Answer: It is Hell!

Notice how I didn’t choose a scary image for this, I hate when I search sleep paralysis and creepy ghosts pop up — not fun.

I like to describe this phenomenon as a disconnect between your body and brain; your body is still sleeping, but your brain is awake. And, dear reader, I have a close freaking relationship with this subject. I used to get sleep paralysis at least once a week, before I started treatment. This made nighttime a horror movie for me, I’d be afraid of falling asleep for fear of slipping into paralysis.

Sleep paralysis comes with hallucinations (visual and auditory), usually hypnagogic. Hypnagogic means they come while your body is falling asleep. So, it’s like you’re having nightmares while you’re awake. Except, you can’t move anything but your eyes. And, your chest may feel heavy which can lead to feeling like you’re suffocating.

One key thing to remember: this is all okay. It sounds scary, but it’s totally manageable. Most importantly, you are not alone. I’ll upload another post about how to handle sleep paralysis, or avoid it.

Hope this helps, and good luck!! Xoxox