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Comment by AcerbicZero | Hacker News Reader

I had 2-3 sleep paralysis events over a short period of time; seemed mostly self inflicted due to poor sleep hygiene and lots of travel, but the first time was very disconcerting. I was "90%" awake, but unable to get my body to do anything for what felt like a long time. I didn't really feel a "presence" like other describe, but maybe I was just distracted.

The next time it happened (a few days later), I had a plan. I knew I had limited control over my lips and drooling/spitting, so I just did what I could with that until I couldn't breath; Didn't take long to wake up for real after that :)

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I used to get sleep paralysis a lot. Almost daily. Easiest to trigger when you’re falling asleep but your mind is racing. At one point you’ll notice that your body has fallen asleep but your mind has not yet.

At this point you have two options:

1. Just wait. You’ll fall asleep soon and then all good

2. Focus very very hard on moving something. Eventually your body gives way and unlocks. Now you can move

These days I use option 1 when going to bed. Got so used to it that I don’t notice the paralysis part anymore. Option 2 is good when you need to get up in the morning or when you were startled awake (or just need to pee) at night and your body hasn’t caught up yet.

Ok I guess I still get sleep paralysis a lot but I got used to how it feels heh

3. Focus very hard on staying conscious and you get to remember the process of falling asleep (do not recommend).

Why do you not recommend?

Pretty much every night I attempt to fall asleep consciously and nothing bad has happened, as far as I can tell. Witnessing the transition from being awake, to light and deep sleep, and finally the emergence of dreams -- it's a fun experience, and it automatically rewards you with a lucid dream.

I’ve never dreamed. I wonder what would happen if I tried it?

Everybody dreams, except for people with life-threatening sleep disorders.

If I do dream, I have no knowledge of it. In 52+ years of life, I have never woken up and remembered anything from the time I went to sleep. I even tried keeping a dream diary to see if I could remember anything if I tried to write stuff down as soon as I woke up, but there was never anything there to remember.

I was like this from about age 16 to 39, no dreams at all. Then I developed crippling anxiety. After about 2 months in therapy, I started to dream again: full blown in color sweeping epics of dreams. It got so intense that I needed a break from therapy to find a different therapist just to help me tamp them down. Now I have a more balanced amount and intensity.

There are a few nutritional deficiencies that may need correction for some people, but dreaming is very much inherent to the sleep cycle. Keep working at it.

I grew up in a very religious and rural community. I get sleep paralysis fairly often these days but the first time I recall getting it was in my early teens. My parents thought the devil was trying to possess me. Fun.

> seemed mostly self inflicted due to poor sleep hygiene

And a lot of coffee, especially in the afternoon.

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