Recurring dreams about sleep paralysis while on xanax?

[zombiesarepeaceful]

So I've had this happen a few times. I've taken Xanax (no more than 1mg, usually .5mgs) and fallen asleep, then throughout the night I had a recurring dream about having sleep paralysis. I'm aware that it was a dream because when it happened I was in a different setting, etc so I knew it was fake and not reality. In the dream I found myself unable to move or speak and I was just laying in bed trying to scream or move my limbs but nothing was helping, and I partially knew that I was dreaming so I was trying to scream in hopes that it would wake me up and make the dream stop but I couldn't do anything. Eventually the dream would end with me finally being able to move or scream, but then if I fell back asleep the dream would keep happening over and over. I've woken up screaming as a result of trying to scream in the dream. Not fun. 8)

I've had actual sleep paralysis happen to me before a few times 10 years ago when I was forced to take Geodon in the psych ward, but I've never had it happen since then. So I know what it feels like to have sleep paralysis happen for real, and this is definitely different and only a dream. Still terrifying because I get scared that I'm going to get stuck in the dream or something.

I'm just wondering if anyone else has had this sort of experience on benzos? Its frustrating because I know this isn't real sleep paralysis that is happening and it's just a dream and I don't know why it's happening. This is a relatively recent thing to happen to me. It's never happened on any other benzo. I only take xanax occasionally and it doesn't always happen, but has happened probably 3 times now.

I hate sleeping and I always have, but this just makes it even more scary.

 

[keeping]

drugs have a tendency to interfere with sleep, they have a tendency to interfere with all of your body's functions, but i particularly find that drugs interfere with my dreams.
when i had been awake once on mephedrone for four days i came home coming down really fast and lay down on my back on the bed and was asleep before i'd even blinked,
i was awoken several minutes later but an unerving feeling of presence in the room but i couldn't get up to do anything nor, much the same as you, of even being able to call out.
did you also see things? i won't bore anyone with the details of my own hallucination but after several seconds of terror i awoke and fell out of bed.

now my experience was with a stimulant class of drug but i believe i had this sleep paralytic episode because i fell to sleep on my back, which i never do, and the only reason i was able to do so was being so physically exhausted from the drugs. lots of other people report they have a higher frequency of both nightmares and sleep paralysis when they also sleep on their backs. how do you sleep? if you wish to avoid any more of these experiences i suggest sleeping on your side.
it could also be related to the xanax and i highly encourage anyone to avoid taking any sort of benzo except for an exigent circumstance (which i know you said already that you do), or it could also be a result of a number of stresses life has placed on you which could in turn be the reason you needed to take a xanax to sleep to begin with?
sorry you had to go through such an uncomfortable experience.

 

[zombiesarepeaceful]

did you also see things? i won't bore anyone with the details of my own hallucination but after several seconds of terror i awoke and fell out of bed.

now my experience was with a stimulant class of drug but i believe i had this sleep paralytic episode because i fell to sleep on my back, which i never do, and the only reason i was able to do so was being so physically exhausted from the drugs. lots of other people report they have a higher frequency of both nightmares and sleep paralysis when they also sleep on their backs. how do you sleep? if you wish to avoid any more of these experiences i suggest sleeping on your side.
it could also be related to the xanax and i highly encourage anyone to avoid taking any sort of benzo except for an exigent circumstance (which i know you said already that you do), or it could also be a result of a number of stresses life has placed on you which could in turn be the reason you needed to take a xanax to sleep to begin with?
sorry you had to go through such an uncomfortable experience.

No, in the dreams I don't hallucinate and when I had actual sleep paralysis 10 years ago I didn't see anything either....when I had the actual sleep paralysis I remember just laying with my eyes open staring at the room around me but I didn't hallucinate.

I usually sleep on my side or back....usually can't fall asleep on my back though, only my side. It's hard for me to fall asleep, I've always hated sleeping and I avoid it when I can but I can't take stimulants to stay awake due to anxiety so a lot of of the time I have to force myself to sleep by taking something. The "something" varies, sometimes its alcohol or a benzo or benadryl, etc. No matter what I take, I still wake up a lot which is fine with me. But the sleep paralysis dreams are not fine.

 

[keeping]

and when you sleep, if ever, sober, do you still have these episodes?
either way it sounds like you need some helpful coping strategies for sleep that don't involve meds.

i suffered night-terrors for years as a child i also use to hate sleep and do exactly what you did and it almost killed me;
have you heard of sleep hygiene? its not what it sounds like, its just a set of rules and routines to stick to that make sleeping more natural.
there's also stuff like meditation, yoga etc., exercise is proven to improve your quality of sleep.

also i have this thing with white noise, specifically rain. the sound of running water/rain helps me by allowing me to focus on something other than my thoughts which isn't something stimulating like music of talking and this helps me sleep. i have whole playlists on youtube of rivers flowing, thunderstorms hell even showers running and they're lifesavers.
what strategies do you have for sleep?༼ ༎ຶ ෴ ༎ຶ༽

 

[zombiesarepeaceful]

and when you sleep, if ever, sober, do you still have these episodes?
either way it sounds like you need some helpful coping strategies for sleep that don't involve meds.

i suffered night-terrors for years as a child i also use to hate sleep and do exactly what you did and it almost killed me;
have you heard of sleep hygiene? its not what it sounds like, its just a set of rules and routines to stick to that make sleeping more natural.
there's also stuff like meditation, yoga etc., exercise is proven to improve your quality of sleep.

also i have this thing with white noise, specifically rain. the sound of running water/rain helps me by allowing me to focus on something other than my thoughts which isn't something stimulating like music of talking and this helps me sleep. i have whole playlists on youtube of rivers flowing, thunderstorms hell even showers running and they're lifesavers.
what strategies do you have for sleep?༼ ༎ຶ ෴ ༎ຶ༽

I do sleep sober sometimes. I have never had these sleep paralysis dreams when sober. Only on Xanax.

I've always resisted the idea of a "sleep schedule" because I hate schedules lol. Its easier for me to sleep in spurts during the day, rather than sleep all night. So I do that when I can. I work mostly second or third shifts so it's much easier for me to work those shifts because then I can still stay up most of the night, and only force myself to sleep when it gets to be the early morning.

I've tried this website...can't remember what it's called....but it has mixes of noises like that. I find that the "train tracks" sound is the best for me, mixed with rain noises or thunderstorms.

 

[keeping]

well, then yeah, don't want SP, time so lose the drugs and take a more holistic approach.
and sleep hygiene is not all about schedules - its about designating space, dietary restrictions close to bed, planned chill time like reading with a hot drink or a bath etc etc
you should research SH, i guarantee it will at least help, might not solve it all, but it'll make you enjoy sleeping a bit

and was it these kinda sounds you spoke about?

 

[zombiesarepeaceful]

and was it these kinda sounds you spoke about?

Yes, very similar! I like that one, I just saved it.

 

[zombiesarepeaceful]

Oh and TMI, but masturbating used to help me sleep but lately, it doesn't do a thing. That little rush you get after jerking off is still nice, but doesn't do anything to help me sleep now. It's weird.

 

[keeping]

i guess the novelty has worn off - maybeeee some butt stuff? lol i kid i dunno
glad you liked the track - get it? ahaha rain train, train tracks, music tracks? BUT NOT TRACKMARKS NONO
but yeah i listen to those ASMR things a lot, i get a totally natural nod from them sometimes