Ds (12) experiencing sleep paralysis at least once a week

[cuttinganotheronion]

He’s was 12 last month so in the first year of secondary school. For the last four months he’s been coming into my room terrified saying he sees his bedroom door opening slowly and a dark hooded figure (!) approaching him in bed. He said he is frozen in fear and cannot move or call out to me. Then he wakes up and is petrified and comes in to sleep next to me.

just posting to see if anyone has any advice on what I do to help him. He said he’s frozen and it’s always the same thing - the door opening slowing and a hooded figure (male) approaching him.

any advice would be greatly appreciated

I would consider vitamin deficiency firstly. Particularly iron, D and b12.

Can he switch bedrooms? Do you have an alternate room?

How has he found the transition to secondary school? Is he worried about anything? I've experienced sleep paralysis a few times but only ever at times of stress.

quite a full on secondary school but he enjoys it, loads of friends and seems to be coping ok with homework etc

he can’t switch rooms - his siblings are in the others and all settled

vitamin D/B12 deficiency is interesting because I am deficient. Ill see if that helps

Does he have a night light? It used to help me a lot to have just a bit of light in my room rather than having it be pitch black. You could also have glow in the dark stickers on the walls. A projector may also do the trick.

If he can't switch rooms I would switch the room about. Change the position of the bed relative to the door, drawers etc. agree with nightlight idea.

The most helpful thing I found was to try and move a tiny part of my body - my big toe or little finger. Then keep moving it. This then gradually un-seized my muscles and would stop it escalating. I broke the cycle by doing this every time. Took around a month for them to stop.

https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/articles/23234-hypnagogic-hallucinations

ill definitely try this, or suggest this with him, as he says he needs a way to get out of it or ‘break’ it. I feel so helpless as I’ve never had anything like this

Good idea! I never considered changing the room around

Yes, definitely the moving the little toe method, it works for me
Its scary enough for a 45 year old who has suffered from them for last 5 years and recognises them for what they are, never mind a 12 year old, bless them

That’s interesting about the little toe. I found moving my eyes, even if they were closed, had the same effect. It was enough for my body to wake up.

www.nhs.uk/conditions/sleep-paralysis/

Puberty and the hormones involved can trigger this. I had it a lot ant your sons ahe and when I was pregnant, so again I think it was hormone related. I also sometimes get it now when I’m over tired or stressed. It’s really frightening sometimes so I feel for your son. There is lots of advice online for ways to prevent it and deal with it at the time it happens.

The toe moving method works for me too. I just really concentrate on wiggling toes on my right foot and eventually I come round.

Also, for me, it’s brought on by over heating and sleeping on my back. So I can prevent it by going to sleep on my side, keeping the room cool and only having a light duvet on.

Hope he gets on ok OP 🤞🏻

Is there room in your room for a camping mat? It’s a phase-knowing he has somewhere to escape to might help.

I suffered with sleep paralysis and terrible extreme nightmares for years. I appreciate that this sounds crazy but it completely stopped once I started praying before bed (prayer for protection) wearing a small cross, you can also scatter salt around his bed and teach him to say ‘I rebuke you in the name of Jesus’ if he finds himself in a paralysis. I appreciate that all of this might terrify him if you’re non religious but I’m sure it will resolve the issue. Mine started around the age of 11 and I eventually managed to get control of them at 36 through this method. You can google this and you’ll see many others reporting that this method works. if you’re not Christian, you can try the same method in your own religion - there will be information out there available.

I also thought it must be hormone/puberty related as so much change about to happen in his body