Sleep paralysis is a disorder that causes physical paralysis while you are falling asleep or waking up and are mentally alert; it is often associated with other symptoms, such as a feeling of suffocation, reduced heart rate, hallucinations, a feeling of diabolical presence in the room or fear, and can often result from other conditions. Fortunately, while it can be a scary experience, it's not dangerous. To deal with it, start improving your sleep quality to reduce the number of episodes; you can also consider what to do when these occur and contact your doctor for possible underlying causes.
Steps
Part 1 of 3: Sleep Better
Step 1. Get enough sleep
An easy way to deal with sleep paralysis is to make sure you get enough rest. Generally speaking, this means sleeping at least six hours a night, but eight is even better; you should make sleep a priority and pay attention to when you feel the need to go to bed.
Step 2. Prepare the room
To sleep as well as possible, you need to make sure that the environment is appropriate and ready for this purpose; for example, a cool room is usually more suitable, and cover yourself with several layers of linen to keep warm as needed. If your surroundings are noisy, you should also consider putting earplugs on.
- Block out as much light as possible; lighting, even that coming from the street, can affect the quality of sleep.
- If you keep tossing and turning in bed, maybe it's time to change your mattress and find a more comfortable one.
Step 3. Set a sleep schedule
By always going to bed at the same time every night and always getting up at the same time every morning the body knows what to expect; you begin to feel more sleepy when it comes to bed time, as well as being more likely to fall asleep easily and rest better. Sleeping better can sometimes reduce sleep paralysis.
It may also be helpful to identify a "sign" to go to bed; find something that will relax you, for example drink a cup of decaffeinated tea or meditate, and do it every night before bed
Step 4. Eliminate the bad habits of the evening routine
While it is important to do certain things before bed to facilitate sleep, it is also useful to avoid others. For example, do not drink alcohol or caffeinated beverages, as they have a negative impact on the quality of rest; also, you shouldn't overeat or smoke just before bed.
Start turning off all electronic devices (such as TV and smartphone) one hour before bedtime, as they compromise your ability to doze off; instead start relaxing and getting ready for sleep
Step 5. Sleep on your side
Sleep paralysis occurs most often when you sleep on your back. By sleeping on your side, you reduce the risk of suffering from this ailment; if you find that you end up sleeping on your back, sew a pocket or tie a sock to the back of your pajamas and insert a tennis ball or two to break this habit.
Step 6. Get regular physical activity
It is not necessary to go to the gym, just follow a low impact exercise regimen every day; for example, a walk in the morning is a great idea. Exercise helps you sleep better, but it is important not to overdo it in the evening, because movement makes you more energetic; you should avoid it for at least the last four hours before going to bed.
Step 7. Don't worry if you can't sleep
If you don't fall asleep right away, you don't have to fret, otherwise you risk staying awake even longer; get up and do something boring for about 20 minutes before trying to sleep again.
If you have any stressful worries, take the time to write it down on paper, such as in a journal, to get it out of your mind
Step 8. Relax
Stress disrupts the normal sleep cycle and greatly increases the chances of suffering from sleep paralysis. Take time each day to reduce anxiety by doing relaxing things, such as meditating, listening to music, doing something creative or playing with your pet.
Also try to eliminate stressors from your life as much as possible; for example, if you find yourself feeling anxious and agitated every time you watch the news on television, stop following it
Part 2 of 3: Managing Sleep Paralysis
Step 1. Focus on body movements
You may find that you are able to move the smallest parts of your body, such as your fingers or tongue. when you are able to do some initial movement, even if reduced, you can notice that the mechanism of paralysis breaks and that you can also move the rest of the muscles.
Step 2. Imagine you are moving
Some people voluntarily induce sleep paralysis to encourage what they believe is an out-of-body experience; consequently, imagining or projecting the movements of the body may be enough to get out of this state.
Step 3. Focus on your breathing to stay calm
Sleep paralysis can be accompanied by panic or terror; some people may feel like someone or something threatening is in the room. When you experience these feelings you have to try to remind yourself that in reality everything is fine; focus on deep breathing, especially if you experience a feeling of heaviness and tightness in your chest.
Step 4. Discuss the problem with your partner or family
Many times you can stop a sleep paralysis episode when you hear a sound or someone touches you; Consequently, let a family member understand that they can help you in case they notice that you are experiencing an episode of sleep paralysis, which can only happen if you are able to open your eyes during the seizure. He can touch or talk to you to try to shake you out of the paralysis.
If you can, open your eyes so that a person nearby can notice it; however, not everyone is capable of doing this
Step 5. Focus on eye movement
Some people manage to open them and look around; if you can, give it a try, trying to quickly look in all sides. These small movements can help some people get out of paralysis.
Part 3 of 3: Contact the Doctor
Step 1. Keep a journal
Write down as many details as possible of the experience, without neglecting the time, the sleep pattern, the position you assume, the emotional / mental state you had before and after the episode and whether this occurred while you were falling asleep or right away. after waking up. This is all useful information, especially if you decide to go to your doctor to analyze the problem.
- Also keep track of any other sleep disorders you suffer from (for example insomnia), the number of times you wake up at night, if you hallucinate as soon as you wake up and / or if you fall asleep frequently during the day.
- Pay attention to some specific factor that can trigger the episode of paralysis; for example, you may find that it occurs more often when you drank alcohol the previous night.
Step 2. Determine if you have narcolepsy
It could be an underlying cause of sleep paralysis. If you have experienced extreme daytime fatigue that accompanies the inability to stay awake, you may be suffering from this disorder, which in turn can lead to sleep paralysis. contact your doctor to evaluate this possibility.
Other symptoms of narcolepsy are hallucinations when you are about to fall asleep or wake up and catalepsy, a sudden muscle weakness often induced by strong emotions. For example, a sudden fat laugh can cause temporary weakening of certain parts of the body
Step 3. Undergo a sleep study
It is performed in a hospital or clinic and basically consists of staying in the facility an entire night, during which you are monitored by a machine that identifies what your sleep-related problems may be. It is one of the tests normally performed to diagnose, for example, narcolepsy.
Step 4. Investigate other possible triggers
You may be suffering from other diseases that cause sleep paralysis; in particular anxiety, depression, post-traumatic stress disorder are all problems that can potentially induce this phenomenon. Sometimes, taking action on these disorders can also help reduce the problem of paralysis, so consider with your doctor the various options available to you.
Step 5. Learn about antidepressants
Your doctor may prescribe this class of drugs to regulate your sleep cycle and thereby reduce episodes of paralysis. Many people with this disorder report fewer "fits" when taking antidepressants.
