There is professional help for Sleep Paralysis in Virginia

There is help for Sleep ParalysisPhoto byYuris AlhumaydyonUnsplash

Sleep Paralysis can be debilitating

Sleep Paralysis can happen as you are falling asleep, in the middle of sleeping, or as you are about to wake up. Many people simply live with it as it is not a regular occurrence but others may decide they need professional help. In Virginia, there are quite a few places that treat Sleep Apnea but only one is listed for SP the Virginia Center for Neuroscience. According to WebMD Sleep Paralysis is described as follows:

Sleep paralysis is a feeling of being conscious but unable to move. It occurs when a person passes between stages of wakefulness and sleep. During these transitions, you may be unable to move or speak for a few seconds up to a few minutes. Some people may also feel pressure or a sense of choking.

Triggered by my felinePhoto byAlexandru ZdrobăuonUnsplash

Sleep Paralysis can come in many forms

My first episode of Sleep Paralysis was at age 10 after my family moved to a different house in the same neighborhood. One morning I heard my grandma in the kitchen getting ready for work and talking to her mother my great grandma. I heard the coffee pot perking but when I tried to get up I could not move or speak and I was frightened. At times SP forme is triggered by something going on with my body while I am in bed.

One time during an episode of Sleep Paralysis I was not able to move or speak and I began dreaming I was trying to run but my left leg was immobile. I finally was able to groan and my husband shook me to wake me up. My left leg felt numb and I realized I had been laying on it as I slept. In my last episode, my mind woke up and it felt like someone was beside me in the bed near my legs. I tried to move and speak and could not for close to a minute.

There is professional helpPhoto byAlina GrubnyakonUnsplash

There is assistance if you need it

I dreamed I reached out and touched something and finally let out a scream. I sat up just in time to see my cat jump off the bed into the floor, Boots often sleeps near my feet and most times I don't even know he has jumped onto the bed until after I wake in the morning. but this was the first time I felt him moving and his presence triggered Sleep Paralysis.

There are Facebook groups and online sites that may give you assistance if Sleep Paralysis or related issues have become a problem for you and you live in the Commonwealth, Virginia Center for Neuroscience in Leesburg is the only physical location listed that offers assistance with various types of sleep disorders.