If you’ve ever woke up and realized you can’t move, or you find yourself sat upon by some foul hag or monster with bad teeth and worse breath, you’ve experienced sleep paralysis. Many sufferers stay up all night to prevent another terrifying episode. Some also find themselves eating a midnight meal, or having a night cap, to calm the fear so sleep comes again. Ironically, these typical ways of coping only increase the likelihood of another encounter.
Instead, you can prevent attacks by reducing stress and getting enough quality sleep at regular intervals. This is more easily said that done, isn’t it? Here’s my top 10 ways of preventing sleep paralysis naturally, so you can get on with your life.
10 Ways to Lessen Sleep Paralysis
- Sleep on your side, not your back. The supine position is asking for sleep paralysis, especially if you’ve woken up and are going back to sleep. Try the trick that works for sleep apnea sufferers: place a tennis ball in the pocket of your pajamas to prevent middle-of-the-night roll-overs.
- No more night caps or heavy meals before sleep. Alcohol can help you fall asleep, but it also disrupts the sleep cycle. Heavy meals (fats, proteins and sugars) also disrupt sleep.
- Drink herbal tea or a glass of milk instead. Herbals teas like chamomile, lemon balm, and passion flower gently relax the mind. Milk, or a small cottage cheese snack, contains casein proteins that increases melatonin levels.
- Wind down before sleep. Give yourself an hour of relaxing time before bed, with soothing music, candles, and/or your favorite book (especially a book that brings you joy and comfort).
- Turn off electronics too. Watching TV, playing video games, and texting before bed is linked with greater sleep disruption.
- Reduce or eliminate caffeine in your diet. Everyone knows it can impede sleep, but caffeine—and withdrawal—also increase anxiety.
- Get more sleep. One of the greatest predictors of isolated sleep paralysis (those who don’t have narcolepsy or sleep apnea) is sleep debt. If you aren’t getting more than seven hours of sleep throughout the 24 hour day, chances are you are in sleep debt. In particular, REM sleep deprivation increases the chances, and it’s REM sleep that usually takes the hit when we get six or less hours sleep a night.
- Stick with it. However you sleep—all at once in the night, or a long lay down at night with a shorter nap during the day—stick your sleep schedule. Your circadian rhythm will thank you, and your stress levels will plummet.
- Try meditation. A simple breathing mediation of watching the breath is one of the fastest and most effective ways of reducing general anxiety without medication. Recent studies suggest the effects of meditation can be seen in the brain within a couple weeks. The brain is plastic, but we have to train it.
- Journal your nightmares. It may seem counter-intuitive, but journaling your sleep paralysis nightmares can give you psychological distance. Date your entries and give each one a title. Over time, these valuable reports can help you see patterns regarding when you’re most likely to have SP (seasonally, weekly, menstrual, work-related etc). This record will also be a great clue to learning about what works during the sleep paralysis encounter in terms of waking up, losing your fear, and even facing the uncanny attacker.
I have suffered from sleep paralysis since I was a teen, and learned slowly how to prevent SP, and even encourage it when I want.
Interested in Managing your Sleep Paralysis?
Download my free ebook the Sleep Paralysis Report and learn the basics of understanding sleep paralysis and getting better sleep.
Will Black says
Hi Ryan,
I enjoy your blog – keep up the good work!
My question is this, “How about a blog entry on the best ways TO INDUCE Sleep Paralysis?”.
I’ve been trying different techniques off and on for the past couple years and had little success. Granted, I’ve never stuck with one particular technique for an extended period of time, but this is due to more of a lack of consensus from what I’ve read about the “best” way to go about it.
I’d appreciate your insight into this.
As well, I also recently tried galantamine “Lucid Dreaming” pills (with your previous article providing much inspiration), but they worked only slightly 😉
Rock on,
Will
Tayla says
You are nuts it just happened to me and it was the scariest thing that had ever happened to me ever and it was horrible there was a ringing in my ear and I felt as if some one was next to me and I was so scared
Jasmine says
Hi, thats actually called exploding head syndrome
Ryan Hurd says
Hi Jasmine, actually the ringing in the ear is most likely a hypnagogic hallucination. But it’s true that in its more intense form it can be experienced as part of exploding head syndrome — which can be associated with sleep paralysis.
