Sleep Paralysis

[ParaSleep]

Has anybody else here ever experienced sleep paralysis? Is anybody suffering with it now? Has anybody suffered in the past and now has a better quality of life after any kind of treatment?

To be fair, I didn't even know what it was until the specialist told me after all the tests. Basically, you wake up, you can't move a single muscle, and you can see things or hear things around you that are absolutely horrific. I've seen things that I can hand on heart say that you would only ever see in a horror movie. I don't even want to explain some of them because they would carry a TW. I had the worst one I've ever had in my life a few nights ago, and it's been affecting my ability to cope day to day since. You are not asleep when it's happening, you are awake. And when you can finally move, the things you were seeing fade away.

The only treatment I've been offered by the specialist, my doctor isn't willing to prescribe, because it's a potentially habit forming drug.

I've only recently had a diagnosis, but I've been struggling with this condition for years. Eventually I asked for help, not because I thought I needed medication but because I thought I was losing my mind and needed to be committed.

So I'm hoping that there's at least one other person with a similar issue that I can talk to. Or somebody with some advice on how to make it stop. I would really very much appreciate it.

If there's a better section to post this in, please could somebody guide me?

I've had it since I was little but I only get it now if my sleep is disturbed. Do you work night shifts?

My top tips are:

• don't nap in the day, ever
• don't have "just five more minutes" when you've already woken up
• when in SP try and repeat in your head over and over that you are safe, you can breathe, you are safe, you can breathe
• try to focus all your energy on moving one little finger or eyelid
• if/when you manage to wake yourself up, move around or sit up immediately no matter how tired you are or you can slip straight back into it

I still hate it but I'm not as scared of it as I used to be. Sometimes I can use it to lucid dream which is quite cool.

And also generally practice good sleep hygiene (going to bed and waking up roughly same time each night, bluelight filters on devices after 5pm, avoid caffeine and alcohol). Melatonin might help you in the evenings. My top tip for good sleep isn't always practical but it's to use as little electric light as possible after dark. It means your natural sleep hormones get to do their thing. That why when I'm camping I'm sleeping like a baby by 9.30!

I haven't had this in a while, but my strategy was always to squeeze my eyes shut really, really tightly. It was the one thing I could control and always brought me round.

I get it but not often. It's so real isn't it!. Learning how to relax through it, knowing what it is is useful. It's more likely if I get too hot or room is stuffy.

Yes used to have it a lot for a good few years.
Mine used to be witches coming for me.
Or hearing my partner and kids coming up the stairs.But knowing they where in work or school.

I mostly get it now if i fall back asleep in teh morning or have a nap.
@Hangingover has it spot on.
Once you realise its happening just move 1 finger or toe and it brings you out slowly.Then just get up straight away.Its an awful feeling.

Yes, me! I used to get it terribly.
I silently scream in mine until the small amount of strained noises that come out wake up my husband and he wakes me up. But to get to that point is hohorrific.

I believe its where you are somewhere between sleep and waking and are stuck between the two. So your mind can do dreams (or nightmares) as if you are asleep but you feel you are awake so think it's really happening. I also had that feeling of something sitting on me so I am pinned down.

I used to get it nightly plus night terrors while actually asleep. I have only had one episode of it in over at least a decade now (which was a night I was sleeping in with my son who was disturbed and it terrified him).

I put it stopping down to a strong and regular meditation and yoga practice and lifestyle (i teach both now) and generally feeling calmer because of that.

I hope you find something that works for you. I really can empathise with how awful it is.

Placemarking to show my dd she suffers terribly with them ☹️

I tend to get it when I'm stressed, so be aware of external triggers. And agree with @Hangingover, I'm most likely to get it when I've woken up but then doze for a bit. I've sort of learnt to control it and drag myself out of it, but it is horrible. And yes I also use it to lucid dream (very occasionally!).

I've experienced this numerous times. It's not as awful now as I know what it is and sometimes manage to remind myself of what it is and that I need to wake up. I tend t get it when I'm very overtired, anxious about something or when I wake up and let myself nod off again in the morning.

I also get the 'fake awakening' thing more often, where I 'wake up' , get up and do stuff and then 'wake up' again, sometimes repeatedly. I believe it is a related phenomenon. It got much worse after I was burgled while we slept - I'd 'wake' hearing someone in the house, but be unable to move or shout, then 'fall asleep' again over and over. A good sleep hygiene routine definitely helps me.

Yes I have it regularly but I don't have horror show stuff I just feel I'm suffocating to death (which is horrifying!)

I concentrate all my energy on moving my hand.

Do not go back to sleep after you've had it no matter how tired.

Avoid snoozing.

You have my sympathy, it has only happened to me twice in my (long!) life, but as you say it is an horrific experience

I had it when I was younger. You have to avoid the triggers, which for me were being over-tired and lying on my front. I was able to sometimes get myself out of the paralysis by clenching teeth and trying to open my eyes (although that was always difficult).

It's a really horrible thing, but ultimately it's harmless.

I was also shocked by the sheer power of the brain, to make the hallucinations so incredibly realistic. I think out-of-body experiences and loads of things that are thought of as supernatural, can in fact be explained by this sleep paralysis side of the brain working overtime.

I've had this in the past, though it stopped a few years ago, I don't know why. It really is terrifying, sorry you're suffering OP.

I also did the 'move one tiny thing' technique - would concentrate everything on moving my tongue to make a groaning noise that would sometimes bring me out of it.

