Has it ever happened to you that you woke up in the middle of the night but couldn’t move? You wanted to run away because you were scared, but you couldn’t. You saw a shadowy figure hovering in your room, you tried to scream but you couldn’t. Don’t worry, this wasn’t a demon, you are still sane. This is generally called “sleep paralysis”. It is a common sleeping order that is not restricted to people of a certain age. Sleep paralysis is common but how to stop sleep paralysis?

People of any age can experience it and in mild cases, it is nothing to worry about. However, if it is causing anxiety and fear, then you to need to look for ways to reduce it or end it completely.

Sleep paralysis occurs between the transition period between sleeping and waking. Generally, there are split up into three categories:

• Eerie Sounds: In this category of sleep paralysis, a person may hear mysterious sounds, that cause fear inside him. Eerie sounds of doorknobs opening. He may also see a shadow man and presence of some threatening force are common in it.
• Incubus: Feelings of pressure on the chest is frequently experienced in this type of paralysis. Consequently, person finds it very hard to breathe in it. Moreover, a person also feels as a mysterious force is strangling him to death.
• Vestibular-motor: This is very common because you’ll find that every second or third person has experienced it, at least once in life. Moreover, a sense of spinning or falling; sometimes you feel that another body is hovering over yours.

Some people become prone to sleep paralysis because of their lifestyle — eating habits and sleep pattern.

Also read: HOW TO GET RID OF ACNE SCARS OVERNIGHT

Symptoms Of Sleep Paralysis

The main symptom of Sleep Paralysis is being unable to move or talk. Even when you are awake, you feel unable to move or even to blink your eyes. Because of this bizarre experience, you begin to feel scared. And then all sorts of hallucinations take place in your mind. During a sleep paralysis episode, these things may happen to you:

• You find it difficult to breathe because of the invisible pressure on your chest ( Hag Phenomena).
• You can’t move or blink your eyes, despite the fact they are open.
• You have a hallucination that someone or something is in the room. The demon is going to take you with him!
• You feel extremely frightened because of the overall situation.

The length of sleep paralysis episodes vary. Some people experience it for a few minutes. Conversely, in some cases, they are experienced for minutes! You’ll be able to move once it ends and speaks normally afterward. But some people find it hard to forget and go to sleep again. Therefore, if your sleep paralysis episodes are happening frequently, you must do something to stop them.

Causes Of Sleep Paralysis

So now, when we have discussed what are paralysis and their symptoms, its time to dig a little deeper. What causes it and how to stop sleep paralysis? Of course, if we find out their causes, we can avoid them. Also, our sleep quality will improve, if we sleep without any fear of getting attacked by a demon!

According to studies, there are a few common causes of sleep paralysis:

Mental Disorders

There seems to be a strong association between psychiatric disorders and SP according to doctors because our stress level impacts our sleep . Especially those people who use excessive alcohol and drugs are inevitable to sleep paralysis attacks. However, in some cases, it can be genetic! In addition, people who suffer more anxiety attacks and depression are likely to experience sleep paralysis frequently.

Sleep Deprivation

Yes, you read it right. Sleep deprivation also causes sleep paralysis. There are conditions that trigger sleep paralysis, and sleep deprivation is one of them.

Those people who take sleep in bits and pieces or work in shifts, experience more sleep paralysis.Similarly, people who sleep well, have less chances of experiencing sleep paralysis. In order to avoid them, sleep well and in a certain pattern to get rid of stress.

Sleeping Position

Most of the people complain that sleep paralysis occurs when they sleep on their back. Conversely, some people report that it occurs when they sleep on their stomach. Figure out yourself, when it occurs the most to you and make certain changes in your sleep position.

Overeating

Some people blame overeating for sleep paralysis. Many people report that they experience sleep paralysis when their stomach is overstuffed. Figure our yourself, if this is the reason for your frequent sleep paralysis intervals.

Is Sleep Paralysis Caused By Demon

We don’t know what your beliefs are, but medically it is a sleep disorder, far cry from demons and ghosts. In the lines above, we have clearly elaborated the causes of sleep paralysis and their symptoms. It may feel like a paranormal experience, but it is not!  Many people confuse sleep paralysis with being possessed by a demon, but it’s completely wrong.

Why would a demon leave you alive, if he attacks you? Because, the kind of situation they find themselves during paralysis, people have no clue what actually happened. Then they try to rationalize things in their mind when they couldn’t find any explanation.

Sleep paralysis is real and it happens to everyone, at least once in a life. But those, who experience it frequently, are inevitable to developing anxiety.  Therefore, appropriate treatment of how to stop sleep paralysis is necessary to maintain the quality of one’s life. Sleep paralysis not only affects your sleep but practical life too.

People who develop the fear of demons and ghosts, begin to trust in old myths. This blind trust is driven by their experience of sleep paralysis. Once their belief on these things become strong, their ability to think logically suffers. People with such bizarre beliefs struggle in society. People avoid them and have less respect for such insane. Sleep paralysis can even affect your academic performance.

Because of the nightmare, school-going kids find it terrifying and hard to forget. It’s hard to convince them to forget those nightmares and move on. However, there are very little chances of sleep paralysis occurring in kids sleep. If your kid is frequently experiencing sleep paralysis, take him to the specialists immediately.

Is Sleep Paralysis Dangerous

In most of the cases, sleep paralysis can be prevented by taking certain measures: Improve your quality of sleep, eating habits and sleep patterns. But sleep paralysis become dangerous when they occur frequently. Because of frequent encounter with eerie voices and shadow figures,  cause anxiety. This anxiety will disturb your normal life, and even drive you insane. It is not a disease but a disorder — a sleep disorder.

