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.

My Sleep Paralysis - Panic and Trouble Breathing Before Learning To Relax

by Matt
(N.Ireland)

I get Sleep Paralysis from time to time. In most cases, for some reason I get it when I'm trying to go to sleep when I'm not tired. I have experienced it at bedtime too though of course.


When I first started to experience Sleep Paralysis I was very scared & thought I was going to die. This was due to the trouble you get when breathing and I thought I was going to stop breathing. Which I think is down to panic during the paralysis from experience. And I really did fight to move my arms or legs and couldn't.

Fortunately I've had no weird visions and I think I have managed to open my eyes during paralysis for a few seconds. I am slowly getting used to it now and when I do experience it I have trained myself to not panic in the situation.

As I don't panic as much now during paralysis I find it is easier to breath and even though I can't move I think to myself don't worry you will snap out of this soon and in turn it seems to make the paralysis trips a lot shorter than what they were.

So anyone else who gets it next time it happens try to relax; although it is easier said than done but for me it has worked to a certain extent.

Comments for My Sleep Paralysis - Panic and Trouble Breathing Before Learning To Relax

Click here to add your own comments

Oct 28, 2010
 Freaky Stuff
by: Anonymous

It seems every time I am about to fall asleep I get sleep paralysis. Sometimes it is induced by me thinking of scary things (even if it does sound childish). It is hard to explain but it goes a little like this. When I close my eyes and I am about to doze off, inside my head it starts blinking black and white followed by a difficulty to breathe. I do manage to get my eyes open but I often see strange things, so I try to keep them closed. It seems the only way I can snap myself out of this "transe" is by twitching my head. I know this sounds insane (believe my I KNOW) but I would really like to find out what's going on! Please help!
Aug 03, 2011
 suffocating and paralysis sensation
by: k

omg..I have had this since i was a young girl. i am now 40..the only person i would share this with was my mother as i was too embarassed to go to a Doctor. She was supportive and admitted she had experienced this on a couple of occasions. I on the other hand have it a few times a week. i feel i am suffocating and cant move my body..i feel paralyzed...with extreme effort i eventually move my head and breathe..but it is frightening. I worry some night i will actually suffocate. k
Sep 27, 2014
 rata NEW
by: goru

I would too comparable to adjoin that if you perform not in fact have an insurance policy before you perform not participate in some grouping assurance, you could perhaps thriving obtain benefit of seeking help commencing a health insurance agent. Self-employed before those with medicinal circumstances frequently get the avoid of some wellbeing insurance brokerage. Recognition for your send. android aplikasi
Apr 22, 2016
 My sleep disorder NEW
by: Anonymous

I've been doing a lot of research and couldn't find any diagnosis related to my sleep disorder. I started experiencing it when I was 10 Years old, I'm 30 now. There are 3 main reasons i experience this: when I take a nap late in the afternoon, too much sleep or disrupted sleep. Usually it started with a paralysis and then difficulty of breathing (something is blocking my throat). I always try to relax but the longer it takes the more I struggle to breath. I move my toes to help me wake up, even though my mind is already awake. When I am able to recover, the cycle continues unless I will force myself to stand, walk a little and drink water. Usually when I recover I feel very tired and it gives me headache due to forcing my body to wake and struggling to breath. It gets worst when I moved her in the US, may be due to my change in sleeping pattern because I usually I sleep between 12am to 3am. I thought it was dur to poor circulation, but even if I exercise I still continue to experience it. It's really scary and I know I needed help. It's like sleep paralysis, but i know that it's more than that.
Jan 30, 2017
 Creepy faces NEW
by: Anonymous

I do experience sleep paralysis from time to time. however I found out a way that could make it rare to happen. the way is simply is to never sleep on your back side. I don't know exactly why but it seems a common advise everywhere.

sleep paralysis itself can be handled but to me the scariest part which I always experience is the flashes I visual afterwards. creepy faces and weird patterns. this is unexplainable.
Nov 03, 2017
 sleeping on my back does make it worse NEW
by: Anonymous

I have had this as long as I can remember (I'm now almost 50) and I am usually unable to breathe when it happens. The longest and worst episodes of being frozen and unable to breathe have definitely been when I was sleeping on my back.
Nov 30, 2020
 Bright Lights, Paralysis, Suffocation NEW
by: Hannah

I find that whenever I try to take a nap during the day or in a place with harsh lighting I experience sleep paralysis. I can breathe or move and I just sit there trying to move my body. It's almost like I have to push to get everything to work again. It's so strange and I should probably see a doctor.

Click here to add your own comments

Join in and write your own page! It's easy to do. How? Simply click here to return to Sleep Paralysis Stories.



Enjoy this page? Please help us pay it forward to others who would find it valuable by Liking, Sharing, Tweeting, Stumbling, and/or Voting below.

About This Site

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.

In fact, we challenge you to do so! What do you say, are you up for the challenge?

A Note On Visitor-Submitted Questions:

Publishing sleep stories and questions from our visitors is meant to create a forum for open and proactive dialogue about an extremely important portion of our lives (one that occupies 1/3 of it and affects the other 2/3) that isn't talked about enough. It is not meant to substitute a trip to the doctor or the advice of a specialist. It's good to talk; it is not good to avoid consulting someone who's profession it is to help you with this kind of stuff.

If you are in any way concerned about your sleep health, don't wait for an answer on here, and don't necessarily rely on them. See a sleep specialist in your area as soon as possible.

More Questions:

Ask | Answer

The Stanford Sleep Book

Stanford Sleep Book Picture

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.

Preface | Intro | Contents | Get A Copy

More Sleep Resources

The Zeo

Track Your Own Sleep With 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

Sleep Paralysis Treatment Book

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.

Important Disclaimer

Please Note:

The information found on this page and throughout this site is intended for general information purposes only. While it may prove useful and empowering, it is NOT intended as a substitute for the expertise and judgments of healthcare practitioners.

For more info, see our
Terms of Use.