Meditation and sleep paralysis

[Milamber]

Hi ive just joined up and thought this would be a good place to get some feedback on some recent experiences.

Since ive started to meditate daily ive found ive had an increase in sleep paralysis and intense vivid dreams. Ive always had these experiences's through out my life since childhood really but recently its been pretty much every night that i am struck with sleep paraylsis and it seems to have increased in intensity in sync with how much i have been meditating. Maybe somthing is coming to the surface through my meditation? my initial reaction to when i get sleep paralysis is just wanting to break out of it and my mind has learnt how to do that quite quickly now but still it reoccurs sometimes 2-3 times a night so i cant help feeling like its happening for a reason and theres some inner voice i should be taking notice of....

Anyone had anything similar?

[Edwin]

Hi Milamber !

Welcome to the forum !

To me it seems like quite intense, to have this experience every night.
It is considered normal to have this experience at least once in their lifetime, but since you seem to have had this since childhood, I can't help but wonder if there isn't some condition that is the cause of this ?


It is possible for people with your condition to ask a doctor to examine you. I checked some information on the internet, and it could be that ( for instance ) you suffer from a distinct form of narcolepsy.
Not everybody experiences it the same way, yes, some suddenly fall asleep in the daytime, but others have symptoms that could easily be described as insomnia, while in fact it could be nacolepsy.
But it could also be something entirely else, I am no doctor.

That is why I recommend you visit one.

[GilesC]

Hi and welcome.

I too would recommend you speak to your doctor about it if you haven't already.

I have a friend who experiences sleep paralysis (I say "experience" rather than "suffer" because she has come to terms with it and knows not to panic when it happens) quite regularly and also her daughter has started with the same condition, so it would seem that it's hereditary in some way. The worst part about it for her was overcoming the panic when it first started, and teaching her daughter that it was normal and to come to accept it to.

Different people experience it at different severities and sometimes it can be more frequent than other times. Therefore I would think you would have to monitor it over a long period alongside meditation to actually be able to attribute the increase in frequency to meditation itself. You could be right, but more study would be needed, and better you do that with the support of your doctor.

Hugs

Giles

[MiBeloved]

Sometimes sleep paralysis is triggered by lack of proper ventilation to the sleeping physical body.
How is the air supply to the room in which your body is sleeping or lying?

[Milamber]

Thanks for the replies guys, I will talk to doc about it, Im sure it's related to my anxiety, I just don't want to be perscribed drugs for it tho.

[GilesC]

There's nothing wrong with being prescribed drugs. Whether you go to the pharmacy and cash in the prescription and take the drugs is, of course, up to you.

There are many people out there who use their doctor to get a diagnosis and then seek alternative ways to deal with whatever condition they have because they don't want to take prescription drugs.

The biggest problem arises when people don't go to their doctor and attempt to self-diagnose their symptoms and then treat that. They could be using the wrong treatment for the wrong condition. It's always best to get as best a diagnosis as possible before deciding what you want to do about it.

Hugs

Giles

[Edwin]

Excellent point Giles !

Sounds very logical to me !