It's like I have no control of myself. I'm not really moving, but it feels like I am. Sometimes if I jerk my body I can snap out of it. Otherwise I try to remain calm and just close my eyes. This also occurs when I wake up in the middle of the night or in the morning.
Normal sleep goes through different stages.
Despite its name, during this stage of sleep there is significant decrease in the tone and activity of most muscles in the body, except those that move the eyes. Usually, one is asleep and therefore unaware of this normal paralysis. However, disturbances in the sleep cycles can cause the REM stage to manifest at an inappropriate time, usually at the start or end of sleep. This often causes anxiety. It is not uncommon for people to experience sleep disturbances if they have not dealt with daytime stress.