What are good ways of coming out of sleep paralysis?

So i'm pretty buzzing at the moment - I had one lucid dream over two years ago and nothing since - well since recently that is.

The last 4 days I've been experiencing sleep paralysis...

Let me just take a moment to embellish on my situation in the hope it might help someone else. I had 1 x 15 min DILD over 2 years ago - I practice self awareness, reality check a lot, keep a dream journal (although not lately) and LD'ing wasn't happening for me. A few days ago (on this site) I read a post where somebody wrote about FILD. Over the last four nights I've used FILD when going to sleep and I've added it to my WBTB routine. Each night I've woke up in sleep paralysis several times.

So i've read a lot about sleep paralysis, I'm not scared of it and approach it from an angle where I kind of enjoy it and smile about it to some extent. It's still pretty scary - but also pretty funny. The first time it happened I felt some hands around my throat, then I felt somebody slide on top of me and felt their weight pushing down on me - I was sleeping with my mouth open and they started rapping their finger across my teeth - that woke me... damn I'll be more prepared next time - I actually now imagine the person sliding on top of me is just after a hug, that makes me feel better about it.

So anyway, last night i'm in SP and I say to this person that's "hugging" me - do you want to go LD'ing with me (i read about someone else using this method), and sure enough we kind of rolled into a LD - but it was dark - I was in my bedroom (where I went to sleep), I asked for clarity, light, but it didn't much improve - maybe I should have gone over to the light switch and turned it on...

The question is more about SP however. It feels like another person is with me - Now is that just because that's what I believe it to be? For example If i thought to myself the sleep paralysis sensations were just the way my body reacts to SP, like a side effect, instead of a person - then there wouldn't be another person there?

I suppose i'm wondering how people exit SP too. When i exited into a LD last night, although it was dark there was another person there.

Hope this makes sense.

First, you can probably rest assured that there is no other person there, that's just your imagination... but it could come in handy (more in a sec). I'm assuming that by coming out of SP you mean coming out of SP into a dream and not simply waking up fully (which you must know will happen shortly anyway) so here is a suggestion:

SP has pretty much nothing to do with LD'ing, but if you are experiencing true SP (and it sounds like you are), then you might be able to put it to work for you:

Next time you find yourself in SP, try rolling yourself out of bed, though with the knowledge that it is your dream body that is doing the rolling, and not your sleeping, paralyzed body. Allow your dream body to emerge from your sleeping body, then get up and step into your dream.

You might need to calmly form yourself a dream, because SP tends to happen after you are done dreaming, and there might not be anywhere for you to go right away (many an SP'er has found himself standing in a representation of his room, with nothing to do at all; and many have found themselves in simple darkness, as you appeared to have ). So try giving your dreaming mind a nudge toward activity by imagining a place you would like to be (returning to your last dream tends to work very well), and then creating a portal to get to that dream -- if you "stood up" in your dream bedroom, I suggest that you do not simply walk through your dream-bedroom door, because your dreaming mind might oblige such a move by giving you a representation of your house, and how dull is that? You might try making a new door, stepping through your window or, my personal favorite, just float straight up and out of the scene and into a new one.

Now here's an advantage you might have, with that nearby "person." Instead of ignoring the person, get up and walk toward him (or her). You don't have to believe that person is real; but if you can stay focused on the image of a person standing nearby, you might be able to get your dream body up and moving without having to think much about the process. This is a very handy thing, BTW, because of the other catch that accompanies SP: it happens when you are waking up (your mind simply woke up a few moments before your body), so your body is already in the process of waking up. So if you can manage to do your "rollout" with as little thought and fuss as possible, all the better, because thought and fuss tend to be just the things that drive a dreamer to wakefulness. The presence of that person might be just the thing to keep you attached to your dream (and sleep) without much effort, so all you need to do then is stay calm, step up to the person and get on with your dream. Here's a fun little addendum, though: even though you feel the presence of that person, and will feel it throughout your rollout and movement toward her, you might never actually find her; don't be concerned if that happens (i.e., don't go searching for the person), just be happy she gave you a leg up into the dream, and get on with it.

