From out-of-body experiences to malevolent figures and shadowy visitors, we’ve all heard the horror stories surrounding sleep paralysis episodes.  For most folks, however, the scariest thing about these occurrences is not knowing how to prevent them.

So, to do our part in helping you avoid sleep paralysis, we’ve prepared a guide full of various tips and tricks.  Just in case, we’ve also prepared extra resources pertaining to doctors, therapists, sleep aids, mattresses, psychiatrists, and other related services.

Ways to Avoid Sleep Paralysis

Sleep at the right time

Experts recommend getting between 6 to 8 hours of sleep every night to maintain proper bodily functions.  Any more or any less, and we sometimes run the risk of altering our circadian rhythm which is responsible for waking us up in the morning and making us sleepy.

If you maintain a regular circadian rhythm, free of interruptions and serious alterations, you can greatly reduce the risk of experiencing sleep paralysis.  This is due to the fact that you’re less likely to wake up during the REM cycle of your sleep which is when sleep paralysis often occurs.

Get regular exercise

Going to the gym or squeezing some exercise into your daily routine, can help regulate the amount of hormones your body produces.  In relation to this, our body uses various hormones to dictate the pace of bodily functions such as hunger and sleep.

Generally, working out has been shown to increase the overall level of melatonin that our body secretes.  With more melatonin in your bloodstream, you’ll have an easier time falling asleep and staying that way all through the night.

Make your bedroom as accommodating as possible

Almost everyone has woken up at some point in the night because they’re too hot, too cold, or simply too uncomfortable.  If you’re unfortunate enough to experience considerable discomfort during the REM stage of your sleep cycle, you could wake up to sleep paralysis.

While there are no guarantees, making your bedroom as conducive to sleep as possible can certainly help lower the likelihood of sleep paralysis.  There are many ways you can go about optimizing your bedroom from changing your pillows and mattress to investing in an AC.

The full extent of sleep optimization really just depends on your specific preferences.

Reduce light exposure

As we mentioned earlier, our circadian rhythm is responsible for waking us up at exactly the right time.  This internal alarm clock relies heavily on light sources to accomplish this task consistently.  

If you happen to fall asleep with the light on or you’re subjected to a considerable amount of light exposure you could end up waking at the wrong time.  To reduce light exposure, we’d recommend investing in night lights, blinds, or timers to dim your lights while you rest.

Should you find yourself experiencing sleep paralysis even after trying all these steps, you may need to see your doctor as this could be caused by an underlying health condition.  

Though we can’t shield you from the fear that sleep paralysis can present, we certainly hope this guide makes it easier to avoid this pesky form of parasomnia.