Sleep Paralysis

[smogie_michele]

I'm sure some of y'all have experience with this as well- when you are sleeping and become aware that you are sleeping, try to wake up, but your body just can't move.
I've been dealing with this a lot lately, at least three times a week. When it happens, it is like I'm fighting to break out of whatever dream is going on but I just can't unless there is an outside force waking me up- dogs barking because they want to go potty, something like that. It causes me to stay in bed much later than what I had intended. I know it sounds super weird and made up, but it s really bothering me.

Has anyone had issues with this? What have you done to prevent it?
I have three alarm clocks set everywhere so I can wake up eventually, but I want to prevent it.

[Vesca]

My first thought is wondering how much you sleep on average a night? Have you been more stressed out recently than usual? Has anything happened in your life (conscious or subconscious) recently that is out of the average? Do you have a history of night terrors, sleep paralysis, or any other sleep disorders?

If it's gotten to a point where it's interfering with your day-to-day life and you can't think of a cause in your everyday life that could be removed or addressed that may help with this, then it's time to talk to your doctor about it. It might be worth checking your hormone levels, for example.

[SnowCat]

I had an episode of sleep paralysis a few nights ago. And it was one of those dreaming that I was awake, then realizing that I was still asleep, over and over. In my case, my thyroid levels continue to be all over the place. Nothing against roller coasters, but I'm ready to get off this particular one.

Snow

[miraclebot]

Sleep paralysis is a parasomnia caused by your mind letting your conscious brain awaken during REM sleep.

I've had this happen to me a number of times in my life. Usually when I'm under an amount of stress but not always. A few times I have managed to wake myself from the dream and everything is fine... but then I've had half success' where I've encountered the problem of not having total control of my body! It's easy to panic when it feels like you're packed with sand. I've even found it hard to breathe when this happens to me!

The easiest thing I've found to do is to just try and stay calm. Forcefully try and manipulate the dream rather than wake yourself. Once your unconscious mind grasps that something is off you will wake up.

Ideally.

[dualhands]

Blinking helps. It wakes your mind up.

[Vesca]

Thanks for sharing your insight and advice.

[smogie_michele]

I had forgot that I posted on this quite a while ago, but I had an episode with it again last night and decided to scroll through the forum... Guess I should have made sure to gone back and read it! It was so severe last night that by the time I was able to break it, I was drenched in sweat and was nervous to fall back asleep... I'm drinking incredible amounts of coffee today...
It scares the heck out of me when it happens, but I'm going to try to remember the "blinking" trick.

[SnowCat]

Maybe it's the full moon. I've been having some crazy dreams. No sleep paralysis, but they're not restful.

Snow

[smogie_michele]

The past two nights I went through it again... the blinking helps A LOT.

[SnowCat]

I had a "visitor" last week. I'm spayed, so it wasn't that visitor. I told it it wasn't welcome.

Snow

[Starwitch]

I'm sorry you're having sleep paralysis. I don't get it much anymore, but I used to have it a lot and I'm well aware of how terrifying it is. I used to be able to snap out of it with the usual triggers - wiggling a finger or toe. Over time, that stopped working for me, and now I have to try to move much larger body parts. I'll usually either violently shake my head back and forth or try to rock my whole body. Even though it's only my astral or dream body that moves, it can trigger my physical body to wake up.

I created a new post with links to Facebook groups about sleep paralysis. You'll be able to find a lot more tips in the groups.

Sleep Paralysis Facebook Groups

[smogie_michele]

Thank you Starwitch, I'm looking into them now!
It actually happened again last night, but my fiance was awake and saw me trying to move and was able to help me snap out of it.