Sleep Paralysis is ruining my life...or so it seems.

**collegegirl2010** · 02-11-2011 11:07 AM

I've gotten sleep paralysis twice in the past couple years. Both times I was fully awake and aware, couldn't move or talk, and I could sense a presence in the room. Though I could sense something in the room, I never hear/see anything. Just last night, I didn't get sleep paralysis, but I had a dream about it. I dream that my tv turned on by itself, and I tried to move but could, then when I could move I tried to turn on my light next to my bed but it wouldn't come on. Then I woke out my dream, realizing it was only a dream then I sleep the rest of the night with my light on. A year ago I sleep every night with the light on because this tramitized me so bad. And when my sister moved in I start leaving the light off, But now she's moved out and I'm scared like crazy again. Usually when I get sleep paralysis I go to bed early so I can get enough sleep, but still don't get the sleep I need. Usually when I lay down to sleep, I am tired but I find it hard to fall asleep. I usually either wake up in the middle of the night(several times, if not once), or I don't really fall into a deep sleep. When I say I don't fall into a deep sleep I mean I am asleep, but at the same time if something where to happen I am usually aware. It's almost like I'm asleep but awake in the same time. Usually I'm always tired in the morning, sometimes I'm not and I'm really alert, but most of the time I'm really tired. Though I've only experienced sleep paralysis twice, many nights I've had dreams that I was actually going through it. It seems weird because in every single dream each one is different and it seems so realistic. Then I wake up and realize its only a dream. This really scares me. I don't know what to do...should I talk to my doctor about this?

**WildChild** · 02-11-2011 11:11 AM

Do you keep a dream journal? You should. Write it down.
Try telling yourself what you want to dream about before you sleep. Directed dreaming can be very effective.

**collegegirl2010** · 02-11-2011 11:18 AM

Originally Posted by WildChild

Do you keep a dream journal? You should. Write it down.
Try telling yourself what you want to dream about before you sleep. Directed dreaming can be very effective.

Thanks, that's a great idea!

**WildChild** · 02-11-2011 11:28 AM

Own it my lady!
When I remember to use directed dreaming it really works. I'll give my sub conscious something to work on and most of the time in the morning, what I need just comes to me.

Or you can detail it. I'm going to dream about having a perfect day. Fill in some of what that would include.

If you wake up in fear or with a bad dream, don't fight it. Solve it. Become a super hero woman and consciously kick the bad guys in the A. Empower yourself for your dream. You find just what your clever self needs to get out of the situation safely. If you dream someone breaks in and is threatening you, then create a solution, you bean them with a lamp and knock them out cold, they don't know their way around ing the dark and you do, you shove something in front of them and they fall and you get away.
Sometimes your mind is exploring things. Solve it, be capable of taking care of yourself and it will find something else to work on.

**collegegirl2010** · 02-11-2011 11:32 AM

Originally Posted by WildChild

Own it my lady!
When I remember to use directed dreaming it really works. I'll give my sub conscious something to work on and most of the time in the morning, what I need just comes to me.

Or you can detail it. I'm going to dream about having a perfect day. Fill in some of what that would include.

If you wake up in fear or with a bad dream, don't fight it. Solve it. Become a super hero woman and consciously kick the bad guys in the A. Empower yourself for your dream. You find just what your clever self needs to get out of the situation safely. If you dream someone breaks in and is threatening you, then create a solution, you bean them with a lamp and knock them out cold, they don't know their way around ing the dark and you do, you shove something in front of them and they fall and you get away.
Sometimes your mind is exploring things. Solve it, be capable of taking care of yourself and it will find something else to work on.

I kind of do this sometimes, when I have a bad dream and wake up out of it with not ending, I complete it with a happy ending. This does help relieve me sometimes

**WildChild** · 02-11-2011 12:00 PM

A happy ending can be good but may not meet your mind's need to know you can protect yourself.

I've had some ugly stuff happen in my life and I have a habit, its not even always concious, when I enter a new space I have to find all the ways out. It may take just a few seconds but I will scan and know where the doors and windows as well as other possible outs or places of concealment are. How I feel about the situation, number and type of people and why I am there, will either subtly or overtly affect where I feel comfortable in the space. Sometimes I just have to be close to an exit or if seated in rows, at the end of the row, other times I'm fine in the middle. The same thing applies to dream situations, if I can be proactive in them, no more nightmare. Because of some of the things I've been through, in my dream/conscious dream action, I don't just disable threats, I permanently end them. I rarely have "bad" dreams. If I do, I know that something is threatening or bothering me and I try to pin point it.

Not to scare you but at one point nightmares turned out to be because of a stalker who was watching me as I slept and talking about what he wanted to do to me. Once I came face to face with the man, whom I'd never seen before, and heard his voice, I recognized it. I had heard him in my sleep. I knew what he was. It took 4 moves and finally going out of state to get free of my stalker. It was my dreams that added emphasis to what the police told me I needed to do, because my sleeping mind had heard this man talking of torturing me, my conscious mind hadn't. Sometimes dreams are just you mind sifting through stuff but other times they are serious efforts to process or resolve something. You have to learn to tell the difference. A dream journal can help with that.

**collegegirl2010** · 02-11-2011 04:11 PM

Originally Posted by WildChild

A happy ending can be good but may not meet your mind's need to know you can protect yourself.

I've had some ugly stuff happen in my life and I have a habit, its not even always concious, when I enter a new space I have to find all the ways out. It may take just a few seconds but I will scan and know where the doors and windows as well as other possible outs or places of concealment are. How I feel about the situation, number and type of people and why I am there, will either subtly or overtly affect where I feel comfortable in the space. Sometimes I just have to be close to an exit or if seated in rows, at the end of the row, other times I'm fine in the middle. The same thing applies to dream situations, if I can be proactive in them, no more nightmare. Because of some of the things I've been through, in my dream/conscious dream action, I don't just disable threats, I permanently end them. I rarely have "bad" dreams. If I do, I know that something is threatening or bothering me and I try to pin point it.

Not to scare you but at one point nightmares turned out to be because of a stalker who was watching me as I slept and talking about what he wanted to do to me. Once I came face to face with the man, whom I'd never seen before, and heard his voice, I recognized it. I had heard him in my sleep. I knew what he was. It took 4 moves and finally going out of state to get free of my stalker. It was my dreams that added emphasis to what the police told me I needed to do, because my sleeping mind had heard this man talking of torturing me, my conscious mind hadn't. Sometimes dreams are just you mind sifting through stuff but other times they are serious efforts to process or resolve something. You have to learn to tell the difference. A dream journal can help with that.

Thanks, and I'm going to talk to my doctor about this next time I see her.