Sleep paralysis

[EmptyKins]

Has anyone dealt with it or been able to stop it from happening?

I've struggled with it for years. Usually, when it paralyzes me I'm just pinned to the bed, unable to scream or wake up. But recently it's gotten worse. Like early this morning I wasn't just paralyzed, I was being dragged around my room, thrown into the wall by this evil being I can't even describe, and when I would try to wake up I'd be struggling to keep my eyes open and it would happen over and over. It's painful, terrifying, and when I told my Dr she put me on a drug called "prazosin" which is supposed to stop nightmares and dreams completely.

Yet I am still dealing with it on an almost daily basis. Sometimes I'll think I've escaped my bed only to get into the kitchen and be dragged right back into the room as if whatever evil presence in my room was just playing a trick on me. It feels so fucking real and when I use the word "evil" I don't mean anything spiritual or religious it's just a thick, heavy, dark energy that has an extreme hold on me for what seems like hours at a time.

The research I've done on it confirm I'm not the only one who experiences sleep paralysis accompanied by an evil sinister being.

Can anyone relate or know of anyone who has found a way to stop it?

 

[Magnolia]

It can be so scary, sorry you're having such a bad time. :/

What works best for me is holding my breath, eventually that will snap my body out of it. It doesn't always work but it works more often than any other tricks I've tried. Another thing to look into is practicing lucid dreaming. Learning how to take control of my dreams have turned sleep paralysis into a positive thing as it's extremely easy to slip into a lucid dream from SP! Hope those things help because fuuuuuuuuck scary SP nightmares.

 

[EmptyKins]

It can be so scary, sorry you're having such a bad time. :/

What works best for me is holding my breath, eventually that will snap my body out of it. It doesn't always work but it works more often than any other tricks I've tried. Another thing to look into is practicing lucid dreaming. Learning how to take control of my dreams have turned sleep paralysis into a positive thing as it's extremely easy to slip into a lucid dream from SP! Hope those things help because fuuuuuuuuck scary SP nightmares.

Oh thank you thank you I'm going to try that. Just got stuck in a power nap and hours went by just pure torture so it's not just at night or in the morning. This gives me hope thank you!

 

[KylieJacobs]

Have you considered smudging your home with sage?

 

[Chojin]

Has anyone dealt with it or been able to stop it from happening?

I've struggled with it for years. Usually, when it paralyzes me I'm just pinned to the bed, unable to scream or wake up. But recently it's gotten worse. Like early this morning I wasn't just paralyzed, I was being dragged around my room, thrown into the wall by this evil being I can't even describe, and when I would try to wake up I'd be struggling to keep my eyes open and it would happen over and over. It's painful, terrifying, and when I told my Dr she put me on a drug called "prazosin" which is supposed to stop nightmares and dreams completely.

Yet I am still dealing with it on an almost daily basis. Sometimes I'll think I've escaped my bed only to get into the kitchen and be dragged right back into the room as if whatever evil presence in my room was just playing a trick on me. It feels so fucking real and when I use the word "evil" I don't mean anything spiritual or religious it's just a thick, heavy, dark energy that has an extreme hold on me for what seems like hours at a time.

The research I've done on it confirm I'm not the only one who experiences sleep paralysis accompanied by an evil sinister being.

Can anyone relate or know of anyone who has found a way to stop it?

I used to get it around every two months and experienced exactly what you did. Dragged around the room. The black force/entity that literally was sucking the life out of you and preventing you from breathing when it was on top. Everyone experiences the same. I saw a documentary on it and apparently, even some children living in remote parts of Africa reported the same thing to the letter. The last time I got it was last year. I get a huge buzz/rush out of it as an adult now as I eventually realise (during the state) that it's sleep paralysis and I can't be harmed. The best way for me to describe it is heavy poltergeist activity. I'm 100% atheist and don't believe in ghosts. I can't explain why everyone is seeing the same worldwide. I'll never be able to explain that. To me it's like the ultimate VR horror experience.

Now that I want it, it's stopped.

 

[EmptyKins]

Have you considered smudging your home with sage?

A long time ago in one of my first rehab centers I was trying to explain to the techs how every night I was being "haunted" and they had a local lady come in and sage the whole place it was amazing and it worked for a lot of us.

 

[EmptyKins]

I used to get it around every two months and experienced exactly what you did. Dragged around the room. The black force/entity that literally was sucking the life out of you and preventing you from breathing when it was on top. Everyone experiences the same. I saw a documentary on it and apparently, even some children living in remote parts of Africa reported the same thing to the letter. The last time I got it was last year. I get a huge buzz/rush out of it as an adult now as I eventually realise (during the state) that it's sleep paralysis and I can't be harmed. The best way for me to describe it is heavy poltergeist activity. I'm 100% atheist and don't believe in ghosts. I can't explain why everyone is seeing the same worldwide. I'll never be able to explain that. To me it's like the ultimate VR horror experience.

