Drugs: Add Or Subtract
If youre on drugs, it is important to consider that they may be a direct cause of and/or contributing to your sleep paralysis. If you started taking Drug X and noticed that you developed sleep paralysis while taking it, but never had an episode prior, it may be more than a mere coincidence. Those that are taking drugs should realize that many pharmaceuticals, illicit substances, and even over-the-counter medications could contribute to sleep paralysis.
Individuals that ingest nicotine, caffeine, or alcohol frequently may also be more prone to sleep paralysis. If you suspect that a particular drug may be contributing to sleep paralysis, you may want to stop using it. If youre on a pharmaceutical drug, always talk with your doctor before stopping as a result of sleep paralysis.
If youre not taking any drugs and have already tested various supplements for stopping sleep paralysis, you may want to consider taking some. It is said that some people have success taking antidepressants particularly SSRIs and tricyclics for the treatment of sleep paralysis. Other pharmaceuticals like Z-drugs may prove to be effective.
Is Sleep Paralysis A Serious Problem
For most people, sleep paralysis is not a serious problem. It is classified as a benign condition and usually does not happen frequently enough to cause significant health problems.
However, an estimated 10% of people have more recurrent or bothersome episodes that make sleep paralysis especially distressing. As a result, they may develop negative thoughts about going to bed, reducing time allotted for sleep or provoking anxiety around bedtime that makes it harder to fall asleep. Sleep deprivation can lead to excessive sleepiness and numerous other consequences for a personâs overall health.
The Stanford Sleep Book
Dr. Dement’s pioneering textbook has been the core text for Sleep and Dreams since 1980, but it has just recently been made available to the wider public for the first time.
In it you’ll find a more detailed account of the most important things you need to know about sleep, alertness, dreams, and sleep disorders. Studies, statistics, plus plenty of Dr. Dement’s classic anecdotes painting the history of sleep medicine.
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Is Sleep Paralysis Dangerous
There is no evidence to suggest sleep paralysis is dangerous or even fatal. Nothing terrible will happen to you while in this catatonic state. You are, in fact, part of your lucid dream when sleep paralysis happens. Instead of being scary, you could embrace it.
Sleep paralysis is normally found in people who are overtired or generally live an unhealthy lifestyle.
Is It Safe To Wake Someone From Sleep Paralysis
- Status
When keepin it real goes wrong. Very, very wrong.
OpinionatedCyborg said:
OpinionatedCyborg said:Yeah, I get it about once a month. It’s weird, like my mind and body are disconnected – this must be what hypnosis feels like. I try my hardest to move, even just a little. But I normally cannot. Sometimes after straining off and on for 10 – 20 seconds, I’ll regain control of my limbs. But normally I’ll “wake up,” realize I’m frozen, and then just go back to sleep. The only time sleep paralysis has scared me was when I woke up face down and unable to breath. After around 30 seconds or so of straining to move and breath, I finally snapped out of it. 99% of the time I would rather not be woken out of it because I fall back to sleep quickly most of the time. Plus, it’s kind of cool. This one time I woke up unable to move and face down. I could sense there was something sitting on the edge of my bed, just inches from where I was lying – there was a depression in the mattress. I knew it was an odd demon-like creature and fully believed it was sitting there… but it wasn’t scary. I just accepted that this monster was sitting on the edge of my bed, just inches away, and then I went back to sleep.but yeah, I don’t think it would be dangerous to wake someone up from sleep paralysis… night terrors, on the other hand…
PortTwo said:
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Sleep Paralysis And Anger
I’m a 23 year old Male and I’ve been having these sleep paralysis episodes for years. The earliest one that I can remember being when I was 8 or so. I was actually sleeping with 2 other relatives in a bed and woke up paralyzed and scared seeing a figure in the window in the room, and it seemed like it was clawing on the window.
How To Get Rid Of Sleep Paralysis
A good start to treatment is to speak with your doctor about your episodes. For many people, it is a big help simply to hear that sleep paralysis is relatively common and nothing to be ashamed about. Your doctor can also check for any underlying sleep problems, such as narcolepsy or sleep apnea.
Often the most effective way to help with sleep paralysis is by maintaining good sleep quality. Self-care goes a long way improving daily sleep habits usually does the trick.
- Avoid sleeping on your back. Research shows that sleeping on the back can be linked to increased risk of sleep paralysis. Bulk up some pillow behind your back if youre prone to tipping over to your back while sleeping on your side.
- Keep bedtime at a consistency. Go to bed at the same time each night. While youre at it, try and keep a morning wake-up schedule as well. One that looks the same on both weekends and weekdays will do you the best. This way your body gets used to it and your natural built-in body clock will do most of the work for you.
- Avoid napping. This can help you keep to a consistent sleep schedule.
