Sleep Paralysis

Sleep Paralysis – A Stage of Wakefulness and Sleep

Sleep paralysis is a temporary feeling of being conscious though unable to move and occurs when a person goes through a stage of wakefulness and sleep. During this time the person may not be capable of moving or speaking for a few seconds or minutes. In some cases the person may tend to feel pressure or a sense of choking. It could also accompany other sleep disorders like narcolepsy which is an overpowering need to sleep resulting in a problem with the brain’s ability to regulate sleep.

Though the person may be awake, the body tends to be briefly paralyzed after which the person can move and speak as normal. Sleep paralysis does not cause any harm to the person though being unable to move could be quite alarming. Some may have this disorder once or twice in their life, while other may experience it a few times a month or more often. Sleep paralysis could affect individuals of any age though it is more common in teenagers and young adults. Common condition is often noticed first in the teenage years though both men as well as women may experience this ailment or it could also run in the families

Hypnagogic/Predormital –Hynopompic/Postdormital Sleep Paralysis

Sleep paralysis usually takes place at one of two times and if it occurs while a person is falling asleep, it is known as hypnagogic or predormital sleep paralysis. If it tends to occur while awake it is hypnopompic or postdormital sleep paralysis. As the person begins to fall asleep, the body tends to relax gradually and the person usually is not aware or notices the change. But if one is aware while falling asleep they may notice that they are unable to move or speak.

At the time of falling off to sleep, the body tends to alternate between rapid eye movement – REM and NREM – non-rapid eye movement, sleep. A cycle of REM and NREM sleep could last for 90 minutes where NREM takes place first taking up to 75% of the overall sleep time At the time of NREM sleep, the body is relaxed and restores itself and at the end of NREM, the sleep then shifts to REM. The eyes move quickly and the person visualises dream and the rest of the body remains very relaxed with the muscles turned off during this stage of REM sleep. Should the person become aware before the REM cycle is completed, one may notice that they are unable to move or speak.

Factors Related to Sleep Paralysis

Factors that are related to sleep paralysis may include – lack of sleep, a changed sleep routine, sleeping on the back, mental health condition like stress or bipolar disorder, use of certain medication, other sleep problems like night time leg cramps, besides narcolepsy and substance abuse. Symptoms could be controlled or improved by altering the sleep habits as well as the sleep environment. It could affect people who have been deprived of sleep and hence it is essential that the person gets enough sleep which could reduce the symptoms of sleep paralysis. An average adult would need six to eight hours of quality sleep each night. Maintaining regular hours of sleep each night and rising up at the same hour each day could be of great help to the person with sleep paralysis.