Parasomnia i the unwanted events that come with sleep, sleep paralysis is a parasomnia. “Atony” is a condition in which your brain allows your muscles to relax and remain still while you sleep. Sleep paralysis occurs when this atony occurs while you are no longer asleep and awake.
Whether you have suffered it or not, there are several things you should know about it. The certain age group most likely to have sleep paralysis is between 16 and 45 years old. Some people learn to control their bodies, which is called “lucid dreaming.” Lucid Dream is about gaining a certain amount of awareness about your body that you can wake up to in an intense nightmare. Lucid Dreams does not work in sleep paralysis. Like sleep, paralysis occurs when one person is half-awake and the other half asleep (REM sleep).
Listed below are the ten most surprising facts about sleep paralysis.
10. How does it Feel?
Have you ever woken up in the middle of the night with a racing pulse? When your heart beats against your chest and a knot of fear floats in your throat?
Sleep paralysis is one of the most terrifying phenomena known to man. Sleep paralysis is the terrifying torment of waking up in the dead of night when you can’t move a muscle or speak for a few moments. It is as if your brain is awake but your body is not. For some people, it happens every night and you may experience strange sensations and hallucinations.
9. What is REM Sleep?
The scientific explanation says that you wake up at the wrong time when your REM period is not over yet. Your muscles are still asleep, this includes your chest muscles. That is why people feel shortness of breath and a heavyweight on their chests. You cannot ask for help or scream during your sleep paralysis episode. As the muscles in your mouth don’t work. A unique phase of sleep in mammals and birds characterized by,
a) Rapid eye movement
b) It occurs at intervals during the night.
c) vivid dreams
d) low muscle tone
e) Faster pulse
f) heavy breathing
g) Senses of alert
8. Spine Chilling Hallucinations
People can see terrifying visions or figures, some have even reported a heavyweight as an invisible being on their chest that immobilizes them in bed during an episode of sleep paralysis. Others reported hearing some voices in the room. One case even reported that he was breathing deeply and growling behind him during his episode of sleep paralysis.
Some people say they see a figure sitting next to them or lean over them and cannot move.
7. Everyone Seeing The Same Figure
The surprising fact is that people all over the world, who have no contact with each other, have seen the same thing and gone through the same experiences of sleep paralysis.
Many reports have mentioned that most people see an elderly woman who is pleased and laughs at the fear she is causing her victim.
Sleep paralysis is very supernatural compared to medical because there has been no clear explanation for it.
6. Causes Of Sleep Paralysis
1. Not getting enough sleep.
2. High level of stress, depression, and anxiety.
3. Eating big, Heavy, Sugary meals.
4. Major Alcohol consumption or other drugs.
5. Sometimes sleeping on your back can cause sleep paralysis.
6. People with psychological problems such as Bipolar disorder.
7. Leg cramps that occur at night can also cause this condition.
5. Treatment
1. Relax or meditate
2. Exercise or yoga
3. Eat healthily
4. Healthy sleep cycle
5. Try Camomile tea before bed as it has some relaxing effects.
6. Avoid watching scary movies before going to bed at night.
4. Isolated Sleep Paralysis
The paralysis that occurs when a person goes to sleep or wakes up is called isolated sleep paralysis (ISP). Sleeping on your back, mental stress, or not having a regular sleep cycle can be the cause of isolated sleep paralysis. It can happen once or a couple of times in a person’s life and lasts for several minutes.
3. Recurrent Isolated Sleep Paralysis
A person is having an episode of recurrent isolated sleep paralysis when unable to speak or move at the beginning of sleep or upon waking. Recurrent isolated sleep paralysis is also characterized by hallucinations that can be auditory, visual, or tactile. It is a chronic condition and occurs throughout life and lasts for over an hour.
2. Genetics Of Sleep Paralysis
Sleep paralysis can also run in families. In one study, more than 800 twins and siblings were asked if they had any experience with this phenomenon. As the results show, genetics also played a role in this strange phenomenon.
Scientists say the most important thing they have learned about sleep paralysis is that it is inheritable and there may be some genes that influence sleep and wake patterns by up to 50%.
1. False Awakening And Lucid Dreaming
When a person dreams of waking up but is actually still sleeping, it is characterized as a false awakening. It is a common phenomenon. Almost everyone experiences the phenomenon of false awakening once in their lives. Paralysis occurs during sleep paralysis, however, during false awakening, paralysis occurs within sleep, but the person can move normally.
A lucid dream is a dream where the dreamer is aware that he is dreaming. An interesting thing about lucid dreaming is that the dreamer can control sleep to some degree. It is a technique for inducing sleep interruptions and can increase depressive symptoms, that is, sleep paralysis. When sleep paralysis and lucid dreaming occur together, it leaves the dreamer terrified and shocked.
