30 Years Of Sleep Paralysis

by George
(Allen Park, MI)

Since 1978 I have had about 70 or 80 episodes of sleep paralysis. The first occurred while I was napping at my job. I worked a split shift so I had some free time to take naps, shop, or whatever. I never really sleep very well and this was no exception. Sometime during my nap I felt like I was awake and tried to move but couldn't. I tried to talk but it was useless. I was aware of a co-worker I thought had walked in the room but they denied it when I asked about it later. So that part might have been a dream.

Since then it has come and gone randomly with no known trigger. In the beginning I used to be terrified. As you might expect waking up from such an event is quite a relief.

As I said I have no idea what triggers it. I do have sleep apnea though I don't think I had it when this first occurred. I have a great deal of trouble sleeping and have for several years. If you do have an episode of sleep paralysis the key is not to panic and remind yourself that it will be over soon. Unfortunately it may take a few occurrences to be able to do this. I have never associated sleep paralysis with the alien abduction phenomenon though I have an interest in UFO's. Anyway that's my story.

Kevin's Thoughts

Thanks a lot for sharing your story George. You hit the nail on the head in saying that the key is not to panic during an episode--and the key to being able to do that is experience, like you say, or knowledge of why sleep paralysis occurs and how natural the roots of the causes are. In dealing with sleep paralysis, knowledge is empowering.

Also, it's definitely possible your co-worker is telling the truth. It's tricky with hypnagogic hallucinations differentiating what you perceived to have happened with what actually happened sometimes. I just got a submission from another visitor where the person in the sleep paralysis episode thought she reached for her phone and called her father, only to discover upon coming out of it that her phone was charging on the complete other side of the room.

Thanks again for sharing!

Warmly,
Kevin

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