Some people are brave enough to forget these experience quickly, while some find it hard! When these experiences occupy the vast space of their minds, they struggle to concentrate. Their social life, professional life, and all other areas are affected. That’s why frequent intervals of sleep paralysis must be treated.

Although, sleep paralysis is not an indication of any harmful disease. Certain conditions trigger them and if you manage to avoid them, this way you can also avoid sleep paralysis.

Can Sleep Paralysis Kill Anyone

As mentioned above, sleep paralysis can not harm you physically. What you see in sleep paralysis are purely hallucinations, and can’t kill you. During the intervals, we feel like someone is strangling or molesting us, but it’s not the case. Sleep paralysis can scare the hell out of you, but don’t kill anyone.

Some people report that their sleep paralysis took them almost to death, but when they became conscious, they were fine. Like in a nightmare, we are often thrown down the building, crashed into a car, and sometimes strangled to death. But when we woke up from the dream, we find ourselves absolutely fine. Similarly, in sleep paralysis, whatever happens, is just a hallucination.

So, the answer to the question if sleep paralysis can kill anyone is no!

Sleep Paralysis Are Common

If you think you are the only one, then you are wrong. Due to our irregular sleep patterns, eating habits and stress, all of us experience sleep paralysis at least once in a life. Sleep paralysis is more common than you think. It occurs among adults, teenagers and people of all ages. Sleep paralysis is not related to a particular age. Sometimes, despite all the precautions, it occurs. Why? Because it can be genetic as well. Yes, like a disease or other things, sleep paralysis also passes through from parents to the child.

Hence, awareness is necessary for all!

How To Wake Up From Sleep Paralysis

Though it seems difficult to wake up directly from sleep paralysis, but you can! Replacing habits to avoid sleep paralysis take time. Getting rid of stress and depression is also a long process. So, what can you do to wake up yourself and stop sleep paralysis?

There are few ways to immediately stop sleep paralysis:

• Jiggle your toe: Most of the times, sleep paralysis is in your chest, throat, and belly. An excellent technique to get out of it is to jiggle your toe. That will break the sleep paralysis and you’ll gain consciousness. However, in some cases, this might not work!
• Don’t Fight: Surrender yourself and stop fighting. People try to fight it off, but that doesn’t help. Instead, go with the flow. Fighting it will intensify the sleep paralysis and you’ll feel more pressure and weakness.
• Cough: Another effective tactic is to cough. Even forced cough can do the job for you. Sometimes, a cough brings you out of the sleep paralysis.
• Jot Down Your Plan: Write it down before sleep what would you do in sleep paralysis. Those who frequently experience it, won’t mind it. Although, for some, it might sound funny. But desperate times call for desperate measures. So, write down what would you do during sleep paralysis. Here is a piece of advice, do anything, except panic!

How To Stop Sleep Paralysis Forever

indeed, it’s possible to stop sleep paralysis forever. Likewise any disease,that is treated by taking certain medicines and changes in lifestyle, sleep paralysis can be stopped. To begin with, you first need to figure out what is causing sleep paralysis.

1.     Sleep Well

In some cases, sleep paralysis is due to lack of sleep. You need to sleep well because your body needs rest. And what I mean by sleeping well is quality of sleep. Remember, the quality of sleep is not defined by a number of hours. 6 hours of uninterrupted sleep is better than 8 hours of interrupted sleep. If you work in shifts, make sure you still take a good amount of sleep.

In some cases, the environment in the surrounding of a sleeper disturbs him because of noise and buzz. Sleep in a place, where you can sleep peacefully. Before sleeping, scoop out all the worries from your mind to enjoy deep sleep.

Generally, in SP cases, stress and brooding thoughts don’t let people sleep well. When you don’t sleep well, your body feels weak. But the amount of work you have to do daily remains constant. When your body has had enough, it finally succumbs to pressure and sleep paralysis happens more frequently. To get rid of sleep paralysis forever, rest in the form of sleep is necessary.

2.     Don’t Sleep In Awkward Positions

Some people complain that they experience frequent sleep paralysis when they sleep in certain positions. Avoid sleeping in such positions. Sleeping on the stomach is not the right way to sleep. Besides sleep paralysis, it can also cause pain around that area if you sleep for too long in the same position.

Avoid sleeping on your back. People who sleep on back, experience shortness of breathing and heavy chest during Sleep paralysis. In this way, you may be able to get rid of sleep paralysis forever.

3.     Reduce Stress Level

Reduce your stress level, and only hang around with positive people. Constant negativity also affects your brain. With negative thoughts looming around in your brain, you consequently become prone to nightmares.

Read any book before going to bed that you find funny or interesting. Don’t watch horror shows at night and limit your screen time. Excessive mobile use also contributes to your high stress level and poor sleep.

In short,control your mind and think only those thoughts that you want to. Don’t let negative thoughts invade your mind because they sabotage your productivity and affect all areas of your life.

4.     Eat Well

Our eating habits also have a significant impact on our sleep and other areas of life. We are, what we eat, So eat well and stay healthy.Firstly, Don’t take late dinner and eat a little less than your appetite.Overstuffed stomach causes nightmares, improper sleep, and indigestion.

You know your body better than anyone else. So eat only those foods that your body accepts. For instance, if your body is allergic to a certain vegetable, fruit or meat, don’t eat that.

Midnight snakes have become a sort of trend, but they are not healthy. Build a routine and eat sleep and work according to that. In this way, your body will function smoothly.

5.     Exercise Regularly

Lastly, make your early morning workout a ritual. Exercise regularly, even if for a few minutes, but daily! This will help you to reduce your stress level, keep your body in shape, and gives peaceful sleep.