Trazodone and sleep paralysis

[lcfrogs]

I feel like my Trazodone is causing me to experience sleep paralysis more frequently. Recently, I stopped taking it for awhile and I never had a sleep paralysis episode. Does anyone else take trazodone for sleep and experience sleep paralysis, or know anything about this?

[insights]

I feel like my Trazodone is causing me to experience sleep paralysis more frequently.

Trazodone can significantly increase the amount of REM (dreaming) sleep which increases the chances of awaking during REM. In REM the brain cuts of serotonin and noradrenaline (aka norepinephrin) in the voluntary muscle control centres inducing paralysis so we can't act our dreams. It is an entirely normal occurrence, but can be very disturbing if you wake during it as it often takes several minutes for the muscles to be reactivated.

Ian

[lcfrogs]

Thanks Ian! I have always experienced sleep paralysis but it was only like once per month, and ever since I started Trazodone a couple of years ago I have had sleep paralysis like once per week. It is usually coupled with hypnagogic hallucinations, and that usually scares me. Also, I have totally noticed that I dream a lot and I remember a lot of them the next morning. Interesting!