I've had sleep paralysis ever since I was young. It used to happen a couple of times a week but then it mellowed down as I grew older. However, I had one again a couple of days ago.
Like any other episodes, the most recent one was as scary. For your mind to be trapped inside a still sleeping body.
I was in the middle of a bad dream when I woke up. I tried to open my mouth and scream but I can't. The panic is always there, especially when my mind was still feeling the residual emotions of a nightmare that I can barely remember. I think I can hear myself produce sounds that vaguely sound like groaning or something, and I hoped the my mom next door can here me. I forced myself to move even just a bit and reminded myself every now and then to breath. I think I also cried a bit and I remember thinking, "Oh shit, this is it. I'm not gonna wake up from this. I guess this is how I die."
And then the heavy feeling disappeared and I REALLY woke up with a gasp. I felt tired but I continue on like nothing happened. I don't really tell people that I get sleep paralysis every now and then and I stopped telling my mom because she'd tell me that I should pray whenever that happens to me (which I think is lame and isn't really effective, sorry mom 😅)
Anyways, do you experience sleep paralysis too? Is your experience the same or different than mine? How do you make yourself wake up?
My mom told me I should start flexing my fingers and toes first and work my way up from there.