Richard Dyer says
I have been using Galantamine for a number of months now (8mg) and have consistently found that it induces an intense lucid dream every single time. Might I suggest the following:
Only take it after four or five hours of sound sleep, combine it with 500mg + of Choline and 500mg + of GPC. Use the WBTB method, take the combination and stay awake for about half an hour, back to bed, relax, try to maintain consciousness as you enter the dream – watch out for startling ‘transition’ phenomenon, these are harmless but you should be prepared, ie, I get a kind of painful pulsing cramp around my solar plexus, electric like pulses and buzzing seemingly in the centre of my brain, the sensation of entities in the room, being touched, etc, typical SP phenomenon. Eventually I am usually able to just ‘sit-up’ out of my physical body and enter the dream environment. At first this mimics the actual physical environment of the bedroom but is soon transformed into something much more interesting. Good luck Will.
Luci Josiane says
I cringed reading your comment. If I experience sleep paralysis once as I lay down for bed, it happens all night unless I get up and have a glass of water or something. I usually experience it right as I’m about to go to sleep, the point where your eyes are too heavy to open them all the way.
Kerry says
You want to induce it? Okay try this:
Start taking ADHD medication and sleeping pills at night
Lay on your back on a low bed or mattress on the floor
Think of things that terrify you before you sleep
Jay says
Lol I too laughed hard at Claires experience. I don’t find IT funny. Just her explanation. I don’t fight I just relax. The other night I could wake up I went with the flow. What I mean is I was dreaming I was upstairs n my bedroom in my dream and in reality. I pushed the dream I started to control it an walk thru the house once I did that I thought of something really hard I wanted to do that was fun ( love to eat) and before I could eat that delicious looking food I woke up. Just relax.
Ryan Hurd says
Will — I hear that. I’ll write a SP induction post soon. the best techniques involve mixing up your circadian rhythms and encouraging REM rebound. galantamine can increase the odds too.
Richard – awesome tactic for galantamine-assist SP to LD. I’ve had similar success, but it’s not for everybody. here’s my review of galantamine for the curious.
Jay – yup I usually recommend relaxation, it’s about surrender. fighting usually just ratchets up the tension and fear. possible caveats are those who have histories of trauma or abuse, in which case working with SP nightmares therapeutically is recommended.
Will Black says
Ryan – Looking forward to reading that SP post when you write it.
Richard – Sounds interesting and I’ll have to pick up some Choline and give that a try. But what is GPC?
Michael says
Hi, I really do enjoy the blog. Dreams are such a strange and fascinating part of life. I remember the first time i heard someone tell me they didn’t dream, I really didn’t believe them, but I guess some don’t remember them (or whatever).
The rest of this is a bit long winded and personal, so read at your own peril/leisure.
I have been ~struggling~ with SP and what I’d deem semi-lucid dreaming (do not have control in the strictest sense, but am able to chose actions as well as being aware that I am dreaming [as an example, I can fly maybe 1:6 times, but usually when I try it wakes me up]).
I REALLY hate it. I guess I can sort of see why people would want to lucid dream, but even that state of being I only manage to enjoy half the time. Truth is, that the elastic (my own name for that weighted feeling) always pulls me back into bed as the dream subsides. I will go through dozens of cycles in a single night.. I am never sure when it will end and am in constant doubt over whether I am truly awake or not until I really am (I feel blessed that I seem to know for sure once I am truly awake).
I really try to relax, I have gotten better at this, but I still struggle with it. The first piece of advice I received was the “kill bill 1” method, where I’d try to wiggle a tow in order to break the SP. This was actually really poor advice in my opinion and actually made me more fearful; I feel phantom limb sensations can be felt in this state, for me at least, making this method ineffective.
Rolling out (the only way I can describe leaving my body for the dream) into the semi-lucid dream works a bit better than that, but it is a temporary reprieve.
I just wanted to vent a bit I think, but honestly, any advice would be greatly appreciated. I hate to think of not dreaming, but I’d almost prefer that to the one or two times a week I am forced into SP. I have tried most of these techniques actually (I used many of these methods for my sleep hygiene routine to help control my insomnia with great success).
