I see this sleep Paralysis?

Hi Leah,

Yes, this will be sleep paralysis (SP). Welcome to the club!

It affects something like 2-5% of the general population. Some people only experience the paralysis but a lot of us have hallucinations. Mine are tactile (feeling things) and occasionally auditory - running footsteps, doors banging etc. - but I never see anything. My father even used to see unpleasant sights and smell them too! It's strongly hereditary. His mother and two of his siblings had it. However, like all hereditary conditions, it has to start somewhere.

From the tone of your post, it sounds as if you already know quite a lot about the condition and you're not freaked out about it, which is a very good start. Just to reiterate, it's not a medical or a psychiatric illness, just a variation on the normal that many of us live with quite happily. It usually starts in late teens/early 20s and goes on for life, though it generally declines with age.

I expect you've already googled it and discovered that the chemical that's secreted by the brain to keep us paralysed during the dreaming phase of sleep (to stop us acting out our dreams) goes on being secreted in some people for a minute or two after they wake. Because SP always arises from the dreaming phase of sleep (whether you remember a dream or not) the unconscious mind is still very active. This is what accounts for the hallucinations.

I can usually break out of an attack by concentrating hard and trying to move the last joints of my fingers or wiggle the tip of my tongue. Usually, any attempt at vigorous movement, like kicking your legs, doesn't work and may even prolong the attack. But you'll always come out of it spontaneously after a minute or so or even less. You won't come to any harm. I've had this for 50 years now and I'm still OK.

The way most people handle it is to try and identify what triggers attacks then avoid the triggers. This won't stop attacks coming altogether but you can reduce the frequency. The triggers are different for everyone, but there are a few that seem to be more common. Getting too warm when sleeping is one of these. I have to be very careful about sleeping in a cool room under light bedclothes, even in winter. Another one is getting too much sleep. I'm more likely to have an attack when having a lie-in in the morning, or taking an afternoon nap. However, some people find it's the other way round - they're more likely to have an attack if they're not getting enough sleep. Some foods or drinks can trigger attacks in some people. Sleeping too close to electronic devices or electric switching gear can bring on attacks too. Don't forget the brain itself works via self-generated electric currents, so this isn't too surprising. I know it's a big ask for a 17-year-old, but you might want to try switching off your phone etc. at night, or at least not keeping it in your bedroom!

It sounds to me as if you have a very calm, mature attitude to a condition that totally freaks some people out - which makes it worse, of course. Anxiety about having an attack communicates itself to the unconscious mind, which then produces more hallucinations.

You can post again or send me a private message via this site. Just click on the little envelope icon under my avatar. Private messages don't reveal the ID of either party or carry viruses.

When I was young I had this often. I always heard a loud ringing of buzzing along with the paralysis. I conditioned myself to not try and fight it. I would just wait it out. I had no Internet in those days to consult. It was a scary problem but I think what I did was the right answer. For me this passed as I got older.