When my son has an cataplexy attack, he cannot move or speak. I have read that it is sleep paralysis without the sleep. Sleep paralysis is the mechanism which allows us to dream of choking our boss without actually choking our bed partner.

As an observer, I have wondered about that breathing connection. My son had - too old for maternal observation now - a downright frightening sleep apnea during his developing years. Doctors always brushed it off, but I still wonder...

son breathing become labored ,shallow or appears to stop breathing ..upper lip turns purplisht blue some times ..just got to remind him while hes cating to relax ..scary for all

When this is happening I don't/can't make a sound even though I'm laughing. When it does end I literally gasp for air. I'll try to stop it but I just can't. It's very strange and can be scary. I have asthma so the whole not being able to breathe thing is something I know but this is something different.

forgot.. when he cats we need to make sure his head is slightly razed if hes one the floor.. if hes sitting we have to make his chin is not on his chest you have to hold his head up.. if you hear him making noises like his suffercating his face my be in a pillow or blanket.. when its bad sometimes we ask him if he can cough when hes cats when hes coming to

When I was a kid (maybe 3 or 4 years of age) I use to get really upset and start to cry and scream and I wouldn't stop until I would pass out, My mom said it happened to me whenever I got mad. I'm pretty sure that was the first sign that I had Cataplexy. But I haven't done that since I was very little. Now my Cataplexy consists of my head slumping to my chest and I'll try to lean on something. Sometimes it will get so bad that ill have to sit down and sometimes I'll fall on the floor. I get shaky when I try to move when I'm going Cataplectic. I don't have any problem breathing when I'm have a Cat episode, I'm usually fully aware, I just feel like my whole body is relaxing and I can't do anything about it.

I hate going cataplectic in public because I feel like people are watching me and thinking I'm drunk in public or something. when I'm at home I can just lay down and let it pass. Cat is my least favorite part of Narcolepsy, It restricts me in all aspects of life.

My husband and daughter have observed me stop breathing a couple of times when I have fallen asleep during a catalepsy. Scared the hell outa them. I hate to sound like I one note Nellie...but it did occur to me that I do have obstructive sleep apnea...which by definition means I stop breathing during deep sleep. Deep sleep aka REM sleep. Catalepsy is a REM intrusion. (as in an aspect of REM sleep ie sleep paralysis intrudes outside of normal REM sleep)...so the obstruction (in my case relaxation of the walls of my already narrow throat) that occurs when I experience an apnea...couldn't that also occur during a catalepsy? If the muscles in the rest of my body have gone slack, isn't it possible that the muscles on the walls of the throat also go slack?...thus obstructing my breathing...It hasn't in a couple of years. I never notice it during the relatively mild. atypical catplexies, that have only a couple of seconds of duration.

Falling asleep during Cataplexy is something I have not experienced and have a hard time imaging, yet that would (or may) scare me quite a bit.
About 15-25 seconds of 'complete temporary muscle paralysis' is something I have experienced, multiple times; thinking, seeing and hearing, breathing slowly, comfortably.

It seems that I've read during Cataplexy episodes that 'breathing becomes shallow-er, just like when one is deep asleep in REM and the autonomous systems are at work breathing, with the body having aslo no reflexes'; that last element is the awkward collapse and positions that us with Cataplexy (perhaps that would be 'Severe' Cataplexy - Collapse?) end up in...

Now, I have something named (called or labeled) Idiopathic Central Sleep Apnea. It is complex-icated, just like both Narcolepsy and Cataplexy.
That can effect me in the day, from what I can tell, for instance; I'll have to focus on breathing, when I've noted that I've stopped.
Turning purple or it going further than I'll guess 15-35 seconds, I've not noted and such would scare me.
Yet for me, that all may be when I'm having difficulties from other matters related to perhaps ENT, allergies, and/or other inflammatory factors, perhaps GERD or something?
Who knows, there could be some injury or other health matter causing such, for me.

Now, during my Cataplexy episodes; unless my position is awkward or somehow obstructing my throat, I've had no experience of breathing matters. I tend to be very comfortable with it all, even though it is intrusive and also frustrating; I've found that relaxing and simply going somehow, perhaps 'non-emotive,' breathing and focusing on my body and mind, really helps to dissipate the Cataplexy and my muscle return a few seconds later.
Also, if I sense that I'm about to be struck by Cataplexy, if I can gauge that it will be intense; sometimes I just lay down as quickly as possible so that my limbs and all are free of collapse, if the intensity is strong. That is all dependent upon many variables which are nearly ever predictable, but you do live and learn, finding ways to adjust, somehow...

Paigeturner when you say 'Catalepsy' do you mean, that you fall asleep during a Cataplexy episode?
(in my mind that would mean you collapse or freeze up from a trigger and instantly basically, or perhaps during the period of being 'paralyzed,' you fall into sleep)
Perhaps like what happens to Dee Daud, you can see such in the youtube videos with him: https://www.youtube.com/user/daud8472)?
Position is huge for Obstructive Sleep Apnea...

Best of Luck, to all.

During my Cat episodes I don't/haven't lost all muscle control. I become weak in my arms and my voice will shake but I am still able to move. During a severe laughing episode my legs can fail me. I can move my head and body I simply cannot breathe. It's different from my asthma attacks in that during one of those I still manage to suck in some air even if its not enough or I cant exhale it, but with this laughing there is no air exchange what-so-ever. I've been tested for sleep apnea, thats what led to my diagnosis of N/c. I had no trace in two separate sleep studies of apnea.
Its not as upsetting when it happens around my family or friends who know and understand what's going on.

The same thing happens to me alot with excitment or "sudden emotions" It is scary as ever! The whole breathing thing is painfull.
I usually have cataplexy atleast 5 or 6 times a day. Yes it is called paralysis same as sleep paralysis , just no sleep lol ...............My doctor said it is a usual symptom , that it is very common.