Thanks for reading my ramblings! Pleasant Dreams.
Isreal says
I am new to SP, I have experienced it quite a few times, always being the most common experiences; The feeling of an entity, and the feeling of helplessness. Of all my SP exps’ I’m in the swastika position facing the wall. Being held down by an unknown entity which i always fought to break the control without any luck. About a three years ago my last SP I experienced (until recently) I broke free and was flung across my room knocking over my nightstand. I looked into my sisters room (her room leads to my room) and there was a white entity, the only way i can explain what it looked like is the stereotypical mummy with the wraps and all… over my sister and her calling for me to help. I ran to my sisters room and wrestled it to the ground then a small black shadow appeared from the stairs and the white entity cowered and backed away. I went after the black entity (which i call ‘the one that got away’) which by the name got away from me. When i woke, came to senses or whatever you want to call it, i was being embraced by my father and crying, being 18 at the time, was hard on me. Since i am religious i took this as a religious event and never did any research until now, after not going through SP for three years and it happening again lately. I was wondering if there was any takes on being tormented for a year, then stopping for three and now coming back?
Thank you for your time,
Isreal
Ryan Hurd says
hi Isreal, that is a profound account. it’s typical for SP to come and go through our lives, weaving in and out when we’re at crossroads. It’s related to stress but also can relate to spiritual matters like crossroads in faith or new understandings (as these things also effect our stress and sleep patterns). I recommend working on a gratitude practice in waking life — what can you be thankful for everyday? this builds compassion and understanding, and can be integrated with your own spiritual practices.
Ryan Hurd says
Michael, SP is rough, no doubt. Unfortunately, when SP is tied into larger sleep disturbances it can be difficult to treat using the usual methods above – these are most effective for isolated sleep paralysis without narcolepsy, apnea or insomnia. treating the primary sleep issue is probably the best route. You may also want to talk to your medical provider about pharmaceutical treatment options of SP if nothing else is working.
Santiago says
Dear Sherry,Thank you for sharring your dream. If it were my dream I would say that my patrnes house would represent my old way of doing things. I am concerned about not blocking the energy of others.In the next scene I am in my neocortex: the attick. I am not in the feeling but in the thinking area of my life. The food is spoilt here, lying on the floor and it is not the nurturing kind of food my body needs. If it were my dream I would wonder if I had some unfinished business with boyfriend O.Kind regards SusanneLike +1
veromango says
Hi, Ryan! I just bought your book and am awaiting its arrival… hopefully tomorrow.
Please bear with me… this is going to be pretty long. I’ve been suffering from SP since I was a teen, also. It actually occurs about 3-4 times a week. Well… let me start off my saying that it started when my family and I moved into a new home when I was 16. When it first started happening, it didn’t want to say anything without looking like I was crazy. One day, my mom walked in on me while I was experiencing it and woke me, telling me that she thought that I was having a seizure since I was twitching around a bit. I would explain that I would know what’s going on in the “awake world,” but I’m still partially stuck in a dream and unable to move, speak, open my eyes, etc. She told me that she goes through the same thing as often as I do. She’s a firm believer of the paranormal, so a part of her believed that it was some sort of possession overcoming us.
I started dating my now husband when I was 21, and, when I started spending the night with him every now and then, the nightmares started to happen. He stayed with his friend, and, every time I’d experience SP while spending the night, I’d hear banshee like wails right outside of the door. I’m sure you know the fear that I was going through and having nothing that I could do about it unless something woke me up.
At home… where the nightmares never happened… I began to teach myself to wake up. It’s pretty funny. I discovered that the only part of my body that I was able to move during SP was my big right toe. I would wiggle it for what seemed like forever. Then, my right foot would sway back and forth… then my right leg. Soon after, I would wake up. Sometimes, I would struggle to stay awake and could only succeed after falling back to sleep after a few times. Sometimes, I can’t even keep my eyes open. It helped a bit that I could wake myself up and knowing that I’m in a dream.
