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The following is a visitor-submitted question or story. For more, you can submit your own sleep story here, or browse the collection of experiences and questions other visitors have shared here.
17 Years Of Sleep Paralysis, And Learning To Cope
by Jo
(Norwich, Norfolk, UK)
Firstly I'd like to say thank you so much for all your stories. They make my own experiences seem somewhat 'normal' and easier to deal with and the feeling of not being alone is comforting.
I have suffered with sleep paralysis since the age of 14, I'm now 31. This usually always occurs in the mornings although I can suffer at night if I'm very tired or stressed and can occur every morning for weeks at times then i can have a clear couple of months which I'm thankful for!
The scenario is always the same with me. I hear a pounding of the stairs and a figure, always in a fluorescent jacket for some reason (my partner wears one for work and we live together so maybe that's something to do with it) enters my room and tries to force itself upon me and touch me inappropriately and sometimes goes as far as to try and have intercourse with me.
I feel frozen, suffocated and if I try to shout or struggle the feeling intensifies and I feel like I can't breathe and I'm going to die. I can safely say its the scariest feeling in the world and can go on for some time in my case.
Luckily for me and hopefully all of you after reading other posts and solutions you can control sleep paralysis. I strongly recommend Ryan Hurd's book "A Dreamers Guide" to anyone suffering, it is an amazing book and he for me is my saviour (Editor's Note: Here is the book, now called "Sleep Paralysis Kit" because it comes with some other resources in addition to the Dreamer's Guide book). Before reading his book I really thought there was no hope and I would be scared to sleep forever.
People have their own methods of escaping from sleep paralysis. Mine is to control my breathing, tell myself this is just sleep paralysis it can't hurt me and scrunch up my face, fingers and toes several times. Sounds weird I know but it usually brings me out of it 99% of the time. Sometimes you just have to roll with it and keep calm and let it run its course. Easier said than done i know but the worst thing to do is panic and try and fight it because it will just intensify the whole experience.
Thank you for reading my post and if it helps just one person cope with what can be a terrifying experience then I'm glad I wrote this. Remember you are not alone and sleep paralysis can be treated.
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Welcome! This site is continuously being created by students of Dr. William C. Dement's Sleep And Dreams course at Stanford University.
We made this site as a call to action for people all over the world to live healthier, happier, safer, and more productive lives by learning about their own sleep. We have faith that reading the information provided on this site will motivate you to be smart about your sleep deprivation and strategic about your alertness in order to live life to your fullest, most energetic potential.
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Interviews With Sleep Specialists: Insights Into the Worlds of Sleep Medicine & Sleep Business
America's Most Dangerous Disorder: What Is Sleep Apnea Doing To Your Sleep?
Sleep Debt: How Much More Will You Achieve When You Reduce Yours?
The Stages Of Sleep: The Journey Through The Night
Delayed Sleep Phase: You Want To Sleep But You're Not Tired Yet
Paralyzed at Night: Is Sleep Paralysis Normal?
Sleep In Words: Smart, Strange, and Funny Quotes About Sleep
Sleep Disorders In Children: What's Keeping Your Child From A Full Night's Rest?
Attacks of Pavor Nocturnus (a.k.a. Sleep Terrors, Night Terrors, or Incubus Attacks)
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More Sleep Resources
The Zeo
A revolution in personal sleep tracking, the Zeo is a wireless headband that transmits your brainwaves in realtime to a dock (pictured here) or your smartphone. The result? You can wake up and see exactly what stages of sleep you were in during the night! Unprecedented personalized sleep knowledge.
Sleep Paralysis: A Dreamer's Guide
Ever woken up paralyzed? A surprising number of us have, believe it or not. But few know the actual causes of this phenomenon, and fewer still how to exert control over it. Dream researcher and sleep paralysis expert Ryan Hurd shares breakthrough insights into how to do just that.
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