Sleep Paralysis Misdiagnosed As Sleep Apnea

by Rowena
(NYC)

I've been living with sleep paralysis since I was a little girl. But of course at the time I didn't know what was wrong with me -- all I knew was that at night I couldn't move or call out to my mommy.

In high school, I had 12 back-to-back episodes of sleep paralysis in one night, where I would break from it just to become paralyzed again. The doctor at the time diagnosed me as having "stress-induced sleep apnea" after a home sleep test and an EKG.

I lived with that diagnosis for almost 20 years, but it never sat right with me. I was (and still am!) a young, fit, healthy, quiet sleeper -- completely the opposite of the typical person with sleep apnea. So a few weeks ago, at the urging of my significant other, I went to NYU Sleep Center for another consultation. Within 10 mins, the nice doctor diagnosed me with sleep paralysis. Benign, non-threatening sleep paralysis. I am relieved, happy and no longer freaking out that I would be harmed from lack of breathing at night.

The best way for me to get out of a sleep paralysis episode is to try and make noise to wake up my boyfriend, who will in turn wake me up. It works like a charm every time. In instances when he's away, I find that trying to relax and move my fingers is the best way to cope. I still get sleep paralysis about once a week, but I now see it as just the way my body is, and something that I can live with for the rest of my life.

Thanks for letting me share my story.

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