Now that I want it, it's stopped.

Actually yesterday morning it had happened over and over with this huge man on top of me laughing and unbuckling his belt which freaked me out because it's usually faceless or brief flashes of faces that I've never seen.

I was struggling to stay awake to escape it(hadn't yet read magnolias super helpful idea, which worked this morning btw thank you bb!!) and decided if he came again I was going to laugh.

So I fell back in, was whipped across the room, then dragged onto my back and looking up at him from the floor. He started his routine scare stuff and I literally belly laughed at him! Even going so far as to yell in my brain something like "you are pathetic is this all you got!?"

Needless to say he let me go and either stopped showing his face or sent in the B team to drag me around a little more then it stopped.

Such an interesting phenomena im definitely going to look for that documentary!

 

[KylieJacobs]

A long time ago in one of my first rehab centers I was trying to explain to the techs how every night I was being "haunted" and they had a local lady come in and sage the whole place it was amazing and it worked for a lot of us.

If that helped you, it's something that you can buy online or in new age type stores. I sage my house myself about once a month, or especially when I start having dreams about ghosts. It helps me a lot, and even seems to make my cats happier and more playful.

 

[Lunasha]

Wow, that's definitely not nice at all (quite scary even!) I'm glad someone already suggested smudging with sage. In fact many things can help, some stones like clear quartz and black tourmaline for example. I know that not everyone believes in the concept of bad/positive energies and the use of 'esoteric' or 'spiritual' stuff but there's nothing to lose! I hope you'll be able to solve your problem soon!

 

[Miss_Pixie]

This happens to me every night... But there's medical reasons behind it. My breathing system is not the best since I was little, My tongue is too big for my narrow mouth/throat and if I happen to sleep on my back sometimes the muscles get too relaxed and choke me. I've tried different things but it continues to happen. And I really hate the feeling when I'm suddenly concious but I can't move and I cannot do anything... I've found out that if I sleep wiht my robe and it gets tangled on the bed or something and I cannot move, it makes it worse, so I make sure I don't get tangle neither... I used a special mouthpiece for people who snores and that helped a bit... but what helps the best is sleeping on my side and make sure my neck is in a possition so my tongue doesn't get on the way... you might want to try that... I also believe something supernatural is going on but it's been too many years that I don't care anymore. I would suggest that everytime that happens learn not to panic... I've noticed that it's easier to gain control over my body again if I don't panic, lately mostly i just get really pissed than scared because it's too annoying... I have a cpap machine too but it doesn't work for me, has too many side effects.

I was on other drugs for "hallucinations" that seem to diminish these episodes which was called risperidone, seroquel, lamictal... but I stop taking them because I don't like pills and I want to be all natural if possible... They helped thou... And I am not crazy and you're not but sometimes these pills can help to deal with the "supernatural".

Hope you recover soon!

 

[Ann_Sulu]

I've had sleep paralysis since I was about 2. The thing I figured out is I only get it when I'm not sleeping on my stomach. Might try a different sleeping position.

 

[Deleted member 45270]

That sounds awful, OP!

I have some rare occurrences of sleep paralysis, usually with hallucinations of somebody else being in the room with me and talking at me/to themselves, their silhouette just barely out of sight. On the contrary to what you said, closing my eyes is the only way I can get out of it and take control in a lucid dream elsewhere in my mind, so it has a positive ending for me.

This might sound weird but have you tried moving your bed to a different position in your room? Sleep on the opposite end of the bed? Change your sleeping pattern overall (go to bed much earlier/much later)?

The majority of my false awakenings and lucid dreams have happened in a certain section of my room, during daytime/afternoon sleep, while sleep paralysis only ever happens in another and mostly during night time. I can't explain why this is, it's bizarre. But if this is happening to you daily, and meds aren't working, maybe it's something worth considering.

 

[melanieoncam]

I had this as a child and teen very severely. I legit thought I was being attacked by a demon every night and my heart would pound so hard it would shake my bed. I was terrified and thought I was posessed. (I grew up in a very poor part of appalachia where there are a lot of superstitions, religious mania, old wive's tales taken as fact). On reading and researching further as an adult it's a physical problem, not a demon, not anything supernatural.

Usually happens more when under stress and sleep cycles get disturbed. The reason you are paralyzed is that you are having a partial awakening during a phase of sleep where you would normally be paralyzed (and be thankful that your paralysis mechanism works during sleep or you'd be like my cousin who was almost killed sleepwalking). It keeps you from acting out your dreams physically.