I Had it as a one off

ohh, i hadn't thought about the natural light thing. (Waves to hangingover )
I live rurally and have only a field and hills behind my house so I don't have curtains or blinds on my bedroom window so its dark when i go to bed and I wake up with the light. And that has been since i moved here nearly a decade ago. Hmmmm.
Other things I've realised ive done over these years I hadn't thought about but may have made a difference...I havent had a telly in my room for about 15 years. Dh and i used to watch telly and fall asleep with it on. I don't think that would have heloed. We got rid when we moved house to the one before here. And before i met him I used to fall asleep on the sofa a lot with the telly on.

I also used to have a terrible sleep pattern. I was a bit of a night hawk so stayed up into the night and always struggled with getting up for work. Then would nap later on at some point. Now I'm a real routine sleeper. Very rarely would i be awake past midnight and am awake and up fairly early. I wake up naturally with the light coming in.

Maybe a mixture of all these things. I am generally not as anxious as I was when I was younger so I had kind of thought i had just outgrown it. But maybe all these things have helped.

yes i don't get it often but when i do i really feel as if i can't breathe, i must be as i haven't died yet but it's terrifying. i also try to shout for help and move a hand - it seems to help me snap out of it quicker to be holding something like a bit of bedclothes or a soft toy, maybe because it moves as i do, i have no idea really. agree i don't nap in the day much anymore as a result, and definitely not in bed, it's never happened to me dozing on the sofa

I get it if I sleep in an orientation that my subconscious doesn’t think is safe, eg if my head is towards the door. I had it repeatedly when I had a ground floor room in a student house with my head in the bay window!

Another here, I’ve had it since I was a teenager.

The last episode I had, there were huge huge fuck off spiders coming out of all the spotlights above my bed (obviously they weren’t) I’ve had some really scary ones aswell.

It’s awful as you cannot physically move. I start trying to thrash about and talk gibberish (sounds like a foreign language to me) or groaning again as someone said, but still cannot wake myself or even move, as soon as I have come out of it I jump straight out of bed and wake myself properly or as another poster says you slip straight back into it.

I’ve found following helps, sleep with a bit of light coming in if you can, if I’m in pitch black it happens more often.

Don’t get to hot in bed, strip off or sleep with a window open or a fan on.

I haven’t had it for a few months now but it comes in fits and starts won’t have it for a while then have it regularly over a few week period.

I’ve never been to the drs about it I googled it years ago and knew that’s what it was.

Some good tips above. I used to get it a lot and also waking night terrors (someone in the room, giant spiders mainly).

Having EDMR for PTSD reduced the frequency. I haven't had the sleep paralysis for quite a while but still suffer from the very realistic waking night terrors. Stress and being over tired seem to be triggers.

I agree with everything the poster @Hangingover said, they are exactly the techniques I have found to help me. The only thing to add is that I never, ever sleep on my back because I find it is more likely to happen when I sleep in that position.

So, no naps, sleep only in bed at night, when it is happening focus very very hard on just moving one finger and when you start to come out of it, force yourself to wake up properly.

I get it occasionally when I'm very tired or stressed - I had an awful one a couple of weeks ago when I was camping alone - I woke to hear the tent being unzipped and felt myself being dragged off the bed by my legs. I can usually recognise what's happening and get myself out of it by concentrating on wiggling a toe or finger - still freaks me out though!

Oh wow, I wasn't expecting anybody to have had the same experiences let alone so many. I know it's a horrible thing to have happen but it's actually really comforting to know that other people have experienced it too.

The spiders seem to be a common theme, I've woken up to spiders the size of dinner plates walking up the walls. I've seen cracks appearing in the walls, writing on the walls and the ceiling coming down towards me like the bottom of an elevator. The other things I've seen I definitely don't feel brave enough to share, they've become worse since having DC and I've seen some awful awful things related to them and also my own body and other loved ones. Sometimes it feels like torture.

Some of the sillier ones, like giant spiders, I've grown to be able to tell myself that it's not real and it will pass, so I'm not panicked when I can move. But the others, I still find myself believing that it's happening. The sleep specialist suggested trying to move one little finger or toe, but I haven't been able to do that.

I have two small DC and I haven't had a chance to nap during the day in over a year. So I know it's not naps, but my sleep hygiene isn't great at all. It's a bit of a catch 22, because I'm scared of going to sleep, and so I'm sure staying up until I pass out is contributing to the poor sleep hygiene.

Thanks so so much for sharing all of your experiences. I know it's silly but I'm getting a bit teary eyed now. I didn't think anybody would reply.

I've had this all my life on and off it became really bad this last year as I had a baby I think the broken sleep pattern triggered it badly it got so bad I was scared to go to sleep every night . The horrible visions would mainly be the baby was chocking or crying but I could move to get to her and when id awake I'd find she was fast asleep in the crib. It happened so often I was able to tell what was happening as it would normally always start with a loud ringing sound in my ears almost like static, I was able to recognise what it was and just ride it out, it became more of an annoyance then something I was scared of in the end! But still unpleasant. I second the advice everyone has given what really helped was just focusing all my energy on trying to move my toe weather I could or not I'd just keep trying. I haven't had it for a while fingers crossed seems to come and go in phases

That sounds really tough – easier said than done but managing your anxiety around sleep will certainly help. Perhaps try getting into a bedtime routine that you find relaxing, camomile tea, bath, relaxing book, whatever, and see if it has an impact. The brain is a funny thing– for me, if I think about sleep paralysis happening and then drop back off to sleep I'll almost certainly experience it. Your relaxed brain needs to overcome your stressed brain! But you're right about the catch 22, because being stressed about it is a viscous cycle. Here's hoping it eases up for you soon.

I concentrate really hard on wiggling my big toe and sometimes that helps to slowly regain movement through the rest of my body