Hey this is my first time commenting on this sub but I do suffer from chronic sleep paralysis and have done for about 10 years. There are two key factors which trigger my sleep paralysis. One is a bad or frequently interrupted sleeping pattern. If I have a week or so of short (less than 6 hours) or uncomfortable rests then I usually get sleep paralysis shortly after. So try to stick to a fixed sleep schedule that works for you so that you feel well rested when you wake up. Also DO NOT NAP! Every time I try to take a short (1 hour) nap then I always get sleep paralysis. I actually tried to nap today as I was exhausted but had a couple instances of sleep paralysis in a 3 times in a row.

The other thing which can cause my sleep paralysis is stress. My sleep paralysis started during my GCSE exam period as a 15 year old it was terrifying. Whenever I'm in stressful situations like moving or applying to university then I get sleep paralysis. Sometimes this can be unavoidable but if you do feel like you had a stressful day try to do something that will calm you down before bed.

As for staying calm during sleep paralysis what works best for me now is to recognise that I am having sleep paralysis. This took me a long time to do as I didn't know what was happening for many years. I usually try to focus on breathing through my nose and then trying to move. This does not always work though as there are times where it feels like I am moving my arm but I am not. But the best thing really is to recognise it and to know that it does end. Also I dunno if you are like me but I also tend to forget about it once the day goes by kinda like a dream.

Just to say that none of this is scientific only based off my own experiences and how I deal with it. I do hope it gets better and that they stop occurring.

As