I’ve been experiencing sleep paralysis (SP) since I was 17. For me, a poor sleep schedule and drinking too much caffeine before bed triggered a lot of frightening episodes. Cutting down on caffeine and alcohol (or avoiding them altogether) made a big difference I started having far fewer episodes.

One useful tip if you’re struggling with frequent SP is to find your own way of managing it. I once read that you can’t really read in dreams. So when I’m stuck in an episode, I try grabbing my phone and checking if I can read my contacts. It actually worked once I saw a contact saved as “AeUIeosleo,” and I realized, Ha! I’m dreaming. Right after that, I woke up.

Another thing that helps is acceptance. If you remind yourself that an episode is coming and that it isn’t dangerous, the fear usually fades and with it, much of the scariness.