- Eliminate distractions in the bedroom. Dont watch TV in the bedroom and dont browse the web in bed. Keep soft lighting and try and block out loud noises.
- Experiment to see how sensitive you are to caffeine and make adjustments accordingly.
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Sleep Paralysis: The Story Of Being Awake But Unable To Move
It is a very frightening story that many of you have experienced: You awaken in the morning, but are unable to move your body. This is the story and description of Sleep Paralysis.
Sleep paralysis is a sleep/wake phenomenon that most people experience in their lifetime. Usually it occurs in the morning, upon awakening. However, it can happen during other transitions between wake and sleep. In most cases, it is a normal finding. For some, though, it is a symptom of the sleep disorder, narcolepsy.
Often the sensation can be accompanied by intense fright and fear because the individual feels completely paralyzed during sleep. The experience is usually short-lived lasting only a few seconds.
When Does Sleep Paralysis Occur
These events often occur when a person is either falling asleep or awakening from sleep. If it occurs when going to sleep, the person will remain alert while the body prepares for REM sleep. This condition is known as predormital or hypnagogic sleep paralysis. If it occurs when the person is waking up, the person becomes alert prior to the REM cycle being completed. This condition is known as post-dormital or hypnopompic paralysis. The events can last anywhere from a few seconds to a few minutes, with rare cases lasting for hours, where the person could well experience panic symptoms.3
Sleep Paralysis Is Not Complete Paralysis
Due to the correlation of the paralysis with REM sleep, this type of atonia is not complete. The use of EOG traces clearly show that eye movement is still possible during these episodes however, the person who is experiencing the events is not able to speak.
Types of Visions Associated with Sleep Hallucinations
The three main types of visions that have been linked to pathologic neurophysiology are:
- Vestibular motor sensations,
- The incubus, and
- Believing theres an intruder in the room.
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More Scary Sleep Disorders
Sleepwalking
What It Is: This is probably one of the most well-known of the parasomnias and, as the name suggests, it is characterized by the individual getting up and walking around while in deep sleep. Sleepwalking can be dangerous to you and to others. It most commonly occurs in children.
How to Treat It: Like other parasomnias, safety risks can be reduced to the sleepwalker by making the bedroom safe. Shutting doors or putting gates at stairways might be needed. In some cases, medical evaluation and medication is necessary to control sleepwalking.
Sleep Paralysis: The Causes And How To Deal With It
Last reviewed: Medically reviewed
All of Healthily’s articles undergo medical safety checks to verify that the information is medically safe. View more details in our safety page, or read our editorial policy.
Sleep paralysis is when you cant move or speak, but youre fully conscious, and happens when youre waking up or falling asleep.
It can be a strange and frightening experience, so if it happens regularly its important to understand how you can deal with it.
While its not known exactly what causes sleep paralysis, there are lots of things you can try to help prevent it. So read on to discover what these are, and when you might need to see a doctor for help.
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Avoid Checking Your Phone Or Other Screens
Screens from smartphones and other electronics emit blue light that may suppress your bodys melatonin production. Melatonin is a hormone made by the pineal gland in your brain that helps regulate your circadian rhythm and sleep cycles.
While its best to avoid checking your phone at night because of the potential for mental stimulation, there are some ways to reduce your exposure to blue light.
Many devices offer a nightshift mode that changes your screen to a warmer tone. Glasses with amber lenses are also an inexpensive way to block out blue light.
Is Sleep Paralysis Deadly
Many people that experience sleep paralysis worry that it is a deadly condition. The thought of finding themselves dying, hallucinating and unable to move due to sleep paralysis is truly scary! Fortunately, sleep paralysis is not a deadly condition so there is no need to worry about suddenly passing away.
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What Can I Do About Sleep Paralysis
There’s no need to fear nighttime demons or alien abductors. If you have occasional sleep paralysis, you can take steps at home to control this disorder. Start by making sure you get enough sleep. Do what you can to relieve stress in your life — especially just before bedtime. Try new sleeping positions if you sleep on your back. And be sure to see your doctor if sleep paralysis routinely prevents you from getting a good night’s sleep.
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Rule Out Medical Conditions
Due to the fact that the exact causes of sleep paralysis remain unknown, it is important to rule out all potential medical conditions that may be contributing to your episodes. This means checking for neurological conditions, working with a sleep specialist , checking hormones, vitamin/micronutrient deficiencies, etc. If you want to make sure youre not missing something obvious, check with your doctor, explain whats going on, and determine whether something medical may be the cause.
In addition to ruling out medical conditions, it may be important to rule out exposure to toxins. Unfortunately, most people dont even think to consider things like: toxic mold, heavy metal exposure, or pesticide exposure for potentially causing sleep paralysis and other abnormalities. One thing that has been linked to sleep disorders, particularly crazy dreams is that of mold exposure.
