Understanding Sleep Paralysis

I you woke up and found that you could not move a muscle; you probably have had an episode of sleep paralysis. It is a very frightening experience, if you have ever had an episode.

Sleep paralysis is a temporary paralysis that is similar to the normal paralysis that goes on in our normal REM (rapid eye movement) sleep. Sleep paralysis occurs when the brain is awake, but the body hasn't yet gotten the message. This condition can be very frightening, and in some cases the person will go back to sleep after the episode has passed and only remember the episode as a dream. Their may be hallucinations which are both visual and auditory. In sleep paralysis there may be also episodes of lucid dreaming.

Not everyone interprets the paralysis as a hallucination. I have had two episodes of sleep paralysis that I remember, and I was so frightened to wake up and find that I was frozen fast in my bed and could not move a muscle.

Often times people who have episodes of sleep paralysis also have a condition known as narcolepsy, which is a neurological disorder characterized by excessive daytime sleepiness (EDS).

If sleep paralysis occurs on a fairly regular basis you should seek help from your physician because there may be underlying causes fro this to occur. However, it is quite common for people to have this experience at least once or twice in a lifetime.

Some of the possible causes of sleep paralysis could be:

•Sleeping on your back

•Not getting adequate sleep due to irregular schedule

•Stress or environmental changes

•Entering into a state of lucid dreaming

•Artificial sleeping aids

Sleep paralysis is not harmful, although it can be very frightening when you discover you cannot move. For me, I have no sleep disorders like narcolepsy, but I have had 2 episodes that I know of. I think it might be related to taking an antihistamine before bed, so I have discontinued taking them to see if that might have been the cause.

Can sleep paralysis be prevented?

You may be able to prevent sleep paralysis by getting enough uninterrupted sleep, reduce stress, and get regular exercise and to have a regular time to go to bed. When having an episode of sleep paralysis, stay calm. In a few minutes your body will get the message that you are awake. You may feel anxiety and evern terror at first, but just stay calm and it will pass.