I moved in with my husband about 4 months after we started dating. This time, a completely different nightmare came about. It was always a tall figure of a man facing me from the foot of my bed (it still occurs to this day, 6 years later). I’d do my toe wiggling, wake up, experience it the next day or day after. It became an annoying routine… and it still is… kind of. The only difference now is that I’ve become better at awakening. About 2 years ago, I’ve taught myself “pop” into consciousness. No more toe wiggling. In my dream, trying to avoid looking directly at the man (never looked in his direction, ever. I’ve seen too many scary movies and I know what happens when people are too curious… lol). Well, I would know that I’m experiencing SP, so I would count to myself and literally make myself jump. However, I’ve barely experience SP since I got pregnant 7 months ago. It has happened, maybe, 7 or 8 times since then. One of those dreams, however (actually, the one before the last one that I’ve had, so far), scared the heck out of me. I got really mad when I knew that I was in SP, and I kept telling myself that I need to wake up and that this is just another stupid dream. I had the comforter up to my eyes, but, as I was getting more irritated that I keep going through this, I felt a huge pressure as if someone was pressing against me. It was the figure and I can hear him breathing next to my face. The comforter was between us, so I never saw him. It was like telling me that I was never going to get over this, and it was never going to go away.
I had it, again, yesterday, and I couldn’t get out of it, this time. The figure was there, and so was a blond woman facing the opposite way. I didn’t want her to turn around because, well, scary movies! I was stuck in it until I made myself ignored it and fell asleep, completely.
I’m sorry for the long reply. I just needed to vent without being told that ghosts are following me (thanks, mom) or that I get no response at all because someone doesn’t know what to say to comfort me about it (my husband). Thank you for reading.
Sarah says
I am brand new to this whole SP thing and I HATE IT. I don’t want this to be a part of my life! It’s horrifying! I always feel like someone is physically holding me down, but they’re behind me and I can’t see them. I hear inhuman screeching though, and I feel big, masculine hands restraining my hands. It has happened twice, so it isn’t one isolated incident.
I am on a new medication for depression, and I was reading on another forum about possible side effects. Guess what several people listed? Sleep paralysis. Other side effects mentioned were bad dreams and insomnia, which I have also been having. I can’t get in to see my doctor until tomorrow to change my medication, and I’m exhausted, and scared. I have been looking online for ways to cope or stop it all together.
Jay says
Ok Ryan I got something for you! Well I was taking a nap this a.m. In my dream I could tell I was dreaming but couldn’t really control it this time. Laying in my bed in my dream as I was in real life. (horizontal close to the head board) So in the dream there was this headless guy no blood. He had no shirt on and light blue jeans he started shaking and flopping like a fish as if he was almost drowning . I couldn’t control it nor wake myself up like I normally do, but then my fiance text me to say he was on his way home and woke me up. I went to the restroom. Then I went to lay back on the bed I was laying only on the fitted sheet with my warm up suit on it was pretty cool in the room I wasn’t on the comforter or flat sheet. Well as I placed my hand down on the comforter I noticed the bed was wet ( a ring about the size of a dinner plate I immediately said I spilled my water but I had no water to spill I started checking to see if I was sweating because of the warm up suit I didn’t feel anything and I was like ( don’t laugh) but I said I’m too old to be urinating in my sleep I felt everywhere to see where this big ring came from I took two pictures but I took the first picture before this other crazy thing happened. I called my sister calm as can be and told her everything I wrote just now and as I rubbed the comforter speaking with her it begin to saturate again I felt cool wet water coming from my comforter I was awake I immediately ran out of the house I was shaking. My fiance finally got home ran up stairs checked the bed everything was completely dry I thought I’m going crazy what did I see?!? The guy in my dream body was over the wet spot that was in my bed. It seemed as if he wanted help. I thought he doesn’t believe me he tried to think of a logical reason how this could have happened. Until…. My sister came over and asked me to show her the comforter I showed her she touched it and it was dry then when she moved her finger it was a tiny wet dot I said you have the soda bottle in your hand her bottle was dry she rubbed the spot it spread like a dime I called my fiance I said look she just rubbed the comforter he was looking at tge ceiling to see if it was a leak we put the cover on the floor the bed wasn’t getting wet but as my fiance rubbed the comforter on tge floor the spot got bigger and bigger no water on the otherside just one side becoming saturated with cool water. I have two photos I will email them to whoever wants to see. It happened today I’m still in shock! I’m very happy it happened again in front of my sister and fiance. I just wonder what could be any other explanation?!?!? No rude comments please….
