Any methods to deal with/avoid sleep paralysis?

[Sigz]

Lately I've been having absolutely horrifying sleep paralysis, pretty much every night or every other night for the last two weeks or so. All kinds of really bizarre dreams/nightmares/hallucinations, I'll shake myself awake and get up only to wake up again in bed and realize it was still a dream (this can happen several times in a row before I actually wake up), and just a general feeling of absolute terror, even when I'm just dreaming of a seagull (this happened last night).

Maybe worst of all is this consistent feeling that I'm about to throw up, but I still can't move. Like, I can hear myself gurgling and taste bile coming up, and finally I'll force it down and get myself awake, and the taste and nausea immediately disappears.

So, any experiences/advice/etc?

[rumborak]

I know this is DTF and we have priority over doctors and ER, but you might want to check with your doc about possible medication

rumborak

[7StringedBeast]

Try not to sleep on your back

[Dr. DTVT]

The answer to all psychological problems - electroshock therapy.  I'll be over with a car battery and jumper cables.

[Jamesman42]

What are your sleeping habits like? Like, what do you do before bed, how do you lay down, what's your favorite planet, etc?

[Gorille85]

SLEEP IS WRONG

[black_biff_stadler]

I've woke up paralyzed several dozen times in my life and it is pretty scary. I heard trying to breathe helps. Start slowly and the oxygen will begin to revive you and within a minute or two you'll be comfortably awake enough to not have to violently shake. I used to try the shake approach and had the same results as you if not worse so avoid that whenever you're alert enough to realize the mistake you're making. The breathing thing has worked very well for me and the only challenge is being alert enough to remember to do it. Good luck with this and I'm sorry to hear you've had to suffer from this as well.

[Chino]

I suffer from this on a nightly basis, and I know Volk deals with it pretty hard as well. It doesn't really bother me anymore, I kind of just keep sleeping lol. One way I taught myself to get out of it quickly was focusing on my teeth. Trying to move my arms and legs was helpless and just prolonged the episode. I would just start grinding my back teeth, and eventually be able to open my mouth and then my eyes. Once eyes open, everything else comes back fairly quickly.

[lonestar]

I used to deal with this a lot, almost two or three times a week.  Once I quit drinking, it went down dramatically, having only happened once or twice in the last month.  Not saying you should take such drastic measures, but it is something to think about.

[Sigz]

I used to deal with this a lot, almost two or three times a week.  Once I quit drinking, it went down dramatically, having only happened once or twice in the last month.  Not saying you should take such drastic measures, but it is something to think about.

  Interesting. There doesn't seem to be much correlation as far as I can tell (like last night was terrible and I only had one beer), but I'll definitely keep it in mind.

I've woke up paralyzed several dozen times in my life and it is pretty scary. I heard trying to breathe helps. Start slowly and the oxygen will begin to revive you and within a minute or two you'll be comfortably awake enough to not have to violently shake. I used to try the shake approach and had the same results as you if not worse so avoid that whenever you're alert enough to realize the mistake you're making. The breathing thing has worked very well for me and the only challenge is being alert enough to remember to do it. Good luck with this and I'm sorry to hear you've had to suffer from this as well.

I suffer from this on a nightly basis, and I know Volk deals with it pretty hard as well. It doesn't really bother me anymore, I kind of just keep sleeping lol. One way I taught myself to get out of it quickly was focusing on my teeth. Trying to move my arms and legs was helpless and just prolonged the episode. I would just start grinding my back teeth, and eventually be able to open my mouth and then my eyes. Once eyes open, everything else comes back fairly quickly.

Thanks for the advice, I'll try to remember it if/when it happens again.

I know this is DTF and we have priority over doctors and ER, but you might want to check with your doc about possible medication

rumborak

  Yeah, that's definitely the plan if it continues like this for too much longer.

[NecessaryPain]

Try smoking a spliff before bed, it works with me.

Have you been dragged, btw?

[Sigz]

Try smoking a spliff before bed, it works with me.

Eh, no thanks.

Have you been dragged, btw?

wat

[NecessaryPain]

Dragged, as in pulled from one side of your bed to the other. Very scary experience, seeing as how you are locked in a stasis and cannot move any part of your body other than your eyes.

Cannabis can help you sleep if you are having serious problems. Just a suggestion.

[JediKnight1969]

One word: THERAPY!

[ClairvoyantCat]

I've suffered from occasional sleep paralysis.  Nothing too horrible, but it does happen about once a every month or two and it really sucks.  I don't really have any advice of my own, since it's not frequent enough for me to consider addressing, but if you're having it nearly daily that is definitely not normal and it would be best to follow Rumby's advice and see a doctor if it doesn't calm down very soon. 

[Arch Benemy]

I had no idea this was such a common occurance. I've never experienced it personally, but it sounds pretty messed up. Maybe try having someone in bed with you to wake you up

[Chino]

I had no idea this was such a common occurance. I've never experienced it personally, but it sounds pretty messed up. Maybe try having someone in bed with you to wake you up

The problem is you are awake. Your body has a defense mechanism that paralyzed your muscles to prevent you acting out your dreams and injuring yourself. Your mind awakens before your muscles receive the message to do so. When it happens to me I am well aware of everything around me I can hear things, feel hot or cold, etc....

