Sleep paralysis has long been associated with demons and evil creatures terrifying humans while they try to sleep. Some stories from ancient history even go so far as to speak of alien abduction.
Sleep paralysis is neither harmful nor dangerous; it is simply a feeling of not being able to move while transitioning from being awake to sleeping or vice versa.
Your mind is awake but your body has yet to catch up and your muscles just won’t move (and interestingly enough - many people think this is a great time to venture into the astral plane). Some people report the feeling of pressure or that of being choked, which explains the ancient myth of demons hovering over our sleeping bodies.
Other symptoms include:
- A feeling of helplessness.
- Fear.
- A presence in the room.
- Some may have hallucinations.
- Breathlessness.
If you’ve ever experienced any of these symptoms, chances are you’ve had sleep paralysis. It’s reported that 6 out of 10 people have had some sort of sleep paralysis, so it’s more common than we realize.
What most people don’t realize is that there are ways to control and/or overcome it. Many factors contribute to sleep paralysis and if you can learn how to manage them, and your lifestyle, you can get your sleep paralysis under control.
Here are 6 Ways to Help You Manage Sleep Paralysis.
1. Sleeping position.
Studies have shown that sleep paralysis happens more often to people that sleep on their backs.
We all have our favourite sleeping positions but the worst one for you is on your stomach and the best one is on your side with a pillow between your legs.
I was a stomach sleeper for the longest time until I read a report on how bad it is for you. It took me some time, but I finally managed to get off my stomach and sleep on my side now.
If you are a back sleeper, try your side. Slowly ease yourself into it. It will take some time, but you’ll notice the difference.
2. Stress level.
That’s pretty much a no brainer as we all know that high levels of stress in our life can’t be good for anything.
Look at ways to reducing your stress. Maybe you need to delegate more errands or duties to someone else or maybe you need to learn to not worry too much about things that you have no control over.
Whatever the case may be, you need to reduce the stress in your life, period.
Perhaps now would be a good time to practice the art of meditation. When you can do that, your overall health will improve and your sleep paralysis incidents will reduce significantly.
3. Sleep schedule.
It’s no secret that when we don’t maintain a regular sleep schedule, we don’t function properly.
Irregular sleep patterns can also wreak havoc on us while we’re sleeping, or trying to, increasing frequencies of sleep paralysis, lucid dreaming, nightmares just to name a couple.
Try to set a regular schedule. Get to bed at the same time every night and wake up the same time every morning.
4. Eat healthy.
A good daily diet not only benefits our bodies and minds but also our sleep behaviour.
Eating 3 slices of a loaded piece of pizza before bed won’t do you any good, trust me on that. If you must eat before bed, always opt for something light like a piece of toast or small handful of almonds or maybe even try a nice warm glass of milk.
Having something heavy before bed is not only linked to serious medical issues but also nightmares and other sleep pattern disorders like sleep paralysis. Learn how to enjoy eating healthy.
5. Cut back on caffeine after dinner.
Depending on what time you normally go to bed, coffee after dinner is not such a great idea. Try switching it up for decaf if you must have coffee.
Caffeine in the evening can certainly play tricks on our bodies and minds at bedtime. This is one of the key contributors to restless leg syndrome among other things.
You can start switching slowly by choosing a half caf coffee and then moving over to 100% decaf.
6. See a doctor.
Most cases don’t require a doctor’s assistance but if you are experiencing frequent bouts of sleep paralysis and it is affecting your daily life then it may be time to see a doctor.
Perhaps there is an underlying cause that is contributing to it and, in certain cases, you may need prescription medication. Oftentimes, these measures turn out to be temporary and only used to gain control or, hopefully, eliminate whatever issue is causing the issue.
7. Enjoy a great night sleep.
Try our meditation album - have a rest, don't worry and enjoy a great nights sleep!
We can see that there are several easy ways to get sleep paralysis under control. Do you suffer from this? How have you tried to overcome it? Share your stories with our readers.