Ryan Hurd says
Veromango,
thanks for sharing your experiences. I wonder how much you will experience SP after the baby is born (congrats by the way!). Irregular sleep tends to increase SP in some folks. For that reason, why not ask the standing man next time who he is? do it with a fierce compassion and a trusting courage.
Jay, I have never heard an account like yours and I’m glad you have witnesses and took images. I’m not an expert in these kinds of things, but what strikes me is the relationship of the headless man “who flops like a fish” and the water spot. Here’s what I would do if it were me: first, I’d move the bed to a different location. It will make you feel better. second, I’d set up some objects in your room that help you feel safe – they can be spiritual, or not, but it’s best if they objects come from your family and remind you of ancestry and safety. next, go about your life. there may bemore dreams, but don’t wait fearfully. I don’t think there’s anything to fear; this encounter is about asking for help. don’t worry about trying to prove anything to anyone, rather focus on being safe. lastly, if you are up to it, you could do some research about previous tenants of this house. local news stories, discretely asking neighbors, or anything else. if you get freaked out, there are paranormal experts who would be interested in investigating this, but don’t invite anyone into your home until you have good word-of-mouth recommendations.
veromango says
Hello, Ryan! Thank you for your advice. Surprisingly, I have not had any episodes since the birth of my son in August, and the faceless man hasn’t appeared since. However, there is one thing that kind of bothers me. I had forgotten to mention that, about a year and a half ago, I woke up (not in S.P.) under my comforter. I could feel the strong presence of the faceless man AND the feeling of being stared at by faces in my dresser mirror. Well, for the past month, while I have my son in our bedroom when I’m cleaning or folding clothes, he’ll stare at the mirror for long periods of time and babble and laugh… like he’s talking to someone. I mean, it bothers me, but I’m glad that he’s laughing and not terrified and crying.
Ryan Hurd says
Hi Veromango,
I wouldn’t worry too much about that. sometimes the presence can assert without the feelings of paralysis in what feels like a peaceful awakened state but actually is stage one sleep. your infant son is just having fun with mirrors – a great baby sitter!
thatguy says
ironically i have this all the time it used to scare the hell out of me and id wake up horrified but now it
pisses me off and i wake up mad i came to this blog
because of the pic at the top i saw a guy in a hood the other day not like grim reaper hood (i have this much more often) but like a regular one i thought it was strange so i google imaged it 🙂 just thought it was funny that i found it
Ryan Hurd says
cool that you found the site through the image. It’s surprisingly common to see a hooded figure shrouded in darkness. It’s archetypal, some would say, a basic metaphor for fear of the unknown.
interesting that you now wake up mad…. because SP is essentially a dream state those feelings could be significant for your current life situation. worth exploring! it may result in SP going away once the stressor is acknowledged.
bing martin says
i always experience sleep paralysis during daytime nap, i dont understand why, and it keeps on repeatin until i finally get up and drink a glass of water , and when i go back to sleep it stop.
anthony says
I had suffered from SP on almost a nightly basis since I was 16. I’m 31 now. I recently found the trick to beating it. I realzie that when I don’t have the tv, fan, or anything else on when I sleep, I’m way more likely to have it. I’ve tried every single thing on the list above and then some, but it never fully stopped. So what I started doing was wearing earbuds when I sleep with the peaceful music at a decent, but not disturbing level. I haven’t experienced SP while wearing them
I have some theories as to why… too much to list here, but yea, wearing earphones with music while you sleep seems to work like a charm 🙂
Georgia says
I’m not sure if this form is still active but I think I just experienced SP for this first time, yet it also felt very familiar..
