Have you ever woken up and:
been unable to move
had the sensation that breathing is difficult or that there is a weight on your chest
had an accompanying feeling of fear or panic
sensed that someone like a burglar, or even a ghost, was in the room with you
noticed the feeling go away as soon as you could move again

It is reckoned that 25-40 % of people suffer from sleep paralysis at some time in their lives. SP is a harmless confusion of the waking & sleeping states associated with disturbed sleep patterns and may run in families. For those who suffer regularly (and some even find themselves too scared to go to sleep) there is a highly-effective behavioural approach to dealing with SP.

Treatment involves:
finding out about the experiences of others who have been through the same as you
finding out about how this experience has been regarded historically
learning tips to avoid SP in the first place
behavioural therapy to cope with and control it when it happens
learning how to make the transition from SP to lucid dreaming

People often don't discuss SP as they worry that they will be thought mentally unstable. Many doctors don't even know about it. But there is no need to suffer - SP is common and you can learn to cope. Call to speak about SP and any others sleep disturbances such as night terrors or insomnia.

Susan D

"I've lost 10 kilos - and never felt better. Best of all is knowing I've always had the potential to change - I just needed someone to show me how"

AH