Sleep paralysis

[Ollifer]

I've had episodes of this since I was very young. It seems like I go through phases of having it constantly then I won't have an episode for months.

This week I've had it every single night about ten mins after going to sleep. I've not been drinking any alcohol, watching anything on TV, not had a nap during the day, not sleeping on my back yet it's still happening. When I wake up from it I have to get up and wake up properly for half hour as if I drop back off to sleep it will keep happening.

No one I knows has this apart from my brother who I hardly speak to. Does anyone suffer from this and have any advice? It's causing me loads of anxiety at bedtime as I just know it's going to happen and it's terrifying.

I have this too and for me its always triggered by stress. It's compounded by poor sleep so then it gets worse as the nights go on. I try to rationalise it while it happening and tell myself I know what it is, that there's no threat and that it will pass. Until I knew what it was though, it was terrifying. I hope it gets better for you very soon OP

I used to have this regularly. It started after puberty and I think it was triggered by working shifts, particularly night shift. It’s horrible isn’t it? I don’t know whether it’s a coincidence but mine stopped completely when I started taking anti depressants. I didn’t take them for the sleep paralysis but it seemed to solve the issue.

I used to get this in the mornings (if I was lying on my back and was lounging around dozing in bed for too long. It's scary.)

Are you properly tired when going to bed?

Yes I get this although I haven't had it for a long time. As others have said it's often triggered by stress and I quite often have it when I sleep away in a hotel for example. Are you going to bed overly tired? This can also trigger it.

I haven't had it since starting antidepressants. That's a bit of a sledgehammer, though, unless you're suffering pervasive depression or anxiety. Have you experimented with a paracetamol before bed? It's a relaxant.

I used to get it if my sleep was interrupted at a certain part of the sleep pattern I used to do sleep over at work in a care home and the following afternoon I’d go to bed before the kids car home from school. If I was in a deep sleep and they came home from school and woke me up suddenly I would get sleep paralysis. I learned not t be frightened but to allow myself to go back to sleep and wake up again.

I am stressed at the moment, very much so. I'm also very overtired by the time I get to bed. So probably need to try and tackle those things but easier said than done. It's awful because every time I get it I have hallucinations of my mum in my room and can hear her calling me, she died 8 years ago and it's just terrifying and although I know it's not real it makes me feel sick when I wake up and puts me in a shit mood all day. It's just horrible !

Oof, nasty! I'm sorry.
It's probably worth doing one of those meditation/breathing things on YouTube before bed, too. Unlikely to make a difference straight away, but it can really help to reset the mentality you go to sleep with.

Also, what do you do while it's happening? In my experience, some sort of mantra or routine doesn't actually stop it but it does help to remind you it's just a sleep glitch and can't hurt you. I used to recite the Lord's Prayer - only because my religious grandmother suggested it when I was a kid; the point is to have something to hold on to, consistent and easily remembered whilst only semi-conscious.

Meanwhile, have my favourite instant de-stressor 🙂

My DH has this. I’m pretty sure it’s linked to stress/bad sleep, he isn’t convinced. The GP mentioned anti depressants when he saw the doctor about it so it’s interesting they are mentioned up thread.

I get this when I am very very stressed. Its always a bit of a wake up call for me that I am reaching breaking point and I need to do something (counselling, GP, make changes in my life).

Yeah I think my stress is the cause and I'm not really sure what to do about it. It's a vicious circle isn't it. Thanks for all of your input though it's so appreciated