- Enhanced respiration and heart rate
Breathing and heart rate increases can be common sleep paralysis symptoms, and they are likely to occur in conjunction with some of the other symptoms listed above.
When most individuals experience sleep paralysis for the first time, they have no idea what is happening. At this juncture, it feels like a horror movie or a very bad dream, which contributes to the panic and anxiety experienced during most episodes of sleep paralysis.
In this state, panicking can trigger what the body interprets as a “fight or flight” response, which your body (in a state of sleep paralysis) cannot escape. This leaves the body with only the “fight” response, which causes your pulse rate and breathing to increase.
To halt this, simply remain calm for as long as the sleep paralysis persists.
