How do you cope with the fear caused by sleep paralysis?

I've had sleep issues my whole life that have caused me a ton of stress-- one of the worst is sleep paralysis where it feels like you're trapped in your body: wide awake, but incapable of moving or talking. The way that I've dealt with it is learning as much as possible: what does the research say about it? What do doctors think cause it? What are all of the symptoms that people report in conjunction with it? Then, I try to figure out how all of that relates to me. When does it happen to me? What predicts it? How long does it take to snap out of it? It doesn't seem like much, but when I feel like I know more about something, it's less scary to me.

Sleep paralysis is awful to go through, and while there isn't much one can normally do while experiencing this state, you can remind yourself that it isn't going to last forever, it will be over in some minutes, and remember that it isn't dangerous because you will snap out of it if you are startled by something like a noise or touch, so it's not like it will prevent you from acting in any emergency :)

Reach out. Talk to someone close to you, make sure that they're there for you and that you can rely on them.

Counting my days that I had passed when I was sleeping well: not sleeping with paralysis. Knowing that will make me relax and help me to have a better sleep.

I always reassure myself that it's just a dream, because it is. You wake up in your bed. Just always remember that it is a dream and wake yourself up quickly from it.

I do believe in mindfulness and breathing techniques. It helps you concentrate on breathing instead of fear

Everyone is different. To say that a system that works for you works for someone else is not always true. People cope and heal differently. Going online and searching new techniques can be resourceful. Just never give up trying to find what fits you.

I have a hard time with this one. Therapy is a good coping method. Or having a dream journal. Just talking about and reviewing the dreams can help can ease the tension and help you realize anything you may see is not real or dangerous