I have written before how important getting enough sleep is for losing weight and keeping it off. I want to stress again how important it is for your overall health and well-being. My sleep schedule has been off the past week or so, and I have really been feeling it. Not only has it made me feel tired, it triggered an episode of sleep paralysis. This is a common affliction suffered by people who have narcolepsy or, like me, suffere circadian rhythm disturbances (I have a heart murmur), but you don’t have to have either of these conditions in order for this to happen to you. It’s a very scary event where I can’t move and can barely breathe. I feel as if I am suffocating and sometimes like there is a pressing on my chest. When I was a child and this happened, it often felt like someone was hovering over me and/or whispering urgently right next to my ear. It feels like it lasts forever but it is really about a minute or so. It is so terrifying, even though I have experienced this all my life each time feels like the first time. I try to talk myself through it and reassure myself that I am not dying and that movement and normal breathing will resume soon.

I have done a lot of research on this and talked to doctors, and apparently this temporary sleep paralysis is not dangerous to the person and does not cause any permanent damage. I disagree because I don’t understand how the stress and anxiety from this doesn’t cause wear and tear on the heart. So my goal is to reduce these episodes in my life by making sure I get enough sleep. Here is more info on sleep paralysis:
What is sleep paralysis?

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