I just woke up from a sleep paralysis episode. I was dreaming that I was passed out and sinking to the bottom of a very deep pool. I was so far down that the only light I could see was the ones at the bottom of the pool.
I could feel air bubbles coming from the filter system on my face. I told myself to kick but I couldn’t move. My hair was going to get caught in that filter. I was so scared I opened my eyes in real life to discover I still couldn’t move.
Then I realized the air bubbles on my face was really just my fan and then I could move again.
I recently started getting weird thoughts of helplessness just before falling asleep. As if I forgot something important and can’t fathom what it was, or I am suddenly unable to do my job, etc. No idea what has prompted these thoughts to occur, but they distress me a great deal, and sleep in general is becoming less restful.
Oh I’m sorry @Andrey. That’s really tough. I usually go on YouTube and play guided sleep meditations and it helps me to calm my restless thoughts. Have you ever tried that? Maybe it’d help you too.
Sleep paralysis is an intense and spine-chilling experience. During a normal hallucination you can use coping techniques and apply logic, during sleep paralysis, you are unable to use those skills being asleep. The best weapon you can get, you already have. That is knowledge of what sleep paralysis is. When it happens it will be frightening, but you’ll gain more control with a few minutes and understand what it is. My first experience was pre-internet search. I felt myself being pulled into my mattress one leg at a time and got to my chest, unable to breathe. Only then I was awake and able to see I was on the mattress not in it. Being young and having no resources my logic said it was aliens. You did a fantastic job dealing with this situation and coming to your senses. Sleep paralysis is strange and we all hope it doesn’t happen again.
It takes some time for me to realize but you’re right. I’m always able to move after I realize what’s happening. Very good advice. Thank you @doctorgirlfriend
It is interesting to see you describe your dreams.
The dreams created are so imaginary, and everything that the brain is constructing during a dream, is lightning fast, like everything connects, it is a story., and everything follows thus. It is so creative.
When I wake up from dreams, I think the psychosis I have is my brain doing it. If it could create a complex dream as such, it could perhaps do the things to me that are happening to me/have happened to me.
Had sleep paralysis almost every night as a teenager… when I have it now, it’s like a reminder to take my meds if I have missed a few days. I don’t have it when I take my meds…
It can be scary… but if you wiggle your toes and fingers and be calm you can come out of it quicker than when you panic during the episode
When I realize what’s happening I often tell myself it is not real… and then I start to calm down… and try to wiggle my toes first… then fingers…
I also do the toe wiggling trick. It works about 10% of the time. 90% of the time I don’t realize I’m in an episode so don’t think to use it. I have to get better at it because every time I use it, it works.
Oh that’s something different ! I usually close my eyes, If I try to fight it the more you fight it it gets stronger. For me the best thing is let it go and fall a sleep back. Without panicking!
for me they stopped naturally.