

P.S. It can also be a sign of bigger problems but I am not worried since a brain tumor would probably have killed me long ago.

[Andrushka]

interesting

[Buzz]

I have never heard of that before but glad that you finally have an answer. What I do have sometimes is sleep paralysis which is extremely annoying.

[ArtisticFan]

What I do have sometimes is sleep paralysis which is extremely annoying.

That is the strangest and sometimes scariest feeling. I had it for years and would describe it to my parents only to be told that it was just a bad dream.

[brina]

I sometimes vaguely have this feeling when I am about to fall asleep. It's hard to describe, but it's more a feeling rather than seeing things as such. It's like all of a sudden my arms are a lot larger than I thought they were... odd. Maybe it's a natural brain process?

[Artemis@BC]

I sometimes vaguely have this feeling when I am about to fall asleep. It's hard to describe, but it's more a feeling rather than seeing things as such. It's like all of a sudden my arms are a lot larger than I thought they were... odd. Maybe it's a natural brain process?

I get that too -- esp. feeling that my hands are giant. Oddly enough, it doesn't happen during "normal" falling asleep times, only if I'm feeling sick and or too-tired-to-sleep or otherwise not quite right. And since I've experienced this sensation on and off since I was a childe, I too haven't worried about it.

[skategal]

That is really interesting. Migraines can be very weird.

I had a migraine aura once. I was at work on the computer and I looked to the side by using my peripheral vision and everything I saw was streaky and jagged...almost like shattered glass.

Scared me half to death until I got the worst headache of my life 2 minutes afterwards and realized that I had had a migraine aura.

Thankfully, it never happened again.

[Artemis@BC]

After watching last week's Grey's Anatomy, now I'll be freaked out every time I get a migraine, thinking it's a stroke! Mind you, I almost never get migraines any more (they went away almost completely when I stopped eating meat).

[Satellitegirl]

I have never heard of that before but glad that you finally have an answer. What I do have sometimes is sleep paralysis which is extremely annoying.

I have often wondered if I've had that as well...because I really want to open my eyes and wake up sometimes, but can't. I can tell my eyes are still closed, and I want to get up, but can't. It's like being caught in limbo, thinking "ok, open eyes, open."

[Buzz]

I put an alarm across the room so I have to get up to turn it off and it helps. It is one of the most scary thing ever. And I realised I had "Sleep Paralysis" from a thread on FSU a long time ago!

[Satellitegirl]

In addition, the paralysis may be accompanied by terrifying hallucinations (hypnopompic or hypnagogic) and an acute sense of danger.

Just read this on wiki about it...and now it makes sense why I've felt like I saw someone entering my room before and I couldn't wake up to run or escape. When I'm finally able to open my eyes completely, I'm freaked out thinking someone broke in. Nice to have some answers as to what is going on at least.