Once I started eating more healthy and made sleep a priority (blackout shades, eye masks, comfortable bedroom, spending money on a good quality mattress, being sure there was fresh air in my bedroom, comfy covers), it all resolved and hasn't happened to me now in years.

 

[DFT]

It's interesting two reported having it while sleeping on your back. This is also the case for me when sleeping in the recliner. Never could sleep on my back in bed, but the chair, sure. Usually with my arms up over my head in that crossed box men like. For me it's a struggle in a dream, nothing so traumatic, just in a fight with some other guy or an alien invader where I can't move my arms, they feel so weak, and trying harder just locks them more firmly. The release for me is to relax and jerk - that breaks it. (also why do we jerk as we fall asleep, might be related)

Apnoea while napping in the chair used to be rare, now it's a constant problem. Sleep paralysis was and still rare, but just had it last week as I woke up gasping. I wonder if they're connected; sure tracks that way.

 

[ryannnnnn]

As someone who suffered from sleep paralysis since I was a kid it seemed to have just "gone away" in my early twenties. The last time it happened was a few days before I was going to make a life changing decision. I took it more as a sign, but it was still a trippy experience. There was a group of people chanting around my bed with candles lit. It wasn't a good chant, definitely on the dark evil side as the OP was referring too. I woke up, managed to get control of my body, drove to my mom's house while still hearing the chanting, never quite went back to sleep to have a transition period, all day I was tripped out. I later discovered that it may have been a side-effect to wearing a nicotine patch throughout the night. The strangest thing is it never happened to me again and this was 10 years ago. They were a big part of my life and just "went away".

 

[Lunasha]

As someone who suffered from sleep paralysis since I was a kid it seemed to have just "gone away" in my early twenties. The last time it happened was a few days before I was going to make a life changing decision. I took it more as a sign, but it was still a trippy experience. There was a group of people chanting around my bed with candles lit. It wasn't a good chant, definitely on the dark evil side as the OP was referring too. I woke up, managed to get control of my body, drove to my mom's house while still hearing the chanting, never quite went back to sleep to have a transition period, all day I was tripped out. I later discovered that it may have been a side-effect to wearing a nicotine patch throughout the night. The strangest thing is it never happened to me again and this was 10 years ago. They were a big part of my life and just "went away".

Nicotine patches can be nasty!!! I know someone who tried them in an attempt to quit smoking but it was a bad idea...he was having really creepy and vivid nightmares every night. From what I know, it never went as far as having sleep paralysis / nocturnal panic attacks, but I guess it goes with how prone you are to these things.

 

[Dan Epstein]

I think everyone, has experienced a sleep paralysis at least once in childhood. I know I did, and it can be very scary, as an adult as well.
We should remember however, that sleep paralysis is designed to protect us from sleep walking and hurting ourselves, just in deeper stages of our sleep. In a semi-wake sleep paralysis, when you are unable to move, your sensory perception is not entirely alert, which can add some imagery and hallucination to the mix. A nightmare panic attack will sometimes mean that your sleep paralysis doesn't work, which can make it physically different, because the fight or flight mechanism, wins over the sleep paralysis
Breathing disorders that prevent you from going into deep sleep like sleep apnoea, are a different issue, they are more torture oriented if you ask me.

Milk and cookies anyone?

 

[DFT]

Nicotine patches can be nasty!!!

Indeed. I'll never touch one again unless I want some inspiration for a sci-fi book and a cabin 30 miles from anyone to write it in.

Milk and cookies anyone?

Scotch and beef for me if you please.

 

[Lunasha]

A nightmare panic attack will sometimes mean that your sleep paralysis doesn't work, which can make it physically different, because the fight or flight mechanism, wins over the sleep paralysis

Mmh that's interesting! My fiancee sometimes has nightmare panic attacks and it can get quite intense. I can see how one could easily get to hurt themselves or others in the process. But sleep paralysis sounds so terrible, I dunno what's worse!

 

[Dan Epstein]

Mmh that's interesting! My fiancee sometimes has nightmare panic attacks and it can get quite intense. I can see how one could easily get to hurt themselves or others in the process. But sleep paralysis sounds so terrible, I dunno what's worse!

Most people have sleep walked at least once as a toddler or a kid. I once had a sleep paralysis during an extremely funny dream, and when I woke up I couldn't stop laughing. Sleep is a funny , amazing, scary, and a less charted territory we all go through each day. We should create a sleeping thread!

 

[EmptyKins]

Milk and cookies anyone?

Animal crackers and Ambien?