And, again, if all you wanted to know was how to get out of SP, then sorry about all these words. SP naturally passes all by itself, and all you need to do is wait it out.

tl;dr: If you're in SP, simply allow your dream body to roll out of your sleeping body and and then get up and walk, calmly, into your dream. Though there is likely no person nearby, you can use that person's "presence" by heading toward it after your rollout; this might be an easier way for you to stay focused on your dream.

Thanks Sageous - Yep, I was defo referring to exiting SP into a LD. I should have explained a bit better (I was in work, trying to speed type in between tasks - a bit like now).

Some great advice, so thanks - I'll be trying a roll out of SP next time - I'll lmao though if my physical self ends up on the floor. Last night I only had one maybe SP related event, my bedroom door slammed really loudly, it startled me and I woke to find nothing had happened... and then I was a bit annoyed with myself for waking - I assume these weird noises are associated with SP. And that is the weird thing about SP I guess - It's almost like you're not supposed to be aware when you are in it, all the sensations seem to try and wake you. Anyway, on the flip side - good advice about if you feel the presence of a "person" and just being happy that they gave you a leg up into your dream - I think a big part of conquering SP and not being scared of it, is by trying to embrace it as a helpful tool for getting to a LD… so I approach it with a thankful attitude.

If I do exit SP into a LD and find myself in my room and open my bedroom door and then find a representation of my house, I think I’d take that for now - a bit boring yep, but a big improvement on my lack of LD’ing.

You said that SP happens when you’re waking – does it not happen before you sleep as well? I’m confused by this – Because I’m adding FILD to my WBTB routine and then I’m finding I’m pretty much in SP soon after that. Also my first attempt at FILD was when I was going to sleep at the start of the night, next thing I know I’m being what felt like rocked back from side to side in my bed – it also got quite colourful, the images in my mind – I got excited and woke up.

I think what’s happening for me is adding the FILD technique is somehow allowing me to remain still but hang onto consciousness a little bit longer rather than just drifting off to sleep.

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Originally Posted by TongoFu

You said that SP happens when you’re waking – does it not happen before you sleep as well? I’m confused by this – Because I’m adding FILD to my WBTB routine and then I’m finding I’m pretty much in SP soon after that. Also my first attempt at FILD was when I was going to sleep at the start of the night, next thing I know I’m being what felt like rocked back from side to side in my bed – it also got quite colourful, the images in my mind – I got excited and woke up.

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Yes, Sleep paralysis tends to occur only upon waking. What you are experiencing when going to sleep is probably the onset of REM Atonia, which is often confused with SP, or simply deep relaxation just before sleep; unlike SP both of these things can be easily exited, if you feel like it, so the fear and powerlessness that often accompanies SP does not occur. Here are a couple of threads that might help you better understand SP, if you're interested:

Sleep Paralysis Demystified
Sleep Paralysis Explained

Also, those sounds you hear or images you see during these times is less about SP or REM Atonia, and more to do with the fact that your mind is hovering on the edge of sleep and dreams, and is experiencing Hypnagogic imagery (usually when falling asleep) and hypnopompic imagery (usually when waking up, including during SP). This imagery can be disturbing or exciting, but above all it can be very distracting. In my mind it's best to treat it all as just a bunch of noise and do your best to ignore it.

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I think what’s happening for me is adding the FILD technique is somehow allowing me to remain still but hang onto consciousness a little bit longer rather than just drifting off to sleep.

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Yep, that's pretty much the plan with FILD, given that it's a WILD technique (meaning that you will hold onto your waking-life awareness throughout your passage into sleep). And yes, you might experience some noise during this time as well.

Hey Sageous, just wanted to say thanks for the feedback and info - I really appreciate it.

:)

^^ No problem, and good luck!