Uncomfortable Sleep Paralysis.

[bengron]

Last night I was attempting a WILD and I was in sleep paralysis. I really needed to swollow, but I couldnt move a muscle. I was still aware of my body at this time so the SP must have just began. It was really uncomfortable and I had to wake myself up to get out of it. I am normally happy to be in sleep paralysis, but this time it was uncomfortable. Is there any way this can be avoided?

[TheUncanny]

Don't let SP psych you out. Those sensations are just ploys...you would have been perfectly fine if you didn't swallow. The same goes for rolling over, moving, itching, and etc. And if you have trouble breathing, remember the way it "feels" is very misleading...you will be fine no matter how weird or intense the sensations get. Just collect yourself mentally, relax and remind yourself these sensations are just illusions and allow SP to pass right over you.

[Abra]

You would've been perfectly fine if you swallowed. In fact, move around all you need to, as long as you're comfortable. Read this.

[TheUncanny]

I disagree, respectfully of course. Though ETWOLD may have tried to stay still simply to avoid any sort of interference with his lab equipment, that doesn't mean there is no good reason behind the practice... You had made reference to the body moving naturally when we sleep, which is true (especially in between REM cycles when we aren't actually dreaming...) However, what we are trying to do is, in a way, something unnatural. We are naturally designed to not be mentally aware when sleep paralysis sets in. That being said, the reason why we strive for this is because being aware during this process (unnaturally, if you will) is a perfect opportunity to LD/OBE. It being unnatural doesn't make it "counter productive" nor "unnecessary", because the "natural" thing you are making reference to is an unconscious transition into and unconscious sleep...which is not what people are trying to recreate.

[Abra]

To get to sleep, you've got to be comfortable. Fighting your physical sensations is not what WILD is about, though that seems to be what everyone focuses on. If you think to much about how you move, you're setting yourself up for bodily wakefulness and self-fulfilled failure. Be comfortable, and internally aware.

[TheUncanny]

To get to sleep, you've got to be comfortable. Fighting your physical sensations is not what WILD is about, though that seems to be what everyone focuses on. If you think to much about how you move, you're setting yourself up for bodily wakefulness and self-fulfilled failure. Be comfortable, and internally aware. I agree to limited extent, however you have to remember that even the most comfortable and LD friendly position can appear to become uncomfortable for no other reason than because the body is testing itself for mental response. These sensations have no actual correlation with your body "needing" to move in order to fall asleep (as opposed to if you are cutting off circulation to your arm or something). On the contrary, these sensation of uncomfortableness, if ignored, will allow SP to set in much faster than if you shift each time your body is asking "Is it OK to start shutting down the body now, or shall I wait a little longer?" It does take some discipline to be able to remain relaxed once those sensations start kicking in, but that is just how the body is designed to work. If you are trying to go from being awake to being asleep without loosing consciousness, at some point you will need do something that may not be "in line" with your natural inclinations. And this is simply because your natural inclinations are designed for you to be unconscious during sleep... With these things considered, there is a lot you can do to make this process easier (Rhythmic Napping, WBTB, etc) but simply doing what your body wants you to do is setting yourself up for regular sleep, which if the goal is WILD, is not success.

[bengron]

Do you think these uncomfortable sensations are your body checking to see if you are aware of them? They could be tests to see if you are awake and if you respond to them you cant get to sleep. It definately took me longer to get to sleep after I swallowed. I sort of had to wake myself up enough to do it.

[TheUncanny]

That is exactly what they are. You normally are not "supposed" to be mentally aware when sleep paralysis sets in. Thus, your body will send out impulses to test your mental awareness. If you respond, your body knows it shouldn't go into sleep paralysis because you are still mentally aware. If you do not respond, it assumes you are no longer mentally aware, and will then allow SP to set in.

[Robot_Butler]

There is not magical disconnect that would require your body to send out any sorts of tests. If you feel uncomfortable, change positions. If you have an itch, scratch it. If you need to swallow, swallow. Just relax and be comfortable. When you fall asleep normally, do you refuse to scratch your itchy nose? No. Why do it when you are WILDing?

[TheUncanny]

...When you fall asleep normally, do you refuse to scratch your itchy nose? No. Why do it when you are WILDing? ... If you are trying to go from being awake to being asleep without loosing consciousness, at some point you will need do something that may not be "in line" with your natural inclinations. And this is simply because your natural inclinations are designed for you to be unconscious during sleep... That's why. I'm not saying that it's impossible to WILD if you choose to shift positions each time you feel you need to (or even WILD without SP all together), I'm just saying that, chances are, doing so will delay the onset of sleep paralysis for most people. And it will. This whole "just relax" attitude I've been seeing around here is no doubt reassuring to hear, but not that realistic IMO. At this point I could start making scientific references supporting why I feel the way I do, which in all honesty sounds like more work than it's worth... ...or I can save myself the hassle and let the readers of this thread make reference to their own lifetime's worth of sleep experience. So what say you readers of this thread....would I be wrong to think that most nights you "simply relax" to fall asleep? Tell me, how reliably has that paid off in the "LD Department" so far...

[Loaf]

I've been getting really uncomfortable with SP recently. I don't know what to do. So uncomfortable I have stopped bothering with WILD or DEILD, only because I'm too tired to sit there for ages while I want to move.

[konj]

i agree with ethen,if you have to move scrach piss or whatever,doing in the begining later its different(explained aboive ^^)

[bengron]

Ive gotten past it now. If you have ever had toourettes, it should be easy for you. I had nervous ticks as a kid where I would have to move my body in a strange random way or else I felt so tense it was like torture. I have learned to completely stop doing it by just enduring it over ther years. Sleep paralysis is easy compared to it. I just resist the urge to move until it goes away. What works best is just ignoring it or remaining calm and relaxed. Know that it is just your brain testing you to see if you are asleep, and nothing bad will happen if you resist movement.