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Hello, and sorry If this is not the right discussion group to post in. Small introduction, I'm a 18 year old male with not so perfect health but from what I've read, sleep paralysis isn't triggered by anything so never mind that. I'm not getting the recommended amount of sleep but I do feel refreshed and well every time I wake up. Until, unfortunately, this month I got my first sleep paralysis which was indeed scary. Not knowing what's happening and freaking out was the scariest part about it. I experienced 3 of those events in the following week. Now, from what I've read, it isn't really dangerous and it doesn't have a clear cause, but after my last one I started running just before I go to sleep(to get like reeeealy tired so that I'll sleep nice. Or at least that was my theory) and so far I experienced none(6 days from the last one) My question is, does this running thing actually work for me or is it that the sleep paralysis just stopped happening on its own and will likely happen on the near future, after a pause?
Thank you a lot for your time and have a wonderful day,
Nikola.
Replies to "Hello, and sorry If this is not the right discussion group to post in. Small introduction,..."
I have sleep paralysis. It started when I was about eight-years-old, and I'm now 45. My brother and mother have it, too. I found that it occurs more often if I sleep on my back, so I try to avoid doing that.
You're correct... it's very frightening and frightening. I eventually taught myself to tell myself to go back to sleep and eventually I knew I'd be able to get up.
Mayo - Rochester used this as one of the symptoms when deciding whether or not to test me for sleep disorders. One of the other symptoms from childhood was sleep walking, which I did a lot.
After testing, they diagnosed me with hypersomnolence, mild sleep apnea, and probably narcolepsy (because my brother is diagnosed with narcolepsy). After losing more than 50 pounds this year, they believe that my sleep apnea is probably cured, but they'd have to retest me to be sure.
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Hi Nikola,
According to this overview about sleep paralysis from the American Academy of Sleep Medicine http://bit.ly/2fmULL6 "Sleep paralysis tends to first appear in the teen years. It then occurs most often when you are in your 20s and 30s. It may continue into your later years. It is not a serious medical risk."
You'll see in this information from Mayo Clinic that excessive daytime sleepiness and and sleep paralysis are symptoms of narcolepsy, a chronic sleep disorder. http://mayocl.in/1hWKJgv The article goes on to describe these lifestyle modifications:
"Lifestyle modifications are important in managing the symptoms of narcolepsy. You may benefit from these steps:
- Stick to a schedule. Go to sleep and wake up at the same time every day, including weekends.
- Take naps. Schedule short naps at regular intervals during the day. Naps of 20 minutes at strategic times during the day may be refreshing and reduce sleepiness for one to three hours. Some people may need longer naps.
- Avoid nicotine and alcohol. Using these substances, especially at night, can worsen your signs and symptoms.
- Get regular exercise. Moderate, regular exercise at least four to five hours before bedtime may help you feel more awake during the day and sleep better at night."
Perhaps you should trying exercising earlier in the day and not right before bed. Not sleeping well is obviously affecting your health. Have you spoken to your doctor about your sleep issues?