Sleep paralysis

Many “tricks” of our brain remain a mystery. We do not know why they appear and most importantly – how to deal with them if something strange is happening to us.

Sleep paralysis is one such phenomenon. Many of us experience something similar at least once in our lives. As a rule, it scares us, as does everything that is beyond our comprehension, and most importantly, our control.

Sleep paralysis (other names: sleep stupor, cataplexy of awakening) is a state of complete or partial muscle paralysis that occurs when a person falls asleep or wakes up: it happens at the border of sleep and reality.

With the onset of sleep stupor, a person is unable to move, talk, and even cannot open their eyes. This state is quite frightening, because the body refuses to obey, while the brain is working and there is a certain awareness that something terrible is happening. You can’t call for help or move – and this “anesthesia without anesthesia” is perceived as a wild horror, causing a panic reaction.

Sleep paralysis lasts no more than a few seconds, in rare cases minutes, but this time is perceived as long and drawn-out – after all, states of anxiety and fear slow down the feeling of time in general.

When going through such a stupor, a person may experience a “felt presence” (there is someone here), intense fear, visual and auditory hallucinations, pressure on the chest, difficulty breathing, and unusual bodily sensations.

If a person is inclined to believe in the paranormal, then this state can lead to beliefs about boggarts sitting on the chest, abduction by aliens, and so on. Such stories may originate from experiences of sleep paralysis.

So, what happens to the brain when this phenomenon occurs?

With the advent of smart bracelets that track our sleep quality, it is now common knowledge that there are REM and NREM sleep phases. During REM sleep, we have dreams. To prevent us from jumping up, reacting to the fact that in a dream we are running, flying, or fighting, our brains turn off the activity of our muscles, preventing any movement. Otherwise, we simply could not rest.

Sleep paralysis occurs when we are conscious and at the same time in the phase of REM sleep – such a conundrum. Thus, we get trapped, because we are aware of what is happening around us and feel our breath but are completely deprived of the ability to move and speak.

We must emphasize that sleep paralysis does not threaten life and health, although it is experienced as, to put it mildly, an unpleasant and undesirable phenomenon.

Why sleep paralysis happens at all is still not fully known. However, therapeutic work with clients who have increased anxiety, a tendency to panic attacks, post-traumatic stress, and experience acute or chronic stress disorder shows that this phenomenon occurs much more often with them.

In other words, there is a certain relationship between the psycho-emotional state of a person and the phenomenon of sleep paralysis. In addition, the presence of such a problem creates a certain zone of avoidance (as in a panic attack): it is scary that it may happen again, and the person begins to be afraid of it. This probably lowers the quality of sleep. And poor sleep, in turn, provokes a deterioration in the psychological state. Thus, a vicious circle is formed.

Why is this discovery important? Since this connection with emotions and psychological state exists, it means that sleep disorders of various kinds, including sleep paralysis, can be affected. Your best bet is to see a therapist and work with anxiety, past trauma, and anything that chronically bothers you.