Sleep Paralysis/Hypnagogia?

Post Reply New Topic

I have been experiencing a lot of this lately and it's pretty bad. What should I do? Would it be beneficial to see a sleep specialist?

Ugh. Sleep paralysis is no fun. I have been told stress makes this happen more often. I know it is true for me. When I have bouts of sleep paralysis I am always stressed out and once I manage to remove/manage the bulk of that stress the problem goes away.

Personally, I would try stress reduction first (if that is relevant to your current situation). If that does not work, I would see a specialist if you can afford to. I am sure they could help get things figured out... help you find ways to manage this. Whatever you do, I wish you well in ending all that. It is not pleasant, to say the least.

I've been experiencing a lot of sleep paralysis lately too. I seem to get it at least two times a week lately, which is odd because a year ago I had never even had it before.

In terms of preventing it, I would say it's important to look at your sleep schedule. If it's not consistent and you're always going to bed/waking up at different times, it's possible that that may be causing it. I personally have a very chaotic sleep schedule and I think it's partially to blame for my sleep paralysis. I also find I usually only experience it when I wake up in the morning and then go back to sleep. So you might want to see if you can find a pattern for when you usually experience sleep paralysis.

Also, I find it helps to remind myself during a sleep paralysis episode that I will not be paralyzed forever and will be able to move again soon. And I read that trying to move your fingers and toes snaps some people out of it (I haven't personally tried that yet though). This article has some good ideas on ways to wake up from it. http://dreamstudies.org/2010/04/29/9-wa ... paralysis/

Seeing a sleep specialist may also be a good idea, especially if you have signs of narcolepsy or another sleep disorder. I may do this myself soon if changing my sleep habits doesn't help.

Anyway, hope this helps!

Sleep paralysis is normal.

Waking up during sleep paralysis is uncommon, because it occurs during REM sleep.

Frequently waking during REM is not normal, and seeking Medical evaluation may prove to be valuable.

I saw a sleep spec. for many years and base my remarks on his opinion.

Be well.

I had phases of sleep paralysis & like dossa it was worse when I was stressed & anxiety made it worse too & being worried I would have it also made it happen more. I quit having it 1ce I started doing better emotionally.

I remember the first time I experienced sleep paralysis -- it really freaked me out! Now that I know what it is, it doesn't bother me as much. But it's still an awful feeling.

I experienced this during stressful periods of time and consider it to be one of the warning signals that my stress/anxiety levels are too high and some part of my life needs to change/be reduced.