5 Ways To Beat Sleep Paralysis

Have you ever tried waking up realizing you can’t move your legs or arms, or even wiggle your toes or lift a finger? You are aware of your surroundings, but you can’t get up or scream.

This is called sleep paralysis. This occurs when some parts of your brain are awake, but the parts controlling your body are still asleep. This is why you can’t move even if you want to. You usually wake up out of breath and extremely panicked. Sometimes you even see weird visions or strange sounds.

While frightening, these episodes are usually harmless.

Sleep paralysis is usually caused by stress and poor sleep quality. Naturally, the only way to decrease your episodes of sleep paralysis is to follow better sleep guidelines.

Here are 5 simple steps to improve your sleep quality and help prevent sleep paralysis:

1. Follow A Regular Sleep Schedule

Make it a habit to get up and go to bed at the same time every day, including weekends. This consistent pattern will condition your body to follow a regular sleep cycle.

2. Create a Comfortable Sleep Environment

A comfortable sleep environment is quiet, cool, dark, and cozy. By eliminating disruptions like noise and light, as well as maintaining a cool room temperature will help you sleep better and give your body its much needed rest.

3. Avoid Making Bedrooms A Multipurpose Room

We are all guilty of this – making our bedrooms our TV room, playroom, office, and even a dining area. If you don’t live in a studio and have a dedicated bedroom, it is best to keep the bed exclusive for sleeping to avoid disruptions.

4. Watch What You Consume In The Evening

Avoid alcohol, caffeine, and nicotine 4-6 hours before bedtime. These are all stimulant substances that will keep you awake longer than you’re supposed to.

5. Skip The Nap

The idea is: the longer you stay awake, the more you would want to sleep. By taking a nap, you partially relieve the desire to sleep – but you will also find it harder to get some Z’s during the night.

Head over to Verywell Health’s original article here for more helpful tips on preventing sleep paralysis by improving sleep quality.

Have you had an episode of sleep paralysis recently? How did you cope with it? Let us know in the comments below!