[Ħ]

Some reports read that various factors increase the likelihood of both paralysis and hallucinations. These include:

Sleeping in a face upwards or supine position
Increased fatigue
Sudden environmental/lifestyle changes
A lucid dream that immediately precedes the episode.
Excessive consumption of alcohol coupled with lack of adequate sleep.

Sounds like you do some of these.

[Chino]

Some reports read that various factors increase the likelihood of both paralysis and hallucinations. These include:

Sleeping in a face upwards or supine position
Increased fatigue
Sudden environmental/lifestyle changes
A lucid dream that immediately precedes the episode.
Excessive consumption of alcohol coupled with lack of adequate sleep.

Sounds like you do some of these.

I sleep face down.
I'm not fatigued
My environment hasn't changed in years (I've suffered from this since I was 7)
My dreams are always lucid, doesn't matter what stage of sleep I'm in.
I have been drunk once since May.

[Sigz]

Yeah, I sleep on my side, have never had a lucid dream, and the vast majority of times it's happened in the last two weeks I haven't been drunk. I guess you could say moving back to the states it a sudden environmental change, but that was well over a month before they really started.

[AcidLameLTE]

After sneaking into Ian's flat while he was asleep, I can tell you for certain that he sleeps on his side.

[Gadough]

I have a question. I don't think I've ever experienced sleep paralysis. But I do on occasion experience something similar. I'll wake up and I can't move any of my limbs.  Both of my arms and legs will feel "asleep" in that bizarre tingly way, and I can't move them. This doesn't happen often, but when it does, I just lay there for a few minutes and after a while, I regain control of them.

The reason I don't think this is sleep paralysis is because I don't experience the hallucincations or the feeling of terror that so many people report. To be honest, it just kind of pisses me off. It's annoying, but it doesn't scare me in the slightest. Also, I can move my head, mouth, and eyes, just not my limbs.

Is this a less-serious form of sleep paralysis, or something else entirely?

[MasterShakezula]

A similar thing happens to me sometimes, though it also includes hallucinating that I'm suffocating, which is rather scary.

[Fuzzboy]

I have a question. I don't think I've ever experienced sleep paralysis. But I do on occasion experience something similar. I'll wake up and I can't move any of my limbs.  Both of my arms and legs will feel "asleep" in that bizarre tingly way, and I can't move them. This doesn't happen often, but when it does, I just lay there for a few minutes and after a while, I regain control of them.

The reason I don't think this is sleep paralysis is because I don't experience the hallucincations or the feeling of terror that so many people report. To be honest, it just kind of pisses me off. It's annoying, but it doesn't scare me in the slightest. Also, I can move my head, mouth, and eyes, just not my limbs.

Is this a less-serious form of sleep paralysis, or something else entirely?

I've had exactly that, but I can't control my breathing. It's like i'm breathing at a very slow predetermined pace that I have no control over, so I start freaking out and panic because I feel like there's not enough air or something. Usually goes away after about 45 seconds, but the feeling of suffocation is terrifying.

[Ben_Jamin]

Usually when I get this I feel I'm awake trying to open my door and when I do try to run to the bathroom making as much noise as I can. Its a scary feeling, almost like your dead.

[MetalJunkie]

Make sure you keep a regular sleep schedule.

[black_biff_stadler]

A similar thing happens to me sometimes, though it also includes hallucinating that I'm suffocating, which is rather scary.

Happens to me too but I was afraid to mention it because I didn't wanna make any other SP sufferers in this thread have that thought pop into their mind the during their next bout of it and make it worse for them lol.

[ZBomber]

SLEEP IS WRONG

 

[mizzl]

Aargh have these regularly too. About thrice a week I fall asleep only to "wake up" in a dream where I can't move my body.

[bout to crash]

I've only experienced it a few times (hallucinated a dude on top of me about to rape me once, that was fun) so I don't really have any advice but it does suck, sorry you have to deal with it so much!

[black_biff_stadler]

I've only experienced it a few times (hallucinated a dude on top of me about to rape me once, that was fun) so I don't really have any advice but it does suck, sorry you have to deal with it so much!

  Your body said "no" but your eyes were telling me "yes."

[wkiml]

Try not to sleep

[LieLowTheWantedMan]

SLEEP IS WRONG

[bout to crash]

I've only experienced it a few times (hallucinated a dude on top of me about to rape me once, that was fun) so I don't really have any advice but it does suck, sorry you have to deal with it so much!

  Your body said "no" but your eyes were telling me "yes."

THAT WAS YOU YOU BASTARD?!

[black_biff_stadler]

I've only experienced it a few times (hallucinated a dude on top of me about to rape me once, that was fun) so I don't really have any advice but it does suck, sorry you have to deal with it so much!

  Your body said "no" but your eyes were telling me "yes."

THAT WAS YOU YOU BASTARD?!

We were both stiff so I said "what the fuck"