Sleep paralysis is a feeling of being conscious but unable to move. It occurs when a person passes between stages of wakefulness and sleep. During these transitions, you may be unable to move or speak for a few seconds up to a few minutes. Some people may also feel pressure or a sense of choking. Sleep paralysis may accompany other sleep disorders such as narcolepsy. Narcolepsy is an overpowering need to sleep caused by a problem with the brain's ability to regulate sleep.
"Most patients say the same thing to describe sleep paralysis: that it feels like you woke up dead. You know that your mind is awake and your body is not — so you're trapped. And it's way more complicated than a nightmare.The condition may occur in those who are otherwise healthy, those with narcolepsy, or may run in families as a result of specific genetic changes. The condition can be triggered by sleep deprivation, psychological stress, or abnormal sleep cycles. The underlying mechanism is believed to involve a dysfunction in REM sleep. "It is the complete opposite, actually," Breus explains. When you enter deep REM sleep, your brain tells the body's voluntary muscles to relax and go into almost a state of paralysis, which is called atonia. Atonia actually helps protect the body from injury by preventing you from acting out the physical movements in your dreams. In other parasomnias, such as sleepwalking or REM sleep behavior disorder, atonia does not occur properly and the voluntary muscles move while the mind remains asleep, which is why people can sometimes do crazy things in their sleep and be totally unaware of it.
In sleep paralysis, the body remains paralyzed in REM atonia while the brain awakens and the eyes start to open, explains Breus. Sufferers become alert in a transient conscious state, but they are unable to move voluntary muscles or speak. Although involuntary muscle movement, like breathing, is not affected, there is often a sensation of chest pressure, which is why many people wake up from sleep paralysis gasping to take a deep breath. Episodes can last anywhere from 20 seconds to a few minutes.Some patients report that they can wiggle their toes, fingers, or facial muscles, which helps them wake up the rest of their body. "Everybody tries something different, but you can’t fool mother nature — there's no way to pull yourself out of it. You just have to wait it out," says Breus. By looking at the effects of sleep deprivation on humans, it’s been determined that the average adult needs seven to nine hours of sleep. When we sleep less than seven hours we have difficulty with memory and simple cognitive functions. (Though a tiny fraction of people can get away with much less.)
In the past, it was believed that demons caused sleep paralysis by holding people down or sitting on their chest. This was often due to hallucinations, which are a common symptom during sleep paralysis because the brain is still in a dream state. People have reported seeing ghosts, demons and other strange apparitions while experiencing paralysis.
For most people, there is no treatment for sleep paralysis. The key is prevention and the treatment of any underlying causes. After one episode of sleep paralysis, it may not be necessary to get a doctor's appointment right away. "If you have rare episodes of sleep paralysis, but haven’t been seen by a sleep specialist, make sure your sleep hygiene is solid. For example, sleep paralysis can be a sign that you’re sleep deprived," Harris told Live Science. Harris suggested that those experiencing sleep paralysis should make sure to get enough sleep on a regular basis, avoid alcohol, nicotine and drugs all night, starting three hours before bedtime. They should also limit caffeine after 2 p.m. and keep electronics out of the bedroom.
If these things don’t help, and you’re having episodes that are becoming somewhat more frequent, see a sleep specialist to see if there’s any underlying medical disorder that might be causing the sleep paralysis.
According to the UK National Health System (NHS), sleep paralysis is not dangerous, though those experiencing extreme sleep paralysis may be prescribed a short course of antidepressant medication, such as clomipramine.during the attack it is important to stay calm and realize that it will pass soon. "There’s not much you can do during an attack besides say to yourself, 'This is only temporary. It will pass very shortly and I will be able to move soon,'" Harris said. "This really only works if you’ve had an episode or two before and know what to expect. These attacks can be quite scary to experience, especially if you’ve never had one before."
"Most patients say the same thing to describe sleep paralysis: that it feels like you woke up dead. You know that your mind is awake and your body is not — so you're trapped. And it's way more complicated than a nightmare.The condition may occur in those who are otherwise healthy, those with narcolepsy, or may run in families as a result of specific genetic changes. The condition can be triggered by sleep deprivation, psychological stress, or abnormal sleep cycles. The underlying mechanism is believed to involve a dysfunction in REM sleep. "It is the complete opposite, actually," Breus explains. When you enter deep REM sleep, your brain tells the body's voluntary muscles to relax and go into almost a state of paralysis, which is called atonia. Atonia actually helps protect the body from injury by preventing you from acting out the physical movements in your dreams. In other parasomnias, such as sleepwalking or REM sleep behavior disorder, atonia does not occur properly and the voluntary muscles move while the mind remains asleep, which is why people can sometimes do crazy things in their sleep and be totally unaware of it.
In sleep paralysis, the body remains paralyzed in REM atonia while the brain awakens and the eyes start to open, explains Breus. Sufferers become alert in a transient conscious state, but they are unable to move voluntary muscles or speak. Although involuntary muscle movement, like breathing, is not affected, there is often a sensation of chest pressure, which is why many people wake up from sleep paralysis gasping to take a deep breath. Episodes can last anywhere from 20 seconds to a few minutes.Some patients report that they can wiggle their toes, fingers, or facial muscles, which helps them wake up the rest of their body. "Everybody tries something different, but you can’t fool mother nature — there's no way to pull yourself out of it. You just have to wait it out," says Breus. By looking at the effects of sleep deprivation on humans, it’s been determined that the average adult needs seven to nine hours of sleep. When we sleep less than seven hours we have difficulty with memory and simple cognitive functions. (Though a tiny fraction of people can get away with much less.)
Symptoms
People experiencing sleep paralysis may also feel a weight on their chest or a choking feeling.In the past, it was believed that demons caused sleep paralysis by holding people down or sitting on their chest. This was often due to hallucinations, which are a common symptom during sleep paralysis because the brain is still in a dream state. People have reported seeing ghosts, demons and other strange apparitions while experiencing paralysis.
For most people, there is no treatment for sleep paralysis. The key is prevention and the treatment of any underlying causes. After one episode of sleep paralysis, it may not be necessary to get a doctor's appointment right away. "If you have rare episodes of sleep paralysis, but haven’t been seen by a sleep specialist, make sure your sleep hygiene is solid. For example, sleep paralysis can be a sign that you’re sleep deprived," Harris told Live Science. Harris suggested that those experiencing sleep paralysis should make sure to get enough sleep on a regular basis, avoid alcohol, nicotine and drugs all night, starting three hours before bedtime. They should also limit caffeine after 2 p.m. and keep electronics out of the bedroom.
If these things don’t help, and you’re having episodes that are becoming somewhat more frequent, see a sleep specialist to see if there’s any underlying medical disorder that might be causing the sleep paralysis.
According to the UK National Health System (NHS), sleep paralysis is not dangerous, though those experiencing extreme sleep paralysis may be prescribed a short course of antidepressant medication, such as clomipramine.during the attack it is important to stay calm and realize that it will pass soon. "There’s not much you can do during an attack besides say to yourself, 'This is only temporary. It will pass very shortly and I will be able to move soon,'" Harris said. "This really only works if you’ve had an episode or two before and know what to expect. These attacks can be quite scary to experience, especially if you’ve never had one before."
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