All The Pretty Lights (Sleep Paralysis)

Member Name: Ozma

Product:	Sleep Paralysis
Date:	06/04/02 (157 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Usually manifests in very pretty floating lights!

Disadvantages: Terrifying experience if you dont know whats happening, Interrupts sleep

When I was about seven, my parents bought a new suite, and for about two weeks, stored the old one in my bedroom. During the night, I would often "wake up" and see a strange and eerie looking alien sitting on the couch. Even with all my seven years of wisdom, I knew it wasn't alltogether great that there was an alien in my bedroom and would try and yell for help. Unfortunately, I couldn't. The details are fuzzy as to what would happen next, though I'm sure I wasn't abducted :) To this day I remember that experience, and I also remember the lounge suite, and will never ever buy one the same!

When I was a bit older and (perhaps) wiser, I realised I was suffering from Sleep Paralysis, and my Alien on the couch was a manifestation of this.

Sleep paralysis is pretty much exactly what it sounds like. Its the inability to move when you either wake up, or start falling asleep. You cant physically move parts of your body, but your brain is working. A lot of the time people report seeing, and feeling other "beings" in the room.

Once I discovered this information (thank goodness for the wealth of it on the internet) I started to understand what was happening, and lost some of the fear. I would often see lights floating above me, and would start to panic. Eventually I got to the stage where I could supress some of the anxiety, and almost enjoy the show!
Occasionally I have episodes of sleep paralysis where I am very,very frightened, so I understand why it is such a scary condition.

There isnt really an explanation as to why some people experience Sleep Paralysis. Through my life, I have never really been a good sleeper, and I think thats why it happens to me

To help avoid Sleep Paraylisis you need to establish a good sleep routine (too little or too much just isn't good for you!). I also find that if I'm worried or thnking about things too much before I fall asleep it is more likely
to occur.

A great website for anyone who wants to know more about any sleep related illness is The Sleep Well
http://www.stanford.edu/~dement/index.html

Overall my experience of Sleep Paralysis has not been a terribly bad one. Once I had the information about the condition, it made it easier to explain what was happening. Who says knowledge isnt power?!

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