When you wake up in the middle of the night and are conscious but unable to move, it is a condition known as sleep paralysis. It occurs when an individual passes between stages of wakefulness and sleep.
There is no doubt that this is one of the strangest sensations that can happen. Suddenly, you are awake and unable to move any part of the body, even though you are aware of everything taking place in the room. It is quite frightening, and many people experience it.
When you fully understand the phenomenon known as sleep paralysis, it can help to ease your mind as to what is actually taking place. It actually falls into two different stages, “hypnagogic” and “hypnopompic.”
The first one takes place before falling asleep, but the second type of paralysis takes place when you wake from REM (rapid eye movement) sleep.
Your body begins to relax as soon as you fall asleep and your mind becomes less aware of what is taking place around you. In the case of hypnagogic sleep paralysis, your brain continues to be aware but your body is in a relaxed state. That is why you realize what is going on around you but, try as you may, you will not be able to move. This has not only caused concern, it has even led to panic attacks!
During REM sleep, the muscles are involuntarily paralyzed but as soon as the person experiences hypnopomic sleep paralysis, a part of the brain becomes aware. It is not the part of the brain, however, that controls the REM paralysis so you are in an awakened state but are unable to voluntarily move your muscles.
Some people never experience this phenomena or you may go through it once or twice in your lifetime. There are others, however, who experience it frequently, even multiple times every week.
A study was conducted at Penn State University and showed that approximately 8% of the population frequently experiences sleep paralysis. It is also more common in people with certain mental disorders, such as anxiety and depression. People who have other sleep conditions, such as sleep apnea, may also suffer from it.
WebMD revealed a list of the risk factors, as follows:
Sleep problems like nighttime leg cramps or narcolepsy
Lack of sleep
Mental conditions, like bipolar disorder or stress
Substance abuse
Frequent changes in sleep schedule
Certain medications, like the ones with ADHD
Sleeping on the back
Symptoms
In the case of a sleep paralysis, people cannot speak or move for several seconds or minutes, most often shortly after they have fallen asleep, or immediately after waking up.
In most cases, this issue is not medically treated, but at times, the doctor may inquire into other aspects of the sleep health, and if the sleep conditions get worse, he may even ask the help of a sleep specialist.
There is usually not a prescribed treatment, as this paralysis happens naturally. Yet, if an expert finds another underlying condition in the process of diagnosis, he may prescribe a treatment, such as:
Treatment of any underlying sleep disorders
Prescription for sleeping aids
Referral to a mental health professional
Implementation of a sleeping schedule
Prescription for an anti-depressant
Referral to a sleep specialist
You may be able to prevent an episode of sleep paralysis if you reduce the stress in your life before going to sleep. Making sleep more of a priority may help in this regard.
It may also be beneficial if you seek professional help if you have the problem more than once. If the issues are rare, just pay more attention to your sleeping habits and try to sleep at least eight hours per night.
You may also want to reduce your intake of nicotine, caffeine, alcohol and drugs. Don’t keep electronic devices close by your bed while sleeping.
If you do experience sleep paralysis, it is likely to happen again. There is nothing quite as terrifying but keep in mind that it will quickly pass so stay calm.
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