sleep paralysis

On a few occasons now I found myself falling into sleep paralysis, often as soon as I go to bed and completely without intending to. This would be fine apart from the fact that this is often accompanied with the sensation of someone or something dragging me from my bed. Being paralysed makes this a very unnerving experience and usually results in me forcing myself out of sleep paralysis and in so doing probably wasting an opportunity to have a lucid dream.

It is interesting to note that this accidental sleep paralysis has a tendency to happen whenever I am very tired/under slept and have consumed a considerable amount of caffeine; for example on a night when I have stayed up very late to complete a piece of coursework.

Anyway, I think this sensation that I experience may be what people refer to as "the old hag", perhaps someone could confirm this for me. Also if anyone knows if it is possible to prevent this feeling or how I can convert my sleep paralysis into a lucid dream I would very much appreciate it.

"The Old Hag" is typically the feeling of something heavy sitting on your chest (people have opened their eyes and reported an old woman sitting on them, which is where the name comes from).

To help the feelings subside, you could try thinking of something else. Imagine the sensations of someone massaging you, instead. Something more pleasant but still a tactile sense to keep the paralysis strong. It can be hard in the heat of the moment, but it's worth a try. To convert it into a lucid dream, you just have to ride it out while visualizing a dream scape. Eventually the feelings may stop or change, sounds may become more audible though everything is still dark. At this point, you should be able to open your eyes and be in a dream. It's a little different for everyone and you may have to experiment. Seeing as you have SP so often, you'll have plenty of time to practice.

Thanks, for your reply. I was aware that "the old hag" is normally experienced as pressure on your chest, I was just curious to know if this was a variation of it or something. I think i will take your advce on trying to ride out the sleep paralysis to try and convert it into a lucid dream; although i've tried to do so before with the best intentions, it's just not that simple when it's actually happening lol