What is sleep paralysis and how to get rid of it

2024 Author: Malcolm Clapton | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-17 03:44

You are at risk if you sleep on your back.

This feeling is familiar to many. Remember: something terrible is chasing you, you want to run away, but … Your arms and legs seem to be paralyzed, and if you manage to move them, then you move like in jelly.

For sleep, such sensations are absolutely normal (although they make you worry). But sometimes they break through into reality.

What is sleep paralysis and where does it come from

Sleep paralysis Sleep Paralysis is muscle weakness, expressed to the point of complete immobility, which is sometimes observed before falling asleep or immediately after waking up.

In principle, disabling the muscles responsible for movement during sleep is an evolutionary safety measure. If this were not the case, the sleeping person would get out of bed, jump, run, fight, try to fly - in general, he would perform all those tricks that are in the plot of the dream. And with a high probability, he would have died in early childhood. If not independently, then because of some nocturnal predator.

Actually, our ancestors who were too mobile during sleep were eventually eaten. Or they themselves have died out from constant lack of sleep (try to get enough sleep if every now and then you bump into foreign objects!). And we, the representatives of modern humanity, got the genes of those who were numb during sleep - more precisely, during its rapid phase with dreams.

But sometimes it happens that the brain has already woken up and began to be aware of itself, and the body is still in a dream. The sensations are indescribable.

What are the symptoms of sleep paralysis

If you suddenly have to deal with sleep paralysis, remember: it is absolutely safe. That is, it does not harm your health in any way.

According to statistics, 40% of people at least once in their life experienced this eerie sensation: they were conscious, but could not move either an arm or a leg.

Unless it can cause mild stress. Which is quite justified, given the "special effects" accompanying Sleep Paralysis. The most common ones are:

• horror from being imprisoned in a motionless body;
• fear of being buried alive;
• difficulty breathing air: it seems that something is pressing on the chest. Or someone is sitting on it: in ancient times, when faced with sleep paralysis, people often blamed the evil spirits that had planted on a person;
• feeling as if there is someone or something in the room that is clearly hostile.

Fortunately, sleep paralysis does not last long - from a few seconds to a couple of minutes.

What are the causes of sleep paralysis

It is not yet entirely clear what exactly delays the body in REM sleep when the brain is already awake. However, scientists have tracked factors that increase the risk of this disorder. Here they are:

• chronic lack of sleep, when you sleep much less than healthy 7-8 hours a day on a regular basis;
• sleep disorders - such as insomnia or apnea;
• irregular sleep. It can be associated with shift work or a change in time zones;
• some nervous disorders - the same acute stress or bipolar disorder (manic-depressive psychosis);
• the habit of sleeping on your back;
• Taking certain medications, such as medications that control ADHD (attention deficit hyperactivity disorder)
• alcohol or drug abuse;
• heredity.

How to treat sleep paralysis

In most cases, it appears only once or twice during a lifetime and disappears without a trace. Doctors believe that there is no need to treat this disorder. To reduce the risks, a little lifestyle change is enough.

1. Get enough sleep

Most adults need 6 to 8 hours of quality sleep every day.

2. Follow your sleep schedule

Go to bed every night, and get up at about the same time in the morning.

3. Make sure the bedroom is cozy

You need a quiet, comfortable room with a light twilight and cool air.

4. Do not use gadgets at night

Put your smartphone aside, turn off the TV and close the laptop at least an hour and a half before bedtime.

5. Don't overeat at dinner

Evening smoking, caffeine and alcohol consumption are also contraindicated.

6. Be physically active throughout the day

Walking, swimming, and exercising regularly at the gym can help normalize sleep. Just try to complete active types of "charging" (the same strength exercises, vigorous fitness, sprint runs) no later than four hours before you go to bed.

When to see a doctor

Sleep paralysis rarely needs medical advice. Here are some signs that you should still see a therapist or neurologist:

• sleep paralysis happens on a regular basis - once a week or a month;
• because of this, you are afraid to go to sleep or cannot get enough sleep;
• besides the main symptom, you constantly feel very sleepy during the day. Or you have had episodes when you suddenly fell asleep literally on the go.

The doctor will advise you on how to normalize your sleep. Most likely, his recommendations will relate to your lifestyle. However, in especially difficult cases, a specialist may suggest taking a course of antidepressants on drink. These drugs partially reverse REM sleep. In the treatment of sleep paralysis, they are prescribed in smaller doses than in depression.