Will my sleep paralysis ever end, and how can I cope?
Assalamu alaikum - I’ve been dealing with sleep paralysis for about five years now and I’m really worn out. When it first started it was happening like six times a night for a whole year and I basically couldn’t sleep. I always have ruqyah and Surah al-Baqarah playing and I try to keep up with my prayers as best I can. I also recite the duas and ayat I know over myself and everything I own from my phone before bed, but it still keeps happening. These days it’s at least twice a week and it feels so draining. I see figures or feel someone breathing on my neck. The last time I felt a sharp claw-like scratching on my neck slowly. It only lasts what feels like two minutes but feels way longer - there’s this vibration through my whole body, my feet go a bit tingly, my eyelids feel extremely heavy and sometimes they just close and it’ll happen again, so I have to force myself not to fall back asleep. I try to get up for Fajr and that helps a bit, but it still occurs. It’s also physically painful sometimes, like someone pressing hard on the middle of my spine so it feels like it might snap, or a heavy pain in my hip. I see shadowy figures, sometimes a man without eyes or a dark silhouette moving around the room, or I hear strange sounds. One time my hoodie looked like a man who started shaking me and that really freaked me out. I just see random scary things. I’m wondering if this will ever stop - it’s so mentally and physically exhausting and painful and I don’t want to live with it forever. Does anyone have advice from a Muslim perspective on things I can try - dua, ruqyah, lifestyle changes, or seeking medical help - that might help reduce or stop it? JazakAllahu khair.