This morning, laying in bed, I had just been having dreams that I was controlling, for example, I kept dreaming about sharks (something I’m terrified of), and would think, ugh that’s horrible, don’t dream that, and when I don’t want to think of something I try to imagine blank, whiteness, although I kept moving on to more scenes /dreams of sharks before moving into more dream-like sequences that I wasn’t aware were dreams and couldn’t control. I eventually awoke, mildly disturbed by my dreams but still very tired but I tried to stop myself going back to sleep although I suppose I did. The next thing I know I was aware of outside noises, i.e. the washing machine banging around and was aware that I was lying on my stomach but I could hear other noises, like the sound of someone crying and maybe the sense of another sinister presence. I don’t remember exactly but I was trying to scream but nothing would come out, much like in nightmares. I was just trying to get myself to roll over or rub my eyes to wake myself up but my hands would just meld with my face, yet I knew this couldn’t truly happen as I couldn’t feel anything touching my face. Eventually I broke out of it. Was this sleep paralysis? Or was it just a dream?
Tasia says
Hi , I’m 19 years old and I recently just had my first sp episode . It was the scariest thing I’ve ever been through in my whole life , I keep thinking about it i can’t get it out my head and it’s keeping me up at night cause I’m really scared to have another one . I was laying on my side watching tv and I didn’t kno I feel asleep but a few moments later my eyes opened I thought I was woke and real life cause I can see my room and everything around me its like i was hearing my own thoughts out loud and I’m already paralyzed from the waist down so at the moment I didn’t realized that my whole body was paralyzed untill I tried to move , that’s when I noticed my body was stuck so I’m so confused at this point like what’s going on , so I start to panic then all of a sudden my room door start to slowly open and I couldn’t hardly see what it was but out my side vision I see something floating of maybe walking slowly into my room and omg I start to panic even more , it felt like evil and it was all black I can’t really make it out cause I didn’t really see it but it crawled on to my bed behind me and I was facing the opposite way still stuck in that spot , I could hear it getting on my bed and it was soooo close to me like basically cuddling with me and all I could hear was it breathing heavily in my ear , I was very scared then it like grabbed my hand and made me touch something on it and I really Dk what it was but lord knows I was sooo scared , I tried calling out for my aunt but nothing came out my mouth , I felt helpless so all I could think of is the name “Jesus” it seemed like as soon as I thought of that it banished or something … The next day I had sp again I woke up from it but I was still dreaming , than I woke up again to real life … I never wanna experience this again will someone pleaseeeeee help me understand this a little more so I can get some sleep … I really need it. It felt so real 🙁
Tyler Diaz says
Heyy umm SP has been affecting me alot lately and it always seems to happen after midnight. Is that a significance ? Is that normal ? Like my last dream I had when I was in SP I saw like demonic entities that looked like creatures from silent hill and they were like eating babies and there were demonic scriptures or markings all over the walls and floating in my mind. I am very scared my room is in the basement. Also sometimes I fell into SP when I was wide awake. Is that bad? Should that happen?
Ryan Hurd says
hey Tyler, often SP can happen at sleep onset, which means that if feels like you never fell asleep but actually are in a light form of sleep that is akin to a trance state or relaxation. it’s “normal” but that doesn’t mean it’s not weird. I would recommend either moving out of the basement if you’re scared down there or doing some relaxation exercises to feel more comfortable. this is key — you must feel comfortable where you are sleeping or the anxiety will increase the likelihood of SP.
Simon says
I’ve been experiencing SP off and on since I can remember. I had been doing alright for months until recently my nightmares came to life;
I awoke last Saturday at 1am to the sound of breaking glass. I walked into the hall and saw a hooded person standing in my living room. I chased him out screaming at the top of my lungs. I have awoken several nights in a row screaming or hyperventilating. The part about the intruder is true. Needless to say, it’s been hard to sleep.
I appreciate this article / blog and am looking into your books right now!
Nicole says
is SP dangerous?? would u die if u can’t get out of it?? if u close ur eyes while u r in the state of SP can u still wake up??? or is it okay to just close my eyes and just ignore it??? coz I’ve been experiencing this SP and it really scares me…sometimes in just a night i experienced having it 3x consecutively…
Ryan Hurd says
the most dangerous aspect of SP is that your fear can manifest your worst nightmares, making you not want to sleep, and the sleep deprivation ironically can trigger more SP. relax, breathe, make a plan about the best way to calm yourself down. It’s a dream state, and you’re safe.
