This short film gives a sense of how terrifying sleep paralysis can be

[LutherBlisset]

@74hc595

If anyone wants to give it a try, the best way to experience sleep paralysis is waking up too early (like 4 am) in the morning, getting out of bed for about 10 minutes, and then getting back to sleep by just laying on your back and relaxing.

This reads like every parent’s daily routine, up to a certain age. 0_o

[Ambiguity]

@Giacamo

Now it’s more normal, still terrifying, but not anything like it used to be.

I tend to agree that it lessens in the fear response. The first handful of times it happens it’s scary, but then it just becomes kind of interesting. It can also be used, I’ve found, as a springboard to lucid dreams, which can be kind of fun.

[Charles_Insandiego]

It has always occurred during a normal PM sleep period. I can’t recall any particular trigger for it. I had episodes several times a year in my twenties.The rate has tapered off as I have gotten older.
Oddly, I have anxiety disorder, so I would think that I would be a good candidate to experience the weirder aspects of sleep paralysis.