So, normally, when I go to sleep, it takes me a bit to nod off.

My normal routine is to lay there, focus on slowing my breathing, and to individually relax each muscle (toes, fingers, palms, calves, thighs, shoulders, etc, etc.) I learned how to do this in yoga, and I've found that with a relaxed body, it's much easier to nod off.

Last night, I decided to try something different. I love dreaming, but lucidity has always been a bit of a problem. So I did this, and I noticed a strange. . . Warmth, I guess you could say. I didn't actively try to move, but it felt like it would require a great deal of energy. I was starting to get closer to that place where my brain just flips a switch, and off to sleep I go.

But with this warmth came a weird feeling of. . . oh, I dunno. Best way to describe it wold be cotton-y.

Granted, last night wasn't the best night for me. I woke up hundreds of times, thought to myself when I woke up, "I'm still dreaming? Woah, this is weir-" (enter nodding back off there).

I even woke up five times and had nasty coughing fits each time, so my recall last night was absolutely terrible.

But would this be sleep paralysis? And if not, if SO, what would be the next step to lucidity? Every night I always tell myself, "You're lucid, you're dreaming, you're lucid dreaming, etc, etc."

Maybe it's because I'm sick. . .