Should you have a medical condition and/or were exposed to environmental toxins, youll want to get them properly treated. In many cases, treating the underlying condition will improve your sleep quality and stop sleep paralysis.
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Symptoms Of Sleep Paralysis
An estimated 8% of people experience sleep paralysis at some point in their life. Episodes typically occur while falling asleep or waking up, and last from a few seconds to as long as 20 minutes but usually around six to seven minutes.
This under-researched condition involves a mixed state of consciousness combining both wakefulness and the rapid eye movement stage of the sleep cycle. This means that the mental imagery of REM sleep and atonia carries on even while we feel awake.
In addition to paralysis, other common symptoms are anxiety and hallucinations. Being aware of this loss of muscle control can be frightening, especially when combined with hallucinations. In fact, 75% of sleep paralysis episodes include hallucinations. They can involve a perception of an intruder or dangerous presence in the room often combined with a sense of suffocation or a feeling of flying or out of body sensation.
What Are Sleep Paralysis Hallucinations And How Do They Differ
The researchers found that certain sleep paralysis experiences and/or hallucinations differed from others based on specific patterns. They found that hallucinatory experiences as a result of sleep paralysis could be characterized in one of three groups: Intruder, Incubus, or Unusual Bodily Experiences.
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How To Induce Sleep Paralysis
This article was co-authored by Alex Dimitriu, MD. Alex Dimitriu, MD is the Owner of Menlo Park Psychiatry and Sleep Medicine, a clinic based in the San Francisco Bay Area with expertise in psychiatry, sleep, and transformational therapy. Alex earned his Doctor of Medicine from Stony Brook University in 2005 and graduated from the Stanford University School of Medicine’s Sleep Medicine Residency Program in 2010. Professionally, Alex has dual board certification in psychiatry and sleep medicine.There are 15 references cited in this article, which can be found at the bottom of the page.wikiHow marks an article as reader-approved once it receives enough positive feedback. In this case, 81% of readers who voted found the article helpful, earning it our reader-approved status. This article has been viewed 603,260 times.
Sleep paralysis is a feeling of being conscious but unable to move. It occurs when your body is not moving smoothly through the different stages of sleep and can involve hallucinations. Sleep paralysis can be an upsetting and frightening experience, so think twice about attempting to induce it often, or at all.XResearch source
Frightening Sleep Paralysis And Scared To Go To Sleep
Phuture1984
Hi I’m a 31 year old male and the last few nights I have found truly terrifying. I have suffered with insomnia since my teenage years and suffered with panic attacks and anxiety since my mid 20’s. I had a few bouts of sleep paralysis a few years ago but when i spoke to my doctor about it they almost looked as if i was speaking crazy talk to them, so i shrugged it off and just carried on as normal. But in hindsight these episodes of SP were completely insignificant compared to what i have experienced in the last few weeks.The first recent one was pretty scary< i was dreaming away as normal, nothing frightening just normal nonsensical dreaming when suddenly it felt like a car was dropped on my chest, feeling like im suffocating while a high voltage current was being passed through my head. it didn’t just feel like a sensation it was really painful. i was trying to move but couldnt i was completely paralysed and fully aware of not being able to move. during experiencing all this , i’m looking down at my own body watching myself struggling trying to scream for help. i felt fully aware and awake during this. i dont know how long this went on for but i eventually managed to break out of it. i felt very disturbed by this but went and got a glass of water and tried to go back to sleep. just as i was falling back to sleep i felt the paralysis grip me again, accompanied by the electrocution feeling in my head and also some very disturbing buzzing/ grinding sounds.
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How People Describe Them
What is this demon that leaves you trapped in your body, unable to move or scream? It depends who you ask.
For some its a faceless, shapeless presence trying to suffocate them. Others describe it as a creepy old hag with claws. Some see an alien and experience what they believe is a full alien abduction. And for others, the demons look like a dead relative.
Different cultures have different explanations for sleep paralysis demons.
Canadian Inuit attribute the sleep paralysis to spells of shamans. Japanese folklore says its a vengeful spirit that suffocates its enemies in their sleep.
In Brazilian folklore, the demon has a name Pisadeira, which is Portuguese for she who steps. Shes a crone with long fingernails who lurks on rooftops in the night, then walks on the chest of people who sleep belly up on a full stomach.
Theories Of Sleep Paralysis
Many scientists believe that sleep paralysis occurs because of cross-over between different sleep stages. Specifically, there is a transition that occurs between REM sleep and wake.
It has been theorized that we evolved to be paralyzed during dream sleep in order to protect ourselves and the ones near us from bodily harm. This makes sense as we would not want to thrash and kick while sleeping.
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