Aaron says
Hello! I’m twelve years old and I still haven’t experienced SP. Is there a way to make it not ever happen cause Ive been hearing stories of SP and I don’t want it to happen. It sounds really scary! And can I have SP at this age or any age? Please reply.Thanks!
Ryan Hurd says
Don’t worry about it Aaron! Most people don’t experience this. But you know where to come if you ever have the symptom!
Mande says
I have been experiencing SP for about 4 or 5 months now. It happens nearly every night and many nights it happens over and over again. It is truly starting to affect my daily life significantly and I don’t know how much more I can take. I have tried every technique mentioned on every article I have read, to no avail. I consistently get 6-8 hours of sleep, I stop caffeine at least 3 hours before bed and I don’t overdo the caffeine. I fall asleep in my side only to awake from SP on my back. I’m not under an enormous amount of stress and quite frankly until I recently started researching, I had no idea what was even happening. There’s never been an evil presence, it’s like everything in the room is how it was when I fell asleep, I just struggle trying to wake when I already feel awake in my head, though many times there is a dreamy feel about me. Many times I guess, I manage to get out a moan or a small scream and my husband awakens me, which is typically what I am struggling to make happen. Also, in the last month, I am having episodes in which, right while I am trying to fall asleep, I hear a loud whooshing sound, a very loud POP and am jerked awake to my heart pounding, my body sweating and shaking and I’m usually crying. I am a 38 year old working, homeschooling mother, who is quite exhausted enough at the end of the day without having to fight these episodes nearly every night! I’m at my wits end, what can I do?
Ryan Hurd says
Hi Mande, constant exhaustion can be an instigator of isolated sleep paralysis if you are prone to the symptom. Women of your age are also prime candidates. You may be able to see a doctor and look into pharmaceutical options if you can’t reduce the SP from the “lifestyle” stuff discussed in this article.
Umair says
My little cousin aged 3 years was unable to move her legs after she woke up, for the whole day. She has been a most active kid but she for the whole day she just kept at one place in bed. She hasn’t faced any major disease in the past. Is it some sort of MODIFIED SLEEP PARALYSIS?
Anna says
I started having sleep paralysis for the past 6 months. It comes and it goes it. When it first started it was like 4 times a week. I couldnt move or talk so scary I felt as if someone was sitting on me. One time when it happened I felt as if my bed was falling Like falling in a hole. Another time like 2 days ago I felt as if I was getting dragged off my bed. Its really scary I would love for it to stop. Ive gotten so used to it where I just know im in it and I just ask myself when its going to be over. But i wake up startled.
Brittany says
Hey,
I’ve been dealing with sleep paralysis for 3 years now and its still happening fairly regular. I can go a couple months without an episode, but for the most part its every other week. It’s gotten to the point that its annoying and I know when its happening. Still doesn’t change the fact that its scary as hell, but I’ve learned to fight back and usually telling the ‘entity’ to fuck off, leave me alone or pray when its super demonic tends to work. For me, the dreams change but its always the same setting. I’m usually in my bed and on my back unable move or scream. Some of the really demonic episodes have left me drained of all energy once I wake up to the point that I feel like I’m drugged and pass right back out and get sucked back into another episode. This Happend once to the point I had to rip myself out of bed and take a shower to wake up and break the cycle. The extremely creepy part for me that keeps me up after episodes is that it tends to happen between 3am-330am typically I will wake up and break an episode at exactly 330am. I’m so over having these episodes and it makes it hard to be around supernatural movies or even be alone at my place at night. I make a conscious effort to sleep on my side but it doesn’t always work. Any advice for helping cope?
Thank you
Arun says
Hi ,
i have been experiencing sleep paralysis for 3-4 years now…it occurs on monthly basis..when it occured for the 1st tym..i thought it to be some supernatural stuff..i told my friend about it..tht my body was paralysed and some monster was sitting on my chest or there was someone in the room…he told me tht he also had the same experience sometym ago..i searched for the symptoms online and got to know abt sleep paralysis…
For those who want to induce it….it occurs to me after having beer..not much that u slosh out…but..
2-3 beers and sleeping on ur back…and before u go to sleep think